In the Houston Cougars, BYU will likely face their toughest test of their season so far. Although Houston won only four games last season, they are expected to be much improved this year. They are 1-0 so far this season, with a 49-31 victory over Tulane last Thursday.
Houston Cougars History
Houston is heading into their second season under head coach Dana Holgorsen, who previously coached under Mike Leach at Valdosta State and later at Texas Tech. Holgorsen’s 4-8 record last season was an unexpected disappointment for the team and snapped Houston’s streak of six straight bowl appearances.
Holgorsen’s offensive playbook is similar to the air raid offense run by Leach and Houston is expected to take a significant jump offensively this year. Houston returns 16 starters from last season on both sides of the ball.
Houston competes in the American Athletic Conference, where they finished last in their division in 2019. BYU and Houston have played twice before — BYU won both previous meetings.
Offense
Junior quarterback Clayton Tune saw significant playing time last year and is the undisputed starting quarterback for Houston in 2020. He began last season as the backup to D’Eriq King, until King opted to take a redshirt year and transfer to Miami (Fla.) — where he is now considered an early Heisman candidate. Tune stepped in admirably in 2019 and threw for 1,533 yards and 11 touchdowns but looks to take a step forward after getting all of the starting reps during fall camp.
Tune totaled 319 yards and three total touchdowns last week against Tulane, but he also threw two interceptions. He has been turnover prone in the past and has a completion percentage of 56.2 for his career but Houston has a lot of weapons on the outside and Tune has the ability to make big plays.
Houston’s wide receivers will pose a lot of problems for BYU’s secondary — senior Marquez Stevenson had almost 2,000 receiving yards over the past two years and had five receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown last week. Stevenson added a special teams touchdown, returning a kickoff 97 yards for a score. The Houston Cougars also added juco transfer Nathaniel Dell, whose speed gives Houston the ability to take the top off any defense.
Will Clayton Tune of Houston be the best QB that the BYU Cougars have faced thus far this season? #BYU #BYUFootball #ESPN960 #GoCougs #BYUvsHouston
— Benjamin Criddle (@CriddleBenjamin) October 15, 2020
Defense
Houston is built to win by outscoring opponents, but their defense was particularly inept last year. The Houston Cougars gave up 467.5 yards and 34 points per game in 2019 and was one of the worst defenses in the country. They are off to a better start through one game (albeit against Tulane), the Cougars allowed 211 total yards last week even though they gave up 31 points.
Senior defensive end Payton Turner leads Houston in solo tackles and has two sacks this season. Linebacker Grant Stuard stood out on defense last season with 97 tackles and has nine so far. Aside from Turner, Houston’s defensive line has struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but UTSA might have given them a blueprint for disrupting Zach Wilson’s rhythm by bringing pressure from across the defense.
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Joseph Duarte Previews BYU vs Houston
Listen here: https://t.co/oGKd1DLdt0#BYU #GoCougs #BYUFOOTBALL #BYUHOOPS #ESPN960 @CriddleBenjamin
— ESPN 960 (@espn960sports) October 16, 2020
Verdict
ESPN’s Football Power Index gives BYU a 52.3% chance of winning on Friday, so this game is essentially a coin flip. We saw Lowell Narcisse pick apart BYU’s secondary in the second half last week and Houston will probably try to do the same. Houston’s speed and athleticism on offense will be a tough matchup for BYU across the board, and Houston will be able to give the ball to running backs Kyle Porter and Mulbah Car just enough that BYU won’t be able to sell out to stop the pass.
BYU should be able to move the ball against Houston’s defense — although not as easily as they have in every game prior. Zach Wilson will need to play more efficiently than he did last week as every drive could prove to be critical for BYU in what is expected to be a shootout. This game could very well come down to who has the ball with a chance to score at the end of the game and every missed opportunity to put points on the board will be costly.
Game Information
BYU at Houston
Date: Friday, Oct. 16, 2020
Time: 7:30 p.m. MT
Location: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 66 degrees
Where to Watch: ESPN, WatchESPN
Where to Listen: KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM
Spread: BYU -4.5
Over/Under: 62.5
Written by Bridger Beal-Cvetko
Bridger is a student at Utah Valley University where he studies journalism and mass communication. He is the sports editor of the on-campus newspaper, The Review. Bridger is a life-long Cougar fan and college football enthusiast.
