Spring Football Schedule Preview: Houston

We are approaching the midway point of our Cowboy Revenge Tour Spring Football preview with the Pokes heading to Houston to cap the first half of their 2026 slate before returning for America’s Greatest Homecoming.

The Cougars are fresh off a breakout campaign in Year 2 under Willie Fritz and are looking to build off their best conference finish since joining the Big 12 and a Texas Bowl win over LSU.

Let’s take a look at the matchup as it looks in the spring.

Also, check out our previous episodes: Noncon | WVU | UCF

Week 6: Houston | Oct. 17 | Houston, Texas

Series history: 10-11-1

Last meeting: The Pokes and Coogs have been trading wins stretching back to 1970, but their last meeting was anything but equitable.

The Cowboys got thumped 39-17 at home in front of an empty crowd at BPS. After taking a 7-0 lead and then tying at 10-all early in the second quarter, the Cowboys got smacked around to the tune of a 29-to-nothing run by the visiting Cougars.

The rout was on and definite but, at that point, not unexpected. We did, however, get treated to the genesis of the Section 231 phenomenon. Let’s hope that stays as a lovable memento to a bygone era.

Houston in 2025: The Cougars went 10-3 in Fritz’s second year at the helm and hit double-digit wins for the first time since 2021 and just their 11th time in school history dating back to 1949. There’s one way of look at it that frames 2025 as the Coogs’ most impressive season ever, if you consider the other conferences those 10-plus wins came within: American (twice), Conference USA (thrice), Southwest Conference (quadrice??).

Houston in 2026: The Cougars return starting QB Conner Weigman and wideout Amare Thomas who led UH with 966 yards and 12 TDs. Weigman threw for 306 yards and scored three total TDs in Stillwater last fall, while Thomas reeled in seven passes for 157.

Along with Weigman, Houston signed the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class in quarterback Keisean Henderson, a signing that could be a program-changer for Fritz and Co.

Houston added former Oregon running back Makhi Hughes, who the Cowboys saw last season, to help bolster their backfield.

All in all, Houston is ranked ninth in the Big 12 in portal rankings and fifth in traditional recruiting, according to 247Sports, but they obviously didn’t have nearly as much ground to cover as other Big 12 teams like, say, Oklahoma State.

Of note: Despite their huge year, the Cougars were not great at home. In fact, all three of their losses last season came inside TDECU Stadium where the two teams will face off in October. Two of those losses did come to ranked teams in No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 25 TCU, but Houston is the only Big 12 team with more road wins than home wins (4-0 vs. 2-3) which is an interesting wrinkle on the way to a 10-win finish.