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The Houston Cougars, ranked No. 14, are expected to tumble in both the AP Top 25 and the College Football Playoff rankings following a disheartening defeat to the Colorado Buffaloes on Friday night.
Cougars Up
Tight end Patrick Overmyer, a recent semifinalist for the John Mackey Award, delivered another standout performance. He recorded nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown, proving to be quarterback Conner Weigman's most dependable target. Overmyer's showing solidifies his case for the Mackey Award and was one of the few highlights for Houston.
Running back Makhi Hughes averaged over seven yards per carry, amassing 106 rushing yards and a touchdown. This came a week after he posted 90 yards against Cincinnati. The former Tulane star notched his first 100-yard game since 2024 and demonstrated reliability out of the backfield, though his effort was ultimately wasted.
Safety Javion White was a rare bright spot on an otherwise dismal defensive night. White recorded a tackle for loss and an interception, standing out as the defense's best player. However, the unit allowed nearly 500 total yards and failed to exploit a struggling quarterback, Isaac Wilson.
Cougars Down
The entire defense struggled mightily. Houston missed tackles, gave up explosive plays, and allowed Colorado to convert 10 of 14 third downs. The Cougars failed to record a single sack, giving Wilson ample time to dissect the secondary. Their usually stout run defense was gashed by Richard Young, who ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, while the Buffaloes totaled 250 rushing yards. Wide receivers Joseph Williams and Deandre Moore Jr. both made significant impacts, including a 53-yard touchdown grab by Williams. The secondary, which had shown improvement midseason, took a step back, and any CFP aspirations now appear to be dashed.
Quarterback Conner Weigman also had a rough outing. In all three of Houston's losses, the team has been blown out by multiple scores, and Weigman has lost a fumble in each. Against Texas Tech, his fumble deep in Red Raiders territory halted momentum. Against Utah, a late fumble in Houston's own territory led to an easy Utes score. On Friday, Colorado strip-sacked him deep in their own territory, killing momentum and sparking 28 unanswered points. Later, down 35-20, Weigman threw an interception to cornerback Boo Carter. Despite passing for 272 yards and three touchdowns, those two turnovers proved costly. While most of the blame falls on the defense, Weigman didn't perform up to his usual standard, and now both playoff and Big 12 title hopes are essentially over. Given the team's talent and flashes of brilliance, this loss is unacceptable and will be hard to forget.