The 2024 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the Big 12 Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars were led by Willie Fritz in his first season as their head coach. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Offseason
Transfers Outgoing Bryan HenryTEAbilene ChristianChristopher PearsonSArkansas StateJett HuffQBCentral OklahomaKamsi ArinzeLBCoffeyville CCTyler JohnsonIOLColoradoChidozie NwankwoDLColoradoAaron WillisLBDelaware StateKarson JonesOTEast CarolinaMoses AlexanderCBEastern IllinoisCJ NelsonWREastern IllinoisLogan ComptonTEIncarnate WordReuben UnijeOTLouisvilleJa'koby BanksWRMemphisSam BrownWRMiami (FL)Aubrey SmithLBNavarroTevin ShawIOLNew MexicoJustin BeadlesDLNew Mexico StateDalton CarnesWRNorth TexasDarson HermanTENorth TexasIsaiah HamiltonCBOle MissJamaree CaldwellDLOregonLucas ColeyQBPrairie View A&MMichael PattersonCBStephen F. AustinHakeem AjijolaiyaDLTCUMatthew GoldenWRTexasAmipeleasi LangiDLTexas StateTreylin PayneLBTexas StateMikal Harrison-PilotWRTexas TechBrandon CampbellRBUMassJoshua CobbsWRUSFJaylen GarthOTUTSASergio SniderRBUnknownJalyn StanfordSUnknown
Incoming J.D. RhymCBAuburnQuindario LeeDLCentral MichiganTeagan WilkSEast CarolinaMekhi MewsWRGeorgiaCarlos Allen Jr.DLKennesaw StateZeon ChrissQBLouisianaKendre GantLBLouisianaSam SecrestIOLLouisvilleMichael BattonLBLouisiana–MonroeDakota WhiteIOLLouisiana TechChristian BrathwaiteLBLSUMaliq CarrTEMichigan StateGabe PetersonLBNew Mexico StateCedric MeltonOTOle MissBryan MasseySSMUKriston DavisCBSouthernJeremiah WilsonCBSyracuseJayden YorkTETexas TechKeith CooperDLTulaneCorey Platt Jr.LBTulaneKentrell WebbSTulaneEveritt RogersDLTulsaMarquis ShouldersWRTulsaDevan WilliamsWRTulsaJake WileyIOLUCLAJack RaneyKUC DavisAjani CarterCBUtah StateHershey McLaurinSWest Virginia
Coaching staff additions
Willie FritzHead CoachTulaneHead CoachKevin BarbayOffensive Coordinator/Tight EndsMississippi StateOffensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Shiel WoodDefensive Coordinator/LinebackersTulaneDefensive Coordinator/LinebackersDerrick ShermanAssistant Head Coach/Wide ReceiversTulaneWide ReceiversShawn BellQuarterbacksBaylorQuarterbacksJoshua Christian-YoungDefensive BacksTulaneDefensive Backs Zac EtheridgeDefensive BacksAuburnAssociate Head Coach/SecondaryJames Ross IIIDefensive Ends/Outside LinebackersTulaneSenior Defensive AnalystJordy JosephRunning BacksSouthern MissQuarterbacksMike KryslSpecial TeamsTulaneSpecial Teams AnalystOscar GilesDefensive LineWyomingAssociate Head Coach/Defensive Run-Game Coordinator/Defensive Tackles/Freshman Head Coach
Coaching staff departures Dana HolgorsenHead CoachTCUDefensive analystDoug BelkDefensive CoordinatorUSCDefensive BacksDaikiel ShortsWide ReceiversKentuckyWide ReceiversMike JinksAssistant Head Coach/Running Backs–––Corby MeekinsTight Ends/Inside ReceiversLutheran SouthHead CoachBrian EarlyDefensive LineMissouriDefensive Line/Edge
Schedule
Game summaries
vs UNLV
Statistics UNLV HOU First downs 1414 Total yards 308247 Rushing yards 19538 Passing yards 113209 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 7–14–122–38–2 Time of possession 31:2728:33 Team Category Player StatisticsUNLV Passing Matthew Sluka6/13, 71 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Michael Allen10 carries, 65 yards Receiving Jaden Bradley2 receptions, 60 yardsHouston Passing Donovan Smith15/30, 135 yards, 2 INT Rushing Parker Jenkins2 carries, 17 yards Receiving Mekhi Mews3 receptions, 57 yards
at No. 15 Oklahoma
Statistics HOU OU First downs 18 15 Total yards 318 249 Rushing yards 58 75 Passing yards 260 174 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 24–28–1 19–32–1 Time of possession 35:03 24:57 Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing Donovan Smith 24/28, 260 yards, TD, INT Rushing Stacy Sneed 11 carries, 33 yards Receiving Joseph Manjack IV 3 receptions, 72 yards, TDOklahoma Passing Jackson Arnold 19/32, 174 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Jovantae Barnes 12 carries, 40 yards Receiving Deion Burks 9 receptions, 53 yards
vs Rice (rivalry)
Statistics RICE HOU First downs 9 16 Total yards 159 379 Rushing yards 75 237 Passing yards 84 142 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 16–27–1 12–21–0 Time of possession 28:03 31:57 Team Category Player StatisticsRice Passing E. J. Warner 12/21, 50 yards, INT Rushing Dean Connors 11 carries, 32 yards, TD Receiving Christian Francisco 2 receptions, 26 yardsHouston Passing Donovan Smith 12/21, 142 yards, TD Rushing Stacy Sneed 7 carries, 82 yards, TD Receiving Stephon Johnson 1 reception, 44 yards, TD
at Cincinnati
