The Houston Cougars were ranked in the AP Poll at No. 22 and they broke the top 25 for the first time since 2022.
West Virginia came ready to play and spoiled Houston’s best start to a season since 2015 with a dominant 45-35 victory on Saturday at TDECU Stadium.
The Cougars now drop to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12 Conference standings.
Nov 1, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. (15) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Jarod Bowie (7) and teammates against the Houston Cougars in the first half at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
The Mountaineers came to Houston and beat them in every aspect of the game on Saturday.
West Virginia exposed the Cougars’ run defense by rushing for 246 yards and four touchdowns.
The Mountaineers were winless in the conference before the game and were 13.5-point underdogs.
However, West Virginia started the game on a mission to upset the Cougars at home, and they ran the ball effectively early on.
Freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. led West Virginia down the field on a 12-play 75-yard drive and he capped it off with a six-yard touchdown rush to take a 7-0 lead.
After stopping Houston, the Mountaineers scored on the following drive with a 21-yard touchdown rush by sophomore running back Cyncir Bowers.
The Cougars managed to find some offensive rhythm on the next drive to cut the lead to 14-7 on a three-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Conner Weigman to senior tight end Tanner Koziol.
Despite the slow start, after a touchdown grab by junior wide receiver Amare Thomas and a touchdown run by Weigman, the Cougars went into halftime tied 21-21.
Weigman struggled through the game, but he was not like himself in the second half.
The veteran quarterback lost a fumble and also through two interceptions in the game, including a pick-six in the third-quarter that gave the Mountaineers a 10-point lead.
Houston had chances late, but the Cougars ultimately beat themselves. They allowed a quarterback keeper to go for a touchdown on fourth down and also allowed West Virginia to get the ball back late with a punt that hit off of their own blocker.
The Cougars also didn’t force a turnover, and they lost the turnover takeaway margin three to one, which is the opposite of what head coach Willie Fritz has preached all season.
The Cougars will fall out of the AP Top 25 and look to continue a solid season next week.
Houston football will head to Orlando, Fla., next Friday to take on the UCF Knights and they seek to get back into the win column.