UH misses game-tying field goal in the final minute
The University of Houston lost to the TCU Horned Frogs by a score of 17-14 at TDECU Stadium on a warm Saturday afternoon. The Coogs offensive could not fully capitalize on four turnovers and no longer has the opportunity to play in the Big XII championship game. UH will travel to Waco to face the Baylor Bears on Thanksgiving weekend to wrap up the regular season. (Photos by Jack Gorman)
Jackson is a freelance photographer and writer covering a variety of music and sporting events in the Houston area. He has contributed to the Houston Press since 2013.
More by Jack Gorman
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.
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman has rushed for 409 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Christian Petersen Getty Images
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.
Defensive lineman Carlos Allen Jr. leads Houston with 67 tackles this season. Brian Bahr Getty Images
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.
Houston’s 6-foot-7 tight end Tanner Koziol is second on the team with 570 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Christian Petersen Getty Images
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.
Houston running back Dean Connors ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 725 rushing yards and has scored four touchdowns. Maria Lysaker Getty Images
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.
Game schedule dates, times, locations
Nov. 19 vs. New York, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
Nov. 21 vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
Nov. 22 vs. Memphis, 7:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
Nov. 24 at Miami, 6:30 p.m., KFAA, MavsTV
Nov. 28 at L.A. Lakers, 9 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Nov. 19 vs. Kansas City, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 27 vs. Florida (at San Diego), 2 p.m., FS1
Nov. 28 vs. Providence or Wisconsin (at San Diego), 2 or 4:30 p.m., Fox
Dec. 5 vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Dec. 7 vs. North Texas (at Dickies Arena), 4:30 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 20 vs. Tarleton State, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 23 vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 27 vs. Richmond (at Cancun, Mexico), 8 p.m., FloCollege
Nov. 28 vs. UAB (at Cancun, Mexico), 5:30 p.m., FloCollege
UH stunned by Mountaineers after jumping out to a 21-7 lead in the first half.
Dean Connors #44 of the Houston Cougars delivers a stiff arm. Credit: Jack Gorman
The nationally ranked Houston Cougars #22 lost to the West Virginia Mountaineers by a score of 35-45 at TDECU Stadium Saturday. The team honored late Director of Strength Training Kurt Hester by wearing black with the Unbreakable slogan on their helmets. The next home game will be on November 22 against the TCU Horned Frogs. (Photos by Jack Gorman)
Jackson is a freelance photographer and writer covering a variety of music and sporting events in the Houston area. He has contributed to the Houston Press since 2013.
More by Jack Gorman
Week 9 of college football has largely unfolded as expected, even with several close calls. No. 7 Georgia Tech rolled past Syracuse 41-16, No. 4 Alabama edged South Carolina 29-22, No. 10 Vanderbilt beat Missouri 17-10 and No. 2 Indiana cruised to a 56-6 rout of UCLA.
All top 10 teams remained in the win column — a stark difference from Week 8, when four top 10 teams stumbled.
The excitement this week existed outside the top 10, where Washington overthrew No. 23 Illinois, Memphis topped No. 18 South Florida, Houston knocked off Arizona and Texas and Virginia escaped overtime thrillers.
Look for them to move up
— No. 21 Cincinnati improved to 7-1 on Saturday with a convincing 41-20 win against Baylor. The Bearcats pulled ahead 24-0 midway through the second quarter and kept their foot on the pedal throughout the second half.
— No. 17 Tennessee outscored Kentucky 56-34 in another impressive offensive performance led by quarterback Joey Aguilar. The Vols could benefit from No. 13 Oklahoma and No. 15 Missouri losing this week and move into the top 15 as a result.
Look for them to drop
— No. 18 South Florida gave up a 31-17 lead in the fourth quarter, allowing Memphis to charge downfield for a field goal, two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion to take a late 34-31 lead. The Bulls had a chance to send the teams to overtime in the final seconds, but the 52-yard field-goal attempt went wide, and South Florida suffered its first loss since Week 3.
— No. 23 Illinois could be on its way out of the rankings after a 42-25 loss to Washington. It’s Illinois’ second straight loss and third overall.
— No. 20 LSU could see its lowest ranking this season after a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M. The Tigers were outplayed on both sides of the ball. It was a tough outing for Garrett Nussmeier, who was sacked five times for 44 yards in losses. Nussmeier was pulled late in the fourth quarter for backup quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., who was then sacked twice in one drive.
Wild card
— No. 16 Virginia narrowly beat UNC despite being outplayed in several areas. UNC had the edge in first downs (20-16) and total yards (353-259).
— For the second straight outing, No. 22 Texas won after regulation. The Longhorns scored three touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter to overcome a 31-14 deficit and force overtime, where a strong defensive stand carried Texas to a 45-38 victory.
