It is New Year’s Day, and I can’t stop thinking about UH’s Texas Bowl victory against LSU. I came to UH in the fall of 1993, and this game stands out as one of the most important wins in those 32+ years.
My list?
– Southern Miss in 2006 in the CUSA title game;
– UH vs Air Force in the 2008 Armed Forces Bowl for the first bowl win in 25 years;
– UH beating Florida State in the Peach Bowl; and
– Saturday’s win over LSU.
Those are program-changing wins. The circumstances surrounding them were as big as the wins themselves. The 2006 title game proved that UH was truly back from the dead. The Armed Forces Bowl snapped a massive drought and was a sign that UH football continued to climb after losing its head coach. The 2015 Peach Bowl win was proof that the sleeping giant was real and UH could truly compete on the big stage against the top end of the sport. The Texas Bowl was proof that the season wasn’t just smoke and mirrors, and this team and program seized a massive moment to show out for the city of Houston.
The 2025 season was phenomenal. The Coogs finished the regular season 9-3 and were in contention to make the conference title game until late in the season. But despite finishing with a conference-best 6-0 road record, they were 3-3 at home, losing their last two home games. As excited as fans were with the final record, something was missing.
When it was announced that the Texas Bowl extended an invitation to play against LSU, it was a huge opportunity that this program needed to take advantage of. This LSU team was not great, but they have a legendary program that draws eyeballs. More than that, the city of Houston would be watching. There have been so many times over the years that UH has had all eyes on them, and they have fallen short. It has always felt like Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown, but in this case, it was UH swinging and missing and falling on its face.
The game started out like it was going to be the same song but a different verse. LSU ran back the opening kickoff, then stopped UH on five plays to get the ball back. They nearly returned the punt for a TD, but still scored on three plays. Just over four minutes into the game, UH trails 14-0.
Then the real game started, and the UH offense I had hoped to see all year showed up:
A 9-play 75-yard touchdown drive, followed by a 14-play 73-yard drive touchdown. After turning it over on downs and forcing an LSU punt, UH got the ball back with 87 seconds left in the half.
That’s a spot where Willie chooses to play it conservatively and run out the clock to avoid game-changing mistakes. But Saturday was different. UH’s offensive line was pushing around LSU’s defensive front and not letting them get close to Weigman. The Coogs went to work and ran off an 11-play 90-yard TD drive to take the lead into halftime.
The rest of the game went the same way. The offense put together long drives, pounding an overmatched LSU defensive line. The big boys up front led an 8-play 75-yard drive for a TD, a 13-play 72-yard drive for a FG, and a back-breaking, 8-play 81-yard drive that led to a TD to put the game on ice.
UH’s five TD drives consumed 50 plays (the exact number LSU had in the game) and 394 yards, or 7.9 yards per snap.
On the flip side, the UH defensive line terrorized the LSU QB and shut down the LSU running game. The DL combined for 7 tackles for loss and four sacks. Don’t let the final score fool you. It was a 38-35 win, but 14 of LSU’s points came in large part from special teams. The other 56 minutes were UH domination. That domination came in a place that no one expected. It came in the trenches. It was an old school ass-whoopin’: UH’s big boys pushing around their big boys in the trenches.
Fans that listen to the Cougar After Thoughts Show (CATS!) have heard me talk about being patient and waiting for this team to grow (and thanks for listening!). This Texas Bowl performance is what I had in my head. This coaching staff pulled the most out of players and put them in a position to succeed. Even when it meant making changes to what they wanted to do, they schemed to the strengths of the players on hand. Most importantly, you had a group of young men who wanted to succeed and were willing to listen and to be coached.
All of it finally came together at the perfect time. UH fans showed up and were rewarded. Casual fans from around the area came out to enjoy the event and were rewarded. The city was watching, and the 2025 Houston Cougars delivered. I don’t know what next year brings, but I know where it all began. Suddenly, when Willie Fritz says anything is possible, I am inclined to believe him.
