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On a December night barely six miles from campus, the University of Houston turned a bowl game into a program statement. Trailing LSU 14-0 less than five minutes into the Kinder’s Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2025, the Cougars responded with one of the most complete performances of their modern era, storming back for a 38-35 victory that crystallized a dramatic season-long turnaround under head coach Willie Fritz.
Junior quarterback Conner Weigman, a transfer who became the face of Houston’s resurgence, threw four touchdown passes with no interceptions and added meaningful production on the ground. Running back Dean Connors delivered the decisive blow with a 20-yard touchdown run inside the final three minutes, and a defense that had been gashed early settled in to control the line of scrimmage and the clock.
The win pushed Houston to 10-3, securing its first 10-win season since 2021 and its first double-digit campaign as a member of a power conference since the Southwest Conference era in 1990. For a program that finished 4-8 in each of the previous two years, the victory over LSU felt like more than just a bowl trophy. It felt like confirmation that the Cougars can be a real factor in the Big 12 and beyond.
Early on, it looked like LSU was poised to run Houston out of its own city. The Tigers seized instant momentum when Barion Brown opened the game with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, a special teams gut punch that silenced a pro-Houston crowd at NRG Stadium. Less than four minutes later, LSU struck again, as quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. found tight end Trey’Dez Green for a 23-yard touchdown that pushed the Tigers ahead 14-0 just 4:12 into the first quarter.
For a Houston team that had relied all season on poise and complementary football, the early deficit was a stress test. The Cougars answered with the kind of composed, methodical drive that would define their night. Weigman settled in, orchestrating a nine-play, 75-yard possession that steadied the offense and the sideline.
The drive ended with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Weigman to wide receiver Amare Thomas, the first of two scoring connections between the pair. That score cut LSU’s lead to 14-7 and signaled that Houston’s offense had found its rhythm.
In the second quarter, the Weigman-to-Thomas chemistry surfaced again. Working with a balanced attack that blended quick throws, inside runs, and tempo, Houston moved into the red zone, where Weigman hit Thomas for a four-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14-14. For a program trying to prove it could trade blows with SEC speed and size, the response was a critical moment.
Before halftime, the Cougars seized their first lead. Staying aggressive, Fritz and offensive coordinator Slade Nagle kept the ball in Weigman’s hands. The junior quarterback capped another sharp drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tanner Koziol, a transfer target who became one of his most trusted red-zone weapons. Houston jogged into the locker room up 21-14, having flipped the script from early disaster to firm control.
LSU was not done. The Tigers came out of halftime intent on reclaiming momentum, and Van Buren once again leaned on his tight end. In the third quarter, he guided a drive capped by another touchdown pass to Trey’Dez Green, knotting the score at 21-21 and reminding Houston that no lead was safe.
What followed illustrated why the 2025 Cougars were different from the 4-8 versions of the previous two seasons. Rather than flinching, Houston delivered another measured response. Weigman directed a sustained, clock-chewing possession that drove inside the LSU 5-yard line. Near the goal line, he flipped a short two-yard touchdown to tight end Traville Frederick Jr., who slipped free in tight space to put the Cougars back on top 28-21 late in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter turned into the kind of back-and-forth you expect from a ranked Houston team facing an SEC opponent in a primetime bowl window. On LSU’s first drive of the final period, Van Buren found wide receiver Kyle Parker for a six-yard touchdown just seconds into the quarter, tying the game 28-28.
Undeterred, Houston did what Willie Fritz-coached teams have long preached: it controlled the ball, controlled the clock, and leaned on execution. The Cougars marched deliberately downfield, mixing runs and short passes to keep LSU off balance. The drive stalled short of the end zone, but kicker Ethan Sanchez drilled a 25-yard field goal to give Houston a 31-28 lead.
With the lead back in their hands, the Cougars needed their defense to deliver a stop. It did in emphatic fashion, forcing a three-and-out that let Houston’s offense take the field again with a chance to put the game away.
That final meaningful offensive drive became the Dean Connors show. The veteran running back had been effective all night, but with the Texas Bowl on the line, he took over. Starting deep in their own territory, the Cougars leaned on Connors, who ripped off multiple chunk gains as Houston moved 81 yards down the field while draining precious minutes.
With 2:23 remaining, Connors broke the defining play of the game. Taking a handoff up the middle, he burst through a crease and split LSU’s second level for a 20-yard touchdown run that extended Houston’s lead to 38-28. In a season defined by balance and toughness, the explosive score from a running back who had done the dirty work all night felt fitting.
LSU still had a punch left. The Tigers moved downfield quickly, and Zavion Thomas scored on a three-yard run to trim the margin to 38-35 with 1:15 to play. The Tigers attempted an onside kick to steal back possession and a chance at a game-tying or game-winning drive.
Houston’s hands team made sure that never happened. Defensive back Latrell McCutchin Sr. secured the onside kick cleanly, allowing the Cougars’ offense to take the field in victory formation. A few kneel-downs later, Houston had its 10th win and one of the signature victories of the Willie Fritz era.
For all the drama, the numbers underscored how thoroughly Houston outplayed LSU once it overcame the nightmare start. The Cougars finished with 437 total yards to LSU’s 344 and dominated the trenches and tempo, piling up 201 rushing yards while holding the Tigers to just 77 on the ground.
Perhaps the most telling stat: Houston controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes. In modern college football, where explosive offenses and quick strikes are common, that kind of possession edge reflects a physical offensive line, efficient quarterback play, and a defense that consistently forced LSU into shorter, less sustainable drives.
