Willie Fritz reflects on Big 12 opener, Talks Road Ahead
BY GARRETT ROSS | 365 SPORTS
After three weeks of evidence, we can confirm two things for sure about Willie Fritz and the Coogs—they have a kicker, and they’re 1-0 in conference play.
Houston (3-0, 1-0) defeated Colorado (1-2, 0-1) 36-20 on Friday night at TDECU Stadium behind a dominating rushing attack and the outstanding leg of kicker Ethan Sanchez.
Sanchez scored 18 of Houston’s points, as he drilled five field goals against Colorado, including the longest field goal at home since 2012 with his 52-yard kick in the first quarter. He was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week.
Head coach Willie Fritz joined 365 Sports on Monday, where he discussed the incredible performance by Sanchez.
“It’s huge having a reliable kicker,” said Fritz. “With parity in this league, close games are the norm. Ethan made five of six and has shown consistency going back to Old Dominion. Sometimes the right call is kicking, not going for it on fourth down, and he’s delivered.”
The most significant contributor to putting Sanchez in field goal range was the success of Houston’s rushing attack. Running back Dean Connors had a ton of success between the tackles, finishing the night with 22 attempts for 89 yards and one touchdown. Weigman’s legs also played a key role in the victory, as he rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns—both career highs—while passing for 222 yards.
“He (Connors) is fun to coach, really smart, both in the classroom and on the field,” stated Fritz. “He doesn’t make many mistakes, lines up properly, executes his assignment. And he’s versatile — he can run inside or outside, catch passes, block. He’s fast too, almost 23 miles per hour in pads on one run. He’s got that tough, throwback style. “
One concern arising from the game against Colorado was the mounting number of injuries. The latest injury for the Coogs is a season-ending knee injury to offensive lineman David Ndukwe.
“It’s the toughest part of football, telling a young man like David he’s out for the year. Same with Re’Shaun Sanford,” said Fritz. “But we’ve built better depth this year, especially on the offensive line, and we expect some guys back for Oregon State. Still, losing those playmakers hurts.”
Luckily, it’s an off week for Houston before they get set to head to Corvallis to face Oregon State for a 9:30 p.m. (CST) kickoff for the final non-conference game of the season. Fritz is thankful for the extra time to heal up and get his team mentally prepared for such a late start.
“We’ll rest, but also work on fundamentals — tackling, special-teams situations, technique. It’s a good chance to sharpen areas you don’t always hit in camp. The goal is to get better this week before heading to Corvallis for another Friday night game.”
The Coogs and Beavs have met three times prior (1960, 1961, 1970), with Houston leading the series 2-1.