The Cougars return to the field Saturday night against Rice. You can check out all of GoCoogs.com’s Bayou Bucket coverage or part one of our news and notes for the week.
According to PFF.com, the offensive line graded out substantially better in pass blocking than in week one, somewhat due to play-calling putting the offense in better situations. But run blocking was worse than week one. Way worse.
UH was 4/7 converting on 3rd and short (1-4 yards), with the attempts being way up from week one (UH was 0/2 vs. UNLV). OC Kevin Barbay told me last week he would try to get his offense in more favorable third downs. UH is 2/14 converting on third and long this season (9+ yards).
The Cougars averaged 8.3 yards on 3rd down in Norman compared to 3.9 yards against the Rebels. OU averaged 4.3 yards on 3rd down (with an average of 8.8 yards to go).
I guess there are two ways to look at this: UH has been bad running the ball on 3rd down (13 for 34 yards – 2.62 ypc), but that’s double what they average on other downs (48 for 62 yards – 1.29 ypc).
Willie Fritz said he would play lots of guys in the first few weeks, but he told me Monday that the staff will start narrowing it down against Rice. He wants to get his starters more game reps, and his first team is mostly set. Running back is the only position where the starter has changed in the first two weeks. Parker Jenkins started vs. UNLV while Re’Shaun Sanford was in vs. OU.
To date, 64 players have participated for UH, and beginning next week, the Coogs can only travel 70 for conference games. Fritz will likely travel backups who have not played over some guys who have. For instance, moving Liam Dougherty to holder saves a travel roster spot. UH has looked at a few players as backup holders this week in practice.
Going back to the midway point of the 2023 season, Houston has 16 turnovers in the last eight games. The Coogs had 3 vs. Cincinnati in 2023, one against UCF, and two in each of the other six games. Kansas State was the last time UH lost a fumble until the Mekhi Mews “muff.”
UH’s offense has been pretty bad, scoring 0-7-6-6 in the four halves of 2024. Adding last year, UH has had as many halves with 0 points (5) as they have halves with more than 14 points. Only one of those 14+ point halves has happened since the WVU Hail Mary (Oklahoma State first half).
It looks pretty bad when you see all 28 halves (reverse chronology):
6-6-0-7-3-10-7-23-7-7-10-7-0-0-10-14-27-14-0-28-14-24-0-13-21-7-7-10
In the second half of games, including last season, UH has scored seven or fewer points nine times and 10 or more five times (against Rice, SHSU, WVU, UT, and Baylor).
The Coogs have averaged 8.6 points per second half in these 14 games, but the 6.5 points the 2024 team has averaged in the second half is more than Dana’s last six games (6.2).
There’s a reason the last guy was fired, and a new guy was brought in. There’s a lot to clean up and it’s reasonable to expect it will take some time.