The Houston Cougars (1-0, 0-1 ATS, 1-0 O/U) collide with the Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-0, 1-0 ATS, 1-0 O/U) in a state rivalry battle on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars needed overtime to beat UTSA in their season opener. The Red Raiders had an easy opponent in their first action, beating FCS opponent Murray State by a score of 38-10. Texas Tech posted a 38-21 win against Houston in the season opener last season.
The Houston Cougars have a stacked roster and are projected to be the best team in the AAC this season. The squad went a stellar 11-2 last season and return many of the key pieces. The Cougars were four-point favorites in a wild 37-35 triple OT road win against a good UTSA team last week. Houston was selected to finish in first place in the AAC in the preseason media poll.
Houston features a remarkable QB in Clayton Tune. The senior QB posted dazzling numbers last season, amassing 3546 passing yards complemented by a 30:10 TD to INT ratio. He connected on 68% of his pass attempts. Tune recorded 206 passing yards last week.
Relive the excitement from the triple-OT win against UTSA with these highlights!#GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/X6ghLnOP4G
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) September 4, 2022
The Cougars were dealt a tough one when last year’s rushing leader Alton McCaskill went down with an injury in August and is out for the season. Fortunately, Ta’Zhawn Henry is poised for a big season. The senior accrued 500 rushing yards last season. Houston has plenty of weapons at WR. Nathaniel Dell brought in 1329 yards in 2021 and 50 last week. The Cougars' offense was dominant last season and should be just as good this year.
The Cougars' defense is also a strength. There were no weaknesses last year, ranking 15th against the pass and 12th against the run, plus they accrued a ton of sacks and interceptions. They lost a few players to the NFL and have some inexperience at cornerback.
Houston posted an average of 37.3 points last year, good for 13th overall. They allowed an average of 21 points, tabbing them 21st in the FBS.