No. 20 Houston is already at the point where every game feels like it carries extra weight, and Saturday’s Big 12 meeting with UCF fits that mold.
The Cougars come home after a 42-28 road win over Georgia Southern last Saturday, a game that featured Conner Weigman doing damage every which way. He accounted for all six Houston touchdowns, throwing for 239 yards and four scores while adding two more on the ground as the Cougars rolled up 441 yards of offense.
That performance pushed Houston to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play, and it also bumped the Cougars five spots in the latest AP Top 25. Weigman’s week kept getting better Monday, when he landed on both the Manning Award Stars of the Week list and the Davey O'Brien Great 8.
Through four games, Weigman has completed 71.6% of his passes for 947 yards and 11 touchdowns against just one interception.
"If we do a good job of giving him adequate protection, he's going to pick people apart," Cougars coach Willie Fritz said. "We've got some good weapons."
One of those weapons is Re'Shaun Sanford II, who ran for 120 yards against Georgia Southern and now has 252 rushing yards on the season. Sanford has already had to fight through a lot, missing two college seasons because of knee injuries.
Houston’s offense has also been especially sharp on money downs. The Cougars lead the FBS in third-down efficiency, and they converted 8 of 9 third downs against Georgia Southern. For the season, they are 32 of 45 on third down, good for 71.1%.
"It's just our practice habits," Fritz said. "It was a big emphasis to finish in the red zone and to finish hard third downs, and it's good to see that we're getting better at it."
UCF arrives at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12 after a 21-13 home win over TCU last Saturday. The Knights leaned on a defense that forced four turnovers, including an Antione Jackson interception at the UCF 7-yard line that sealed the victory with 1:48 left.
Offensively, Keyone Jenkins delivered another steady outing in his second straight start in place of injured Alonza Barnett III. Jenkins completed 19 of 20 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, and Barnett has already been ruled out against Houston because of a severe hamstring injury.
Scott Frost said Jenkins has kept growing with every opportunity.
"It says a lot about who he is, that he can go in and perform that well," Frost said Monday. "I think he was clearly better in his second start, even than his first.
So we're going to need him to play that well. I don't think anything's going to faze him.
He's a confident kid, plays with a lot of attitude and swagger, and he's going to be ready."
Frost also pointed to the Knights’ defense, which he said was driven by effort and buy-in.
"The No. 1 thing that stands out with our defense is how hard they play," Frost said. "We've got a lot of guys bought in right now and playing for each other.
A lot of different guys making plays, guys stepping up when other guys are hurt. We're playing a really good team, and I think our guys will be fired up for it."
In Other News...
Houston Finally Has A Big 12 Opportunity Fans Can Feel
Houstons climb into the AP top 20 after beating Georgia Southern has given the program something it has been waiting on since joining the Big 12: a chance to play the role of a real league contender with the rankings to back it up. The comparison to the 2021 season is hard to miss, but this version feels different because the Cougars have paired strong playmakers with a roster that has, for the most part, backed up the buzz with results.
The next stretch will say a lot about how real this opportunity is, especially with No. 19 Oklahoma State waiting on the schedule. Houstons pass defense remains the clearest concern, and in a league this deep, one vulnerable spot can quickly turn a promising run into a stressful one. If the Cougars are going to keep this momentum rolling, they will have to prove the ranking is a sign of something sturdier than a hot start. [Read more 🡒]
Conner Weigman Is Turning Houstons Hot Start Into Something Bigger
Conner Weigmans debut stretch at Houston is already drawing national attention, and the senior quarterback picked up two weekly honors after powering the Cougars past Georgia Southern. He landed on the Manning Award Stars of the Week and the Davey OBrien Great Eight lists, recognition that comes on the heels of one of the most productive outings of his college career.
Weigman was efficient and explosive all at once, completing 17 of 22 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns through the air while adding two more scores on the ground. For Houston, the bigger takeaway is what the hot start suggests about the ceiling of an offense that has quickly found a rhythm behind its new leader. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs Big 12 Road Suddenly Looks Tougher Than Fans Expected
Houston finished out its non-conference slate with a 42-28 win over Georgia Southern, and the payoff was more than just a clean exit from September. The Cougars moved up from No. 25 to No. 20 in the AP poll, a sign that the early momentum is starting to carry real weight as they turn fully toward league play.
For UCF, the Big 12 road now looks a little steeper than it did a week ago. Oklahoma States 41-24 win over West Virginia pushed the Cowboys into the Top 25, while Georgia State answered its loss to UCF by beating Northern Illinois 35-14 behind a strong showing from quarterback Taron Dickens. The early results around the conference are starting to sort contenders from hopefuls, and the Knights are about to find out how much margin they really have. [Read more 🡒]