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Houston Cougars football coach Willie Fritz is known as “Novocain” by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football writer Mike Craven because his coaching methods always work when given enough time.
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Fritz didn’t win nine games at Georgia Southern, 12 games at Tulane and 10 games at Houston last season by happenstance. His teams grind opponents down. They play a physical, ultra-disciplined brand of football that’s difficult to replicate, and even tougher to play against.
This Friday night, the Cougars will travel to Lubbock to take on the defending Big 12 champs and current title favorites, Texas Tech (8 p.m. ET on Fox). It’s a game that’s been circled on the calendar by many for months, for several reasons.
On one side stands Houston, fresh off a surprising 10-win season in 2025. Armed with returning starting quarterback Conner Weigman, star wide receiver Amare Thomas and a ton of returning offensive production, Houston was seen as a trendy Big 12 challenger before the season began. Now, after two wins to open the campaign, the Cougars feel the time is right to make a statement in front of a national audience.
Then there’s Texas Tech, a program that endured a firestorm of an offseason because of the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal. Sorsby is long gone, with Will Hammond now the full-time starter at quarterback. The Red Raiders had to replace a sizeable amount of NFL talent from last year’s roster and have looked merely decent to start the 2026 season.
This game features layers of intrigue for both teams and could be the biggest proof of concept for the Willie Fritz era yet.
Houston Will Lean on Combination of Returning Production, New Talent
After last season’s 10-win campaign, one key question for the Houston program was whether the Cougars could retain enough key pieces to run it back and make a charge for the Big 12 title. This offseason, Houston did everything necessary to keep returning talent, while mixing in some exciting new pieces.
Weigman is the engine that makes this offense hum. Despite a difficult spell as the starter for Texas A&M two years ago, he’s found his footing and become a key cog for what the Cougars want to do offensively.
- RELATED:Willie Fritz Embraces Houston’s Expectations in Wide-Open Big 12
Last season, Weigman finished the season with 2,705 passing yards, 700 rushing yards and 36 combined touchdowns. Through two games this season, he’s off to another flying start, chipping in 425 passing yards and five total touchdowns.
A season ago, Weigman did an excellent job of showcasing his dual-threat capabilities.
He finished the campaign with positive EPA/play (0.16) and EPA/pass (0.12) figures, while completing 64.9% of his passes, according to Hudl IQ.
Weigman also had a strong completion percentage over expectation (CPOE) of 4.9% and generated 5.6 yards per rush, according to Hudl IQ.
This season, Weigman had a strong game against Oregon State in the season opener and split reps with freshman quarterback Keisean Henderson, the former No. 1 quarterback recruit during the 2025 cycle.
Outside of Weigman, this offense is anchored by Thomas on the outside, tackle Alvin Ebosele and former Tulane and Oregon transfer Makhi Hughes. All three players will be major factors on Friday night.
The Cougars’ run game has been dynamite to start the season. Through two games, Houston has tallied 616 yards and nine touchdowns on 7.3 yards per carry. I suspect the run game will be a big focal point on Friday night.
The biggest question surrounding this version of Houston is whether the Cougars can hang tough at the line of scrimmage against what we think is a good, albeit different, Red Raiders defensive line. Friday night should be a good litmus test for how good the offensive line can be this season.
Texas Tech’s So-So Start Raises Questions
All offseason, the drama around Texas Tech felt unbearable. Between Sorsby’s dramatic exit and the injury news regarding Hammond, it felt like there were more questions than answers about the Red Raiders’ offense and team as a whole.
Through two games this season, Texas Tech has not dispelled any of those worries.
The Red Raiders had lukewarm showings in wins against Oregon State (the common opponent shared between these two teams) and Abilene Christian. Hammond has been decent, but will likely be asked to do more on Friday night.
- RELATED:5 Bold Predictions for Texas Tech in 2026
One strong suit of the Red Raiders’ offense is the run game.
Last season, Texas Tech bludgeoned teams on the ground. This season, against two lesser non-conference opponents, the Red Raiders have rushed for 164 yards per game with three total touchdowns. The three-headed monster of Cameron Dickey, J’Koby Williams and Quienton Joyner will likely get a steady diet of touches against Houston. How well that trio plays could tilt the outcome of Friday night’s game.
One-game referendums, especially three weeks into a season, are often a silly exercise.
But Friday night’s game has real stakes. If Houston wins, it’ll feel like a landmark moment for what Willie Fritz is building. If Texas Tech wins, it could temporarily quiet the doubts around the program, if only for another week.
Pick: No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech -7.5, (Cougars +7.5)
Houston feels primed and ready to knock Texas Tech from atop the Big 12 mantle, if only for a week. The Cougars’ run game has been on fire to start the season. The offensive line feels up to the challenge. And I have a sneaky feeling wide receiver Amare Thomas could have a big game. This is a proof-of-concept game for Willie Fritz and Houston. Give me the Cougars in a big-time Friday night spot.
Related: Willie Fritz Embraces Houston’s Expectations in Suddenly Wide Open Big 12
Related: 5 Bold Predictions for the Texas Tech Red Raiders in 2026
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This story was originally published September 18, 2026 at 5:06 AM.