— No. 11 BYU made a strong case to crack the top 10 with a dominant 41-27 win against Iowa State, keeping its undefeated streak alive. But a strong week for the upper tier of the AP Top 25 could prevent the Cougars from top 10 status.
Knocking on the door
— The chances of Memphis breaking the AP Top 25 again appear promising after a 34-31 win against No. 18 South Florida. The Tigers improved to 7-1, potentially offsetting last week’s 31-24 loss to UAB.
— Navy kept its undefeated streak alive with a 42-32 win against Florida Atlantic. Navy has been knocking on the door for weeks, receiving 28 votes in last week’s poll.
— Houston could swap places with No. 24 Arizona State after a 24-16 win on Saturday night. Quarterback Conner Weigman had a standout performance, throwing for 201 yards and a touchdown and running the ball for a team-high 111 yards and two scores. The Cougars improved to 7-1.
Week 6 of college football features just one matchup between top 25 teams, but there’s still plenty of teams on upset watch.
That’s typically how these types of weeks work. Will a team like No. 4 Tennessee get a scare at Arkansas? What about No. 8 Miami at Cal in an ACC After Dark special? Can No. 12 Ole Miss bounce back with a win at South Carolina? We’re about to find out.
Here are the games we’re keeping a close eye on Saturday. All times are Eastern and all odds are from BetMGM.
The day begins with the only ranked matchup. Marcel Reed looks likely to start at QB for A&M as Conner Weigman continues to recover from a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Missouri is looking to get its deep passing offense on track. QB Brady Cook excelled throwing the ball down the field a season ago but is averaging just 7.1 yards a pass so far in 2024.
It’s hard to see how Iowa’s offense can keep up. But the Iowa defense is the best unit Ohio State has seen so far, and we’re excited to see how the Buckeyes look against the stingy Hawkeyes.
Ole Miss is looking to bounce back from an ugly 20-17 upset loss to Kentucky last week. South Carolina’s defense is just as good as the Wildcats. Ask Kentucky. The Gamecocks dominated Kentucky in a 31-6 Week 2 win. But can South Carolina’s offense keep up? Stay tuned.
Tennessee’s offense has produced the highlights so far, but the defense has given up just 28 points over four games and the defensive line has shown itself to be one of the best in the SEC. It’ll be a big challenge for the Arkansas offense, which can be explosive when it’s not turning the ball over.
Miami’s learning what life is like in the new ACC as it heads out west to visit the Bears for a late-night kickoff in Berkeley, which is also hosting “GameDay.” Can Miami and Heisman hopeful QB Cam Ward keep rolling against a feisty Cal team which is off to a 3-1 start?
Live49 updates
Touchdown Georgia!
The Bulldogs are in the end zone on a short run by Trevor Etienne. That finishes off an 11-play, 75-yard drive for Georgia.
Big man TD for Ole Miss!
Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues (325 pounds) tumbles forward for a 1-yard TD run!
The Rebels took advantage of another short field after recovering a South Carolina fumble.
Ole Miss 14, South Carolina 0, mid 1st
Touchdown Ohio State!
The Buckeyes are on the board first after a 14-play, 88-yard drive is capped off by a 14- pass from Will Howard to Emeka Egbuka.
In Athens, Auburn started with the ball but quickly punted it to Georgia and now the Bulldogs are in the red zone.
In Columbus, the Buckeyes have the ball after a brief opening possession by Iowa. They’ve crossed midfield and are nearing the red zone.
Ole Miss strikes first
In another key SEC matchup today, Ole Miss is off to a quick start vs. South Carolina with Henry Parrish Jr. rushing in a touchdown from 3 yards out to start the scoring.
Ole Miss got the ball in great field position after SC failed to convert on a fake punt.
Ole Miss 7, South Carolina 0, early 1st
We are underway with the afternoon slate of games. This window features plenty of ranked teams in action.
Ole Miss-South Carolina Iowa-Ohio State Auburn-Georgia Indiana-Northwestern
Final: Texas A&M 41, Missouri 10
The Tigers tacked on a late field goal, but it’s an abysmal performance overall. It’s Texas A&M’s largest margin of victory over a top-10 team in school history.
Final: Penn State 27, UCLA 11
The Bruins get a garbage-time TD at the end of the game, but they’ll remain winless in the Big Ten after another big loss.
Touchdown Texas A&M!
The Aggies are piling it on now. It’s Le’Veon Moss once again, scoring his third TD of the day with a 18-yard run.
Missouri turns it over on downs
That’ll likely do it for the Tigers. On fourth-and-19, Brady Cook scrambled and had a receiver open, but the ball fell incomplete.
There’s just nothing positive happening for No. 9 Missouri today.
