Whether looking at it good or bad, multiple scenarios clicked together to allow senior kicker Ethan Sanchez to drill a game-winning 41-yard field goal to send the Houston Cougars bowling for the first time as Big 12 members.
December football remains all-too familiar territory for coach Willie Fritz, who sported a “Bowl Bound” t-shirt postgame in leading the Cougars to accomplish the feat as underdogs facing a somewhat even offensive matchup in Arizona.
While offensive position groups clicked altogether, things weren’t the same on the other side of the ball when faced with the athleticism of redshirt junior quarterback Noah Fifita. Nonetheless, it contributed late to Houston’s clock-chewing opportunities and set up the game-winning drive for the Cougars.
Therefore, to decipher the efforts towards clinching bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons, we grade the Cougars on both sides of the ball in their Week 8 homecoming victory.
While statistically not even the best offensive output for the Cougars by far, the physical attributes of their performance in response to Arizona’s 8th-ranked total offense in the conference made the game look the most complete all season.
Overall offensive position rooms, Fritz commended his offensive coordinator, Slade Nagle, who ran the West Coast offense under him at Tulane, in his orchestration.
“I thought coach Nagle called an outstanding game,” Fritz said. “Really kept them (Arizona) off balance with the run-pass.”
Oct 18, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) hands off the ball to running back Dean Connors (44) during the first quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at TDECU Stadium. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Junior quarterback Conner Weigman and senior running back Dean Connors lead the bulk of the effort as the two combined for nearly 200 yards on the ground and six yards per carry, while Weigman hurled a total of three touchdowns in the mix of junior wide receiver Amare Thomas and senior tight end Tanner Koziol, leaving him with 164 yards on 15 of 23 in completions.
In part, Fritz nodded to the offensive line, in while facing adversity with injuries in the position room, had kept Weigman comfortable and afloat in the pocket while creating running room for him and Connors.
“You can’t do anything without the offensive line, the tight ends, and the receivers blocking downfield,” Fritz said. “I thought in all those areas they did an outstanding job.”
What put Houston’s offense in its game-winning scenario, however, was the largely lacking presence of third and fourth-down defense against Fifita under center. In allowing nearly seven yards per play, the Cougars let up marks of 4-for-9 and 2-for-3 in those conversion categories, respectively, dashing multiple opportunities for stops late in the game.
This also allowed Fifita to accomplish an Arizona program-tying record 92% completion percentage on 24 of 26 in passing.
Oct 18, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Wrook Brown (24) reacts after a sack in the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at TDECU Stadium. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Among Houston’s secondary, junior free safety Kentrell Webb and sophomore strong safety Jordan Allen combined for 18 total tackles, while senior star back Wrook Brown compiled nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 3.5 tackles for a loss on the day, part of why Arizona’s rushing room was limited to 112 yards.
With time on the Cougars’ side, it ended up being enough to fend off Fifita’s efforts, and astoundingly, the aftermath still left Houston ranked 26th in FBS in total defense, the mark in which it finished last season.