The No. 22 Houston Cougars and the West Virginia Mountaineers will cross paths for just the second time all-time and the second time in three seasons at TDECU Stadium on Saturday, where the head-to-head success for the Cougars in the series aims to be extended as part of their already impressive 2025 campaign.
Coaches Willie Fritz and Rich Rodriguez’s rosters have experienced significant overhauls from their introductions to each program respectively, but if the upcoming matchup predictions and records through eight games indicate anything, it’s that Fritz and Houston are one step ahead in program rebuilding.
As the Saturday morning kickoff looms between the two programs, let’s take a look statistically at where they stand in their 2025 campaigns.
Oct 25, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez argues a call during the third quarter against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at Milan Puskar Stadium. / Ben Queen-Imagn Images
The reintroduction of Rodriguez to West Virginia became a sight for sore eyes to the Mountaineer community knowing the success he sustained in his first stint in Morgantown, consisting of a .698 winning percentage and six consecutive bowl appearances in seven seasons.
However, roster turnover and a bevy of injuries, especially to his room of signal callers, has effectively billed the 2025 season as a rebuild year for Rodriguez.
After starting 2-1 with wins over Robert Morris and rival Pittsburgh, the Mountaineers have dropped their first five Big 12 contests, in which they were outscored 195-78 over the span. When adding declining depth due to injuries, defensive holes of allowing nearly 34 points and 450 yards per game and its overall lacking offensive output in scoring 17 points per game, West Virginia now sees its point differential on the season at -75 and its stance in the conference at second-to-last.
In terms of quarterbacks, the Mountaineers are now down to their fifth-stringer in true freshman Scotty Fox Jr., who is projected to make his third start Saturday. In his second start, Fox’s 301-yard performance featuring six connections to receiving leader redshirt Cam Vaughn proved his potential to continue wielding the baton.
Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) and offensive lineman Matthew Wykoff (74) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Year 2 of the Fritz’s tenure at Houston, especially through eight games, has only bolstered his resume of quick program turnarounds at each of his stops.
The addition who has effectively set the tone of success in the Cougars finding their explosive offensive brand of football again is junior quarterback Conner Weigman, who in adding to his proven passer resume has impressed with his increased mobility.
Through Week 9, he has set a career season rushing total of 354 yards and is now one of two leading rushers for Houston. His 71.6 quarterback rating leaves him ranked 35th in the nation among signal callers.
His tools have led Houston to a top-75 total offense ranking in FBS and a current season point differential of +81, as the Cougars average 29 points per game while the defensive complements have anchored opponents to 21.3 points per game. Accolade-wise, Weigman’s resume effectively put him on the 2025 Maxwell Award watchlist.
In all, it’s kept the Cougars afloat in Big 12 conference contention and earned them their first AP Poll Top 25 ranking for the first time since 2022, in which the ranking, implicative for Houston athletics as a whole, has put the university as just one of seven schools in the nation with an AP Poll ranking in both a football and basketball program.