Halfway test: Five keys as Houston football awaits Arizona Wildcats

Six games down, six more to go. 

Houston football has reached the halfway point of its 2025 season, and the program is doing so with its best record through six games since starting 5-1 in 2021. 

Four years later, after two consecutive 4-8 seasons, Houston has not only surpassed that win total but also is on the brink of reaching its first bowl game since 2022, when the Cougars defeated Louisiana 23-16 in the Louisiana Bowl.

But before the Cougars are given entry to any bowling alley, a date with the Arizona Wildcats awaits them on Saturday.

Here are five keys to the game:

“It all starts with the quarterback”

It won’t be Houston’s first time facing junior quarterback Noah Fifita, as the two met last season in a 27-3 Arizona win at Arizona Stadium. 

Despite the loss, the Cougars held Fifita to his third-lowest completion percentage at 57.1%, recorded -9 rushing yards and forced an interception. 

After finishing 2024 with 18 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 12 games, Fifita has returned to form this year, already tallying 15 touchdowns in half as many games, putting him on track for 30 touchdowns this season.

Conference play has tested Fifita, who has thrown all four of his interceptions across his last three games, including two at Iowa State on Sept. 27.

As for the Cougars, when junior quarterback Conner Weigman exited late in the second quarter in Houston’s 35-11 week six loss to then-No. 11 Texas Tech with a concussion, his status was immediately in question.

He responded the following Saturday with 306 passing yards, the most he’s recorded in a game since Sept. 16, 2023, when he and Texas A&M defeated Louisiana-Monroe 47-3.

“He came out and played a fantastic game, so I’m really proud of him and how he handled the week,” coach Willie Fritz said.

Saturday will mark Weigman’s seventh start of 2025, a single-season best for his career.

Mitigating penalties

Since he arrived in Houston nearly two years ago, Fritz has echoed the slogan “Coogs don’t beat the Coogs.”

Despite accumulating a season-high 485 yards of total offense against Oklahoma State en route to a 39-17 victory, including Weigman’s 306 yards, the win wasn’t without a slew of penalties against Houston.

The Cougars accumulated 79 yards in penalties across eight calls, including three pre-snap flags on the offensive line. Of the six offensive penalties, five occurred in Oklahoma State territory.

It also marked the third consecutive week that Houston had totaled five or more penalties.

“We need to stay away from pre-snap penalties… penalties that anybody could call,” Fritz said.

A red-hot receiver

Junior wide receiver Amare Thomas entered Houston’s week five matchup at Oregon State with 110 receiving yards through his first three games.

Since then, he’s racked up 331 of his team-leading 441 receiving yards, including a career-best 104 against the Beavers, which was later shattered against Oklahoma State when he hauled in 157 on seven receptions. 

Thomas’ 157 yards were the most a Houston receiver had recorded since Tank Dell recorded 161 against Tulsa in 2022.

“He lines up right, does what he’s supposed to do, and that’s half the battle,” Fritz said. “If you can do that, quarterback’s gonna have faith you’re going to be where you’re supposed to be.”

With senior wide receiver Stephon Johnson listed as doubtful for Saturday with a lower leg injury, it puts an even larger emphasis on Thomas’ steadily increasing role in Houston’s offense.

Time for unlikely heroes?

Houston’s offensive injuries don’t stop at Johnson, as junior wide receiver Devan Williams, senior tight end Luke McGary and running back Stacy Sneed are all listed as out for Saturday, opening the door for a different cast to emerge.

Saturday against Oklahoma State, junior wide receiver Harvey Broussard III recorded only his second catch of the season, a 29-yard grab to put Houston at OSU’s five-yard line midway through the first quarter.

His third catch? His first touchdown as a Cougar: a laser from Weigman near the left pylon for 14 yards late in the second quarter. 

Another fresh face who saw playing time against Oklahoma State was freshman wide receiver Jaquise Martin, who recorded his first college reception early in the third quarter, a 13-yard catch in OSU territory.

Fritz had mentioned a desire to expand the options beyond the usual trio of Johnson, Thomas and senior tight end Tanner Koziol before Oklahoma State, but now injuries will force him to do so out of necessity rather than intention.

Facing a new-and-improved defense

Only four teams in the Big 12 Conference boast a better run defense than Houston, including Arizona.

Despite allowing a season-high 258 rushing yards to BYU the week prior, Arizona’s front seven has limited teams to an average of 124.3 yards per game in 2025.

“Not quite as complex on the back end, but on the front end, they do a lot of stuff. It’s a different defense than what we’ve seen so far this year,” Fritz said. 

Arizona made numerous maneuvers during the transfer portal windows defensively, adding senior defensive lineman Deshawn McKnight (UT Martin), junior defensive lineman Leroy Palu (Cerritos College) and senior linebacker Riley Wilson (Montana) to bolster up front.

The trio has accounted for 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, which includes Wilson’s team-leading three sacks and McKnight’s team-leading seven tackles for loss. 

Houston’s offensive line was tested against Texas Tech earlier in October, when the Cougars allowed the highest pressure rate they had all season. 

While Arizona may not be quite as forceful in that regard, it will still challenge Houston’s offensive line, which has had its own slew of injuries, including the loss of backup senior left tackle David Ndukwe.

The game is set to take place at 11 a.m. CT, Saturday at TDECU Stadium.

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