Statistics HOU CIN First downs 12 22 Total yards 233 362 Rushing yards 141 149 Passing yards 92 213 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 13–21–1 15–19–0 Time of possession 26:26 33:34 Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing Donovan Smith 11/16, 73 yards, INT Rushing Re'Shaun Sanford II 6 carries, 62 yards Receiving Joseph Manjack IV 2 receptions, 51 yardsCincinnati Passing Brendan Sorsby 12/15, 188 yards, 2 TD Rushing Corey Kiner 16 carries, 78 yards, TD Receiving Sterling Berkhalter 3 receptions, 60 yards
vs No. 18 Iowa State
Statistics ISU HOU First downs 19 11 Total yards 393 241 Rushing yards 240 169 Passing yards 153 72 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 17–28–0 9–16–2 Time of possession 34:55 25:05 Team Category Player StatisticsIowa State Passing Rocco Becht 17/28, 153 yards, TD Rushing Abu Sama 11 carries, 101 yards, TD Receiving Jayden Higgins 8 receptions, 79 yards, TDHouston Passing Donovan Smith 8/12, 71 yards, INT Rushing Stacy Sneed 10 carries, 79 yards Receiving Stephon Johnson 4 receptions, 42 yards
at TCU
Statistics HOU TCU First downs 19 20 Total yards 361 299 Rushing yards 207 66 Passing yards 154 233 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 17–20–0 23–37–2 Time of possession 36:53 23:07 Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing Zeon Chriss 15/18, 141 yards, TD Rushing Zeon Chriss 11 carries, 97 yards, TD Receiving Maliq Carr 2 receptions, 39 yardsTCU Passing Josh Hoover 23/37, 233 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Cam Cook 14 carries, 77 yards Receiving JP Richardson 9 receptions, 98 yards
at Kansas
Statistics HOU KU First downs 20 21 Total yards 335 467 Rushing yards 98 220 Passing yards 237 247 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 21–33–4 16–21–0 Time of possession 31:41 28:19 Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing Donovan Smith 15/24, 173 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT Rushing Donovan Smith 14 carries, 45 yards Receiving Mekhi Mews 6 receptions, 99 yards, TDKansas Passing Jalon Daniels 16/21, 247 yards, 3 TD Rushing Devin Neal 17 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD Receiving Lawrence Arnold 4 receptions, 80 yards
vs Utah
Statistics UTAH HOU First downs 12 16 Total yards 306 289 Rushing yards 90 228 Passing yards 216 61 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 20–37–1 6–13–1 Time of possession 28:58 31:02 Team Category Player StatisticsUtah Passing Isaac Wilson 13/22, 171 yards, TD Rushing Micah Bernard 14 carries, 51 yards, TD Receiving Brant Kuithe 5 receptions, 113 yards, TDHouston Passing Zeon Chriss 6/13, 61 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing J'Marion Burnette 8 carries, 81 yards Receiving Joseph Manjack IV 1 reception, 28 yards, TD
vs No. 17 Kansas State
Statistics KSU HOU First downs 21 10 Total yards 327 232 Rushing yards 89 121 Passing yards 238 111 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23–41–2 12–12–0 Time of possession 31:01 28:59 Team Category Player StatisticsKansas State Passing Avery Johnson 23/39, 238 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing DJ Giddens 17 carries, 50 yards, TD Receiving Jayce Brown 3 receptions, 86 yardsHouston Passing Zeon Chriss 11/11, 103 yards, TD Rushing Zeon Chriss 22 carries, 75 yards, TD Receiving Joseph Manjack IV 1 reception, 44 yards
at Arizona
Statistics HOU ARIZ First downs 14 20 Total yards 326 341 Rushing yards 135 117 Passing yards 191 224 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 16–28–1 20–35–1 Time of possession 28:56 31:04 Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing Zeon Chriss 16/27, 191 yards, INT Rushing Re'Shaun Sanford II 10 carries, 76 yards Receiving Stephon Johnson 4 receptions, 70 yardsArizona Passing Noah Fifita 20/35, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing Quali Conley 11 carries, 107 yards, TD Receiving Tetairoa McMillan 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD
vs Baylor (rivalry)
Statistics BAY HOU First downs 20 14 Total yards 325 239 Rushing yards 121 92 Passing yards 204 147 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–23–2 14–25–3 Time of possession 34:52 25:08 Team Category Player StatisticsBaylor Passing Sawyer Robertson 15/23, 204 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT Rushing Bryson Washington 28 carries, 113 yards Receiving Michael Trigg 4 receptions, 96 yards, TDHouston Passing Zeon Chriss 13/24, 126 yards, 3 INT Rushing Re'Shaun Sanford II 8 carries, 37 yards Receiving Stephon Johnson 3 receptions, 54 yards
at No. 19 BYU
Statistics HOU BYU First downs Total yards Rushing yards Passing yards Passing: Comp–Att–Int Time of possession Team Category Player StatisticsHouston Passing Rushing Receiving BYU Passing Rushing Receiving
References