Ten Takeaways From Houston’s 27-0 Victory Over SFA

BY GARRETT ROSS | 365 Sports

Houston (1-0) took care of business against SFA (0-1) 27-0 in their season-opener on Thursday night at TDECU Stadium. The defense didn’t miss a beat from last season, while the offense showed hopeful optimism that was missing in 2024.

Here are Ten Takeaways from the Coogs’ victory over the Lumberjacks.

1- Weigman Looked Good in the Pocket

After battling injuries at Texas A&M and becoming erratic in the pocket at times, Weigman looked comfortable on Thursday night. He completed 62.5% (15-for-24) of his passes, his highest completion percentage with at least 24 attempts since completing 86.2% (25-for-29) against ULM on Sept. 16, 2023, while at A&M.

2- Weigman is a Dual-Threat

When the pocket collapsed or the opportunity presented itself against SFA, Weigman utilized his legs to his advantage. He finished the night with six rushes for 48 yards, while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Don’t expect Weigman to be Tommy Castellanos, but he can definitely pick up a first down or touchdown if needed on occasion.

3- Tanner Koziol is the Truth

The Ball State transfer didn’t disappoint in his H-Town debut. Koziol’s first touchdown as a Cougar came on his second reception of the game, as Weigman hit him on an 11-yard strike. He finished the night with seven receptions for 63 yards, which was the most by a Houston tight end since Christian Trahan put up 73 yards against Memphis in 2022.

Koziol has recorded a catch in 16 consecutive games and has caught a touchdown pass in back-to-back season-openers dating back to 2022.

4: Three-Headed Monster in Backfield

Despite the season-ending injury to ReShaun Sanford, Houston still has plenty of horsepower in their backfield. Sophomore J’Marion Burnette couldn’t be stopped between the tackles, finishing the night with 10 carries for 40 yards, and adding his first career receiving touchdown in the second quarter. 

Rice transfer Dean Connors is a powerful back who also has soft hands out of the backfield. He finished the night as the Coogs’ leading rusher with 54 yards on 15 attempts. His first catch of the night gave him 15 consecutive games with a reception.

Stacey Sneed provided a change of pace from the power rushing approach of Burnette and Connors, as his elusiveness led to 31 yards on seven attempts.

5- No True Deep Threat 

For all of the promise provided by Koziol, Houston still needs someone to emerge as a deep threat. A majority of Weigman’s passes were 10 yards or shorter on the night, with the longest pass being a 39-yarder to Burnette out of the backfield.

UAB transfer Amare Thomas looked like the best hope for someone to become a deep threat this season, as he made a couple of big plays across the middle, finishing the night with three receptions for 44 yards and a 20-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

6- Offensive Line Needs Improvement 

There were too many times where, despite their best effort, Houston’s running backs were blown up at the line of scrimmage. The Lumberjacks were also able to get behind the offensive line and disrupt jet sweep attempts by the Coogs.

Weigman was sacked once, but found himself having to navigate a congested pocket on multiple occasions and rely on his legs to avoid being sacked. If Houston wants to be a contender in the Big 12 this season, they must tighten things up along their offensive line.

7- Mekhi Mews is Electric 

Mews is going to be a problem for teams as a punt returner this season. After leading the Coogs in all-purpose yards last season (607), the former Georgia transfer made the SFA faithful pucker up a few times while fielding punts on Thursday.

His versatility and speed make him a threat on offense, as well. Mews finished the night with one rushing attempt and two receptions for four yards.

8- Defense Swarms to Ball

Houston’s defense looked like a sea of red all night, engulfing the SFA offense. The Lumberjacks couldn’t get anything established offensively, as the Coogs limited them to just seven first downs, the fewest since holding Grambling State to three in 2001. It was also the first shutout pitched by Houston since shutting out Grambling State in 2021, and the 40th in program history.

9- The Defensive Line is Stout

Arguably the best unit on the entire roster, the Coogs’ defensive line dominated the game against the Lumberjacks. Houston’s defensive line lived in the SFA backfield on Thursday night, allowing just 39 yards rushing. SFA could only muster up 144 yards of total offense against the Coogs, and were 3-of-16 on third down conversions. 

10- The Secondary Wasn’t Tested

With the dominance of the front seven, Houston’s secondary never really had much to worry about against SFA. Wrook Brown secured his first career sack in the third quarter, while CJ Douglas recorded his second career interception in the fourth quarter.

Marc Stampley snagged his first career interception with Houston in the second quarter, after transferring over from Georgia Southern, while Will James added two TFLs.

UP Next:

Houston will be back in action this Saturday, as they head across town to face rival Rice (1-0) on the road at 6:00 p.m.