Four things to know about TCU football’s next opponent, No. 25 Houston

When TCU football hits the road to play No. 25 Houston on Saturday, it’ll be a chance for the program to avenge last year’s 30-19 upset in Fort Worth.

It’ll also be another opportunity to secure a win over a ranked team after the Horned Frogs were blown out by then-No. 12 BYU 44-13 on Saturday in Provo, Utah.

The Cougars (8-2, 5-2) are one of the most improved teams in the country and have already doubled their win total from last season — with at least three more games remaining on their schedule.

It will be a daunting task to go on the road at a Top 25 opponent, but Houston doesn’t have quite the same home-field advantage as BYU or even Kansas State. TCU has the talent to upend the Cougars, but it’ll take a much better effort than the one displayed last week.

Here are four things to know about the Cougars:

Former Aggie QB leads the way

Houston had one of the nation’s worst offenses last year, averaging only 14.0 points and 288.1 total yards. The unit was so unproductive it offset the fact that Houston had one of the nation’s most underrated defenses.

Head coach Willie Fritz hit the transfer portal to address the offensive issues and landed former five-star recruit Conner Weigman from Texas A&M. Weigman had a shaky career in College Station, but has rebounded to have the best season of his career in 2025.

The junior has thrown for 2,113 yards, 18 touchdowns with just seven interceptions this season while adding 409 yards and nine touchdowns rushing. Weigman wasn’t known as a dual-threat quarterback at Texas A&M, but Fritz has unlocked a new aspect of his game.

The Cougars are averaging 29.5 points and 388.3 yards per game with Weigman under center. It’s still not a prolific offense, but it’s a much better unit than last season.

Reloaded defense

While most fans may not have known how good Houston was defensively last year, programs around the country certainly took notice. The Cougars lost a number of their top playmakers to bigger programs, including defensive backs Keionte Scott (Miami), Jerry Wilson (Florida State) and AJ Haulcy (LSU).

Losing that type of talent would cause most defenses to regress, but the Cougars have maintained a similar level of production. Last year’s defense allowed 22.9 points and 324.8 yards per game, and this year’s unit allows 22.1 points per game and 333.1 yards per game.

It’s been an impressive rebuilding job by Fritz and first-year defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong. The unit is led by defensive lineman Carlos Allen Jr., who tops the team with 67 tackles, and a revamped secondary anchored by Wrook Brown and Kentrell Webb.

Even without the star power of last year, Houston has one of the best defenses in the Big 12.

Another problematic tight end

Covering tight ends has been one of the weaknesses of TCU’s defense, and Houston has the right type of player who can exploit those shortcomings with the 6-foot-7 Tanner Koziol. The senior was a four-star transfer portal signing from Ball State and has had no problem adjusting to the Power Four level.

Koziol is second on the team with 570 yards and five touchdowns. The only tight end who’s been more productive than Koziol in the Big 12 is Baylor’s Michael Trigg, who could end up being an All-American. Koziol had 100 yards against Arizona State on Oct. 25 and is averaging 65.2 yards per game over the past five contests.

Finding a way to contain Koziol, especially in the red zone, will be crucial for the Horned Frogs.

Rice transfer shines at running back

It didn’t generate much fanfare when Houston added running back Dean Connors from rival Rice during the offseason, but Connors deserves as much credit as Weigman for helping the Houston offense take a significant leap. The senior quietly ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 725 rushing yards and has scored four touchdowns.

Connors needs just 55 yards to set a career high, and he’ll likely get plenty of chances to reach that number against TCU. Connors has three games this season with at least 20 carries, and Houston won all three of those contests.

Weigman and Connors give the Cougars a powerful rushing attack that is designed to wear teams down in the second half. The Horned Frogs’ run defense will be tested for the second straight week.