The 2023 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the Big 12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars were led by Dana Holgorsen in his fifth season as their head coach. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Houston Cougars football team drew an average home attendance of 36,020 in 2023.
In September 2021, Cincinnati, BYU, Houston, and UCF accepted bids to join the Big 12 Conference. On June 10, 2022, the American Athletic Conference and the three American Athletic Conference schools set to depart from the league (Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF) announced that they had reached a buyout agreement with the conference that would allow those schools to join the Big 12 in 2023. BYU had previously operated as an independent prior to accepting a membership invitation to join the Big 12.
On November 26, head coach Dana Holgorsen was fired. He finished with a record of 31–28 in five seasons.
Schedule
Game summaries
UTSA
at Rice
Statistics HOURICE First downs 27 24 Total yards 443 470 Rushing yards 183 69 Passing yards 260 401 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 28:10 31:50 Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing Donovan Smith 24/42, 260 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Tony Mathis Jr. 8 rushes, 60 yards Receiving Samuel Brown 9 receptions, 138 yardsRice Passing JT Daniels 28/42, 401 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Dean Connors 8 rushes, 48 yards Receiving Luke McCaffrey 7 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TD
TCU
Sam Houston
Statistics SHSUHOU First downs 8 27 Total yards 178 538 Rushing yards 52 186 Passing yards 126 352 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 25:05 34:55 Team Category Player StatisticsSam Houston State Passing Grant Gunnell 14/22, 100 yards, INT Rushing Tobias Weaver 6 rushes, 18 yards Receiving John Gentry 5 receptions, 32 yardsHouston Passing Donovan Smith 31/40, 294 yards, TD Rushing Parker Jenkins 20 rushes, 105 yards, 3 TD Receiving Matthew Golden 9 receptions, 92 yards, TD
at Texas Tech
West Virginia
Statistics WVUHoustonFirst downs 26 20Total yards 546 393Rushes/yards 44/155 26/140Passing yards 391 253Passing Comp-Att-Int 20-38-1 21-27-0Time of possession36:5923:01 Team Category Player StatisticsWest VirginiaPassingGarrett Greene20/38, 391 yards, 2 TD, INTRushing CJ Donaldson 17 carries, 66 yards, TDReceiving Devin Carter 5 receptions, 116 yardsHoustonPassing Donovan Smith 21/27, 253 yards, 4 TDRushing Stacy Sneed 7 carries, 78 yardsReceiving Stephon Johnson 4 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD
No. 8 Texas
Sources:
at Kansas State
at Baylor
Cincinnati
No. 23 Oklahoma State
Statistics OKST HOU First downs 28 18 Total yards 501 393 Rushing yards 153 130 Passing yards 348 263 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 29–43–1 18–30–2 Time of possession 32:12 27:48 Team Category Player StatisticsOklahoma State Passing Alan Bowman 29/43, 348 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing Ollie Gordon II 25 carries, 164 yards, 3 TD Receiving Brennan Presley 15 receptions, 189 yardsHouston Passing Donovan Smith 17/29, 235 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT Rushing Donovan Smith 13 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD Receiving Jonah Wilson 1 reception, 60 yards, 1 TD
at UCF
Statistics HOUUCFFirst downs1723Total yards259476Rushing yards94223Passing yards165253Turnovers10Time of possession27:0432:56 Team Category Player StatisticsHoustonPassingDonovan Smith12–20, 161 yards, 1 TD, I INTRushingStacy Sneed3 carries, 33 yardsReceivingJoseph Manjack IV4 receptions, 74 yardsUCFPassingJohn Rhys Plumlee23–27, 253 yards, 1 TDRushingR. J. Harvey21 carries, 136 yards, 2 TDReceivingKobe Hudson9 receptions, 98 yards
References