Houston Eyes First 4-0 Start Since 2016
By GARRETT ROSS | 365 Sports
Coming off a bye week, head coach Willie Fritz and the Coogs hope to avoid a repeat of last season, where they fell to Kansas 42-14 and Arizona 27-3 on the road following a bye.
Houston (3-0, 1-0) now travels to Corvallis after a bye to face Oregon State (0-4). Fritz reminded his team how treacherous this trip could be if they weren’t focused.
“Last year we had two bad performances after bye weeks,” Fritz said. “You want to be able to give people some time off. It was good to have the time off, but we wanted to be sure we put in the work during the bye week.”
What awaits the Coogs is an opportunity to start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2016. Oregon State is coming off a 41-7 loss to rival No. 6 Oregon in the Civil War and looking to avoid its first 0-5 start since 1996.
Two clear advantages for Houston in this game are the strength of their defense and their rushing attack. The Beavs’ offense is averaging 15.8 PPG and 319.9 YPG, while their defense is allowing 180 YPG on the ground and giving up 30:09 time of possession.
Houston’s rushing attack on Saturday will feature J’Marion Burnette, after he missed some time due to injury. That’s excellent news for Dean Connors, who looked like the extra carries he had to make were beginning to take a toll on his body.
The Coogs’ defense will have an opportunity to add to its impressive six-turnover tally on Saturday against Oregon State. Beavs’ quarterback Malik Murphy has struggled with interceptions this season, getting picked off five times. Oregon State’s offense has been outscored 156-63.
Houston’s defense has allowed the fewest points through the first three games of the season (29), since the 1989 team allowed a program-low 14. It is also the fifth fewest points allowed through three games in program history.
The Coogs and Oregon State have met three times prior (1960, 1961, 1970), with Houston leading the series 2-1. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. (CST) and will air on ESPN.