The Houston Cougars got to play the 2025 Texas Bowl in Houston, and LSU brought a crowd of its own.
It was the last game of a long day of bowls, and it went right up until the final moments as Houston hung on – how did LSU not get that late onside kick? – for a strong 38-35 win.
Here are five takeaways on the game, along with what’s next for each team.
Houston vs LSU: Five Takeaways From the Texas Bowl
Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) warms up prior to the game against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium.© Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
5. Houston needed everything to pull this off
Opt-outs are the deal now. The team you put on the field wearing your school’s uniforms is your team – that’s on you if some of your guys don’t want to suit up. Next man up.
With that said, LSU was missing a whole lot of players from a meh – for this program – team. Too many key defensive guys were gone, but the offense had a nice game.
And Houston needed to hang on until the final moments to get the win.Â
The Cougars had almost all of their guys, including quarterback Conner Weigman, running back Dean Connors, and tight end Tanner Koziol. And a win is a win, but for Houston to take things to another level, it’s going to take even more talent. For now, though …
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4. The Cougars roared back under Willie Fritz
Houston had one double-digit win season since 2016, and two since 2011.Â
This was the first season, though, as a Power program since the 1990 season in the old Southwest Conference.
Willie Fritz came in from Tulane and took a team that went 4-8 in its first year in the Big 12 to a 4-8 rebuild to this. The team was 10-3 and relevant again.Â
And this seems to be just the beginning. More on that in a moment.
3. Michael Van Buren and Conner Weigman showed up strong
Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Louisiana State Tigers quarterback Michael van Buren Jr. (11) throws a pass during the second half against the Houston Cougars at NRG Stadium. © Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Weigman already announced that he’s coming back to be Houston’s quarterback next year, and he played like a leader in full command, completing 27-of-36 passes for 236 yards and four scores with no picks, and he ran for 56 yards.
Michael Van Buren was showing the rest of college football what he can do.
Is he the right guy to run Lane Kiffin’s offense? He’s going for the best of the best in the transfer portal, but if it’s not Van Buren, he showed he can be the main man to run someone’s attack.
The former Mississippi State Bulldog was good for LSU over the late part of the season, and he bombed away to make this interesting, throwing for 267 yards and three touchdowns without a pick, and he ran for 24 yards.
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2. What’s next for LSU going into the offseason?
It’s going to be interesting.
Lane Kiffin isn’t coming in to clean house, but he’s about to take talent evaluation to a whole other level. With everything possible at his disposal, you need not apply if you don’t have superstar potential.
Don’t get comfortable with the starting 22 that ran out on the field for the Texas Bowl. Some, like wide receiver and kick returner Barion Brown and tight end Trey’Dez Green will be part of the fun, and there’s more than enough in place to form a great nucleus.
But when the transfer portal opens up on January 2nd, LSU should be the biggest player. Kiffin is coming in to win a national title in 2026. It’s on.
1. What’s next for Houston going into the offseason?
Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz reacts during the first half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. © Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
The Cougars were built through the transfer portal, and that’s not stopping anytime soon.
This year’s team was loaded with upperclassmen, but the offensive depth is young and homegrown, and several of the key parts on the defensive side came up through the program. But watch out for Houston to become a bigger player in the portal for upgrades.Â
They crushed with Weigman, Connors, and Koziol, and the talent level will only get better. Now that Texas Tech showed the way, Houston will keep up the pace to be an even bigger factor in the Big 12 title chase.
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Related: North Texas Wins a Wild One Over San Diego State: 5 New Mexico Bowl Takeaways
This story was originally published by College Football News on Dec 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.