Louisville, SMU trading TDs in shootout
In what’s perhaps the most competitive game of the morning window, Louisville has tied things up with SMU on a 86-yard TD throw from Tyler Shough to Ja’Corey Brooks.
End of 3Q: Texas A&M 31, Missouri 7
The Tigers have the ball in A&M territory and they desperately need points on this drive to stay alive. They’re facing a third-and-5 at the 44.
Mizzou finally on the board
It took almost 40 minutes of gametime, but Missouri has scored. Brady Cook finds Theo Wease Jr. for a 59-yard catch-and-run touchdown to make it 34-7.
A&M adds field goal
The Aggies’ lead is up to 34-0 after a time-consuming drive ends with a 38-yard field goal by A&M kicker Randy Bond.
There’s just over 6 minutes left in the third quarter.
Touchdown Texas A&M!
The Aggies are piling it on now. Le’Veon Moss just broke off a 75-yard run to open the second half and it’s now 31-0 A&M!
We are back for the second half in College Station. Can Missouri climb its way back into the game, or at least make it competitive?
Early scoreboard update
Saturday scoreboard
Halftime: Texas A&M 24, Missouri 0
The Aggies go into the break with a massive lead. Conner Weigman is back and dealing the pigskin, completing 15 of 19 passes for 193 yards in the first two quarters.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina opened strong with 17 points in the first six minutes — sparked when Xavier Legette took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown — then held on to beat Texas A&M 30-24 on Saturday night.
The Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and turned a fumble and interception deep in Aggies territory into 10 more points and a 17-0 hole for Texas A&M (3-4, 1-3) just over five minutes in.
It’s the first time the Gamecocks have beaten the Aggies since the SEC made them their Western Division rival in 2014 and the first time they’ve won four in a row since 2013, shaking off a 48-7 loss to No. 1 Georgia in the third game of the season.
“A month ago, I was asked if this team quit. That look like this team has quit?” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said.
MarShawn Lloyd ran 18 times for 92 yards and had both of South Carolina’s touchdowns in the second half to keep Texas A&M from climbing back in it.
Spencer Rattler was 12-of-25 passing for 168 yards for South Carolina.
“We never quit. We keep fighting. That’s what we are about,” Rattler said.
Devon Achane ran 20 times for 99 yards for the Aggies. Hayes King was 17-of-32 passing for 178 yards, with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with an injury to his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter. Coach Jimbo Fisher said he kept Hayes out of the rest of the game as a precaution.
Freshman Conner Weigman filled in and threw for 91 yards but neither of his two final Hail Mary tries made it to the end zone after Texas A&M recovered an onside kick at midfield with nine seconds left.
The loss puts even more pressure on Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, whose team started the season ranked No. 6. The Aggies seem to play just under the level of their opponents, losing by six to South Carolina, four to No. 6 Alabama and three to Appalachian State
“We have good players. We’re right there, It’s not like we’re getting ran out of the stadium,” Fisher said. “We’ve just got to find a way to make a play or two — all the sudden you will get over the hump. It’s just the way it goes.”
With a contract through 2031 paying him $9 million a year, Fisher’s job likely isn’t in jeopardy. However, losing to South Carolina has been bad for several SEC coaches. Phillip Fulmer for Tennessee in 2008, Will Muschamp in 2014 and Dan Mullen in 2021 all lost their jobs shortly after losing to the Gamecocks.
BEAMER’S CRYSTAL BALL
Before the win earlier this month over Kentucky, Beamer told his staff he felt like South Carolina was going to recover its first fumble of the year in a key moment. It happened on the first play, the Gamecocks scored a TD the next down and never trailed.
Beamer told his coaches before Saturday’s game he expected a big special teams play would make the difference. Ligette began the game with his kickoff-return touchdown.
“Maybe I just need to keep speaking it into existence whatever I want to get done,” Beamer said.
FALSE START FRENZY
Texas A&M had eight penalties and all of them were false starts after starting a new center. Fisher said the noise at Williams-Brice stadium and miscommunication caused most of them.
“The guys got to listen on the road. We shouldn’t have had anything like that,” Fisher said.
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas A&M: Plenty of people expected the Aggies to challenge Alabama in the SEC West this season. Instead, it looks like a struggle to get to six wins and a bowl game. A win over UMass is probable. After that the Aggies need two wins out of four games — Ole Miss, Florida, at Auburn and at LSU.
South Carolina: Gamecocks fans chanted “Beamer Ball” during a late-game timeout in appreciation of second-year coach Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks only need to beat Missouri or Vanderbilt in the next two weeks to make a second straight bowl. And with the win, South Carolina has beaten every team in the current SEC.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M: The Aggies host No. 7 Ole Miss next Saturday.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks host Missouri next Saturday.
