Texas Bowl offers Houston, LSU chance to ‘finish what we started’

A win over LSU would put Houston in rare company.

“There aren’t many teams in the country that get double-digit wins,” coach Willie Fritz said as his team prepares to face the Tigers in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 at NRG Stadium. “That’s always a goal for every team. We just want to finish what we started with this football team.”  

The Cougars have started a cultural shift under Fritz, which has translated into a sharp turnaround from their 4-8 finish last season and a chance to secure their first bowl win since 2022.

That momentum has carried into bowl preparation, as Houston is expected to field nearly the same roster that powered its regular-season turnaround. Unlike many bowl teams defined by players opting out, Houston is committed to finishing the journey. 

“There was no conversation. No one even questioned if they were playing or not,” senior tight end Tanner Koziol said. “I knew I was playing in the bowl game once we got to six wins. I haven’t played in a bowl game all four years, so this is my first year, and I am juiced up for it.”

On the other hand, LSU enters the Texas Bowl pushing toward the finish line after a tumultuous season. The Tigers, who opened the year ranked in the top 10, underwent a midseason coaching change from Brian Kelly to Frank Wilson and finished the regular season 7-5.

“2025 LSU football started 4-0 for the first time in six seasons and sat at No. 4. Then, not even 30 days later, LSU was 5-3, unranked and without a head coach,” The Reveille deputy sports editor Ross Abboud said.

As LSU looks ahead to 2026 under newly hired head coach Lane Kiffin, defensive coordinator Blake Baker, whose unit ranked fourth in the SEC, will remain with the program. The Tigers, however, will be without several starters in the bowl game, putting Baker’s defense to the test. That includes former Cougar AJ Haulcy, Mansoor Delane, Harold Perkins Jr., Jack Pyburn, West Weeks and Whit Weeks. 

Despite the roster turnover and injuries, Wilson said opting out of the bowl game was never a consideration for the program.

“It’s important to finish what we started the right way,” Wilson said. 

LSU will rely on sophomore quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., who started the final three games of the regular season. He started in place of graduate Garrett Nussmeier, who went out with an injury. Van Buren threw for 743 yards, with five touchdowns and two interceptions. 

For Houston, junior quarterback Conner Weigman, a key component of the Cougars’ turnaround, will look to build on a resurgent season. Weigman threw for 2,475 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 11 scores on the ground. He’ll also aim to help junior wide receiver Amare Thomas eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, with Thomas needing just 94 more receiving yards.

Beyond the numbers, Weigman credits Houston’s turnaround and the willingness of everyone to show up and compete in the bowl to the collective belief the players have in each other. 

“It says a lot about the culture coach Fritz built, I mean, people want to play for each other, it’s a brotherhood in that locker room and everyone has each other’s back,” Weigman said. “We want to go out on top. One last ride with each other.”