Weigman’s individual line looked like something out of a video game box score. He passed for 236 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions, adding 56 rushing yards to earn Kinder’s Texas Bowl Most Valuable Player honors. For a junior transfer who arrived from Texas A&M with expectations, this performance felt like both validation and a launching pad.
His supporting cast was equally crucial:
Credit also belongs to Houston’s offensive line, which turned in a near-perfect night. The unit did not allow a single sack, a vital achievement against an LSU front loaded with SEC-caliber athletes. On the other side of the ball, Houston’s defensive front sacked Van Buren four times and recorded seven tackles for loss, repeatedly disrupting LSU’s timing and limiting its ground game.
For additional perspective on the box score and drive charts, fans can compare Houston’s performance with national trends through resources such as the NCAA’s official football stats portal at https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs and advanced box scores on ESPN at https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401778323/lsu-houston.
The deeper significance of the 38-35 Kinder’s Texas Bowl win lies in the context of Houston’s recent struggles and rapid rebound. Before 2025, the Cougars endured back-to-back 4-8 seasons, searching for offensive identity and making staff changes after 2024. The transition into the Big 12 had not yet come with the on-field success fans envisioned.
In his second year at the helm, Willie Fritz reshaped the program aggressively yet deliberately. He hired offensive coordinator Slade Nagle and defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, two moves that proved foundational. Then he leaned hard into the transfer portal, a central part of the modern recruiting landscape reported on nationally by outlets like https://www.ncaa.org and https://theathletic.com/college-football/ as rosters are increasingly reshaped year to year.
Weigman, Koziol, and several other newcomers represented that portal strategy in action. Weigman provided the dual-threat stability Houston had lacked at quarterback, protecting the ball while making plays in and out of the pocket. Koziol, along with fellow tight ends like Traville Frederick Jr., enabled Nagle to use multiple tight end sets and create mismatches in the middle of the field.
The result was a six-win improvement in a single season, from 4-8 to 10-3. That swing is massive in college football and rare at the power-conference level. It mirrored the kind of turnarounds that often precede a multi-year run of success, particularly when driven by recruiting and development rather than a one-off senior-heavy roster.
For recruits and high school coaches evaluating fits, this is the version of Houston they will remember: a 10-win Big 12 program, bowl champion, with an exciting offense and a defensive front capable of winning against SEC linemen.
The Texas Bowl did more than add a trophy to the case. It helped define Houston’s identity as a Big 12 member. The Cougars went 6-3 in conference play and entered the postseason ranked No. 21 in the College Football Playoff rankings, a tangible marker of national respect.
Defeating an SEC opponent like LSU in what was described as the largest Texas Bowl crowd of the 2020s at NRG Stadium gave that ranking heft. It was Houston’s first appearance in the Texas Bowl since 2007 and its first bowl win as a Big 12 program, a pairing of history and modern relevance that resonated with alumni and recruits alike.
Postseason wins often serve as recruiting billboards. When those wins come over brand-name programs in high-profile time slots, the impact tends to compound. For a fan base that watched the Cougars rise through the American Athletic Conference and then step into the power-conference spotlight, this victory served as proof of concept that Houston can compete with the sport’s established brands.
Houston’s performance also reinforced broader trends in college football: the importance of the transfer portal, the value of experienced head coaches like Fritz who can lead program rebuilds, and the parity emerging outside the sport’s traditional bluebloods. As Big 12 and SEC schedules continue to evolve in the expanded College Football Playoff era, wins like this help shape perception about conference strength and recruiting floors.
After the game, the messaging from Houston’s locker room was clear. For Fritz, this was both validation and a starting point. He has been open about his belief that if Houston continues to recruit and develop at its current pace, the program can insert itself into the national championship conversation over time.
Weigman echoed that sentiment, pointing to the unique advantages Houston offers: a massive metropolitan recruiting footprint, upgraded resources as a Big 12 member, and a staff that has already proven it can navigate roster building in the portal era. In his view, double-digit win seasons should become the expectation, not the outlier.
Veteran players such as Koziol, some experiencing their first bowl appearance and win, spoke about the personal meaning of closing their college careers with a postseason victory. For younger players, the experience of playing and winning a high-stakes game in an NFL stadium against SEC competition is the kind of foundation that can fuel offseasons of growth.
Collectively, their comments suggested something important: the internal standard around Houston football has shifted. The Cougars are no longer simply trying to prove they belong in the Big 12. They are targeting conference titles, playoff appearances, and national relevance.
For high school athletes, parents, and coaches tracking college fits, the 2025 Kinder’s Texas Bowl is a blueprint of what the current Houston program looks like on the field. It showed:
For families exploring options across the FBS landscape, tools like Pathley can simplify the process of comparing programs, academic offerings, and campus environments. Pathley’s AI recruiting assistant at https://app.pathley.ai/ helps athletes surface schools like Houston that align with their athletic goals and academic interests, not just the most familiar brand names.
Athletes who want to keep track of programs on the rise, build a digital recruiting resume, and get personalized school matches can also create a free profile through Pathley’s sign-up portal at https://app.pathley.ai/sign_up.
Houston’s win over LSU shines a spotlight on the broader college football scene in the city. For recruits looking at multiple levels of Division I competition and different campus environments within Houston, a few other programs are worth a closer look:
Rice University combines FBS football with elite academics in the heart of Houston. For student-athletes prioritizing rigorous classroom opportunities alongside Division I competition, Rice offers a distinct balance. Its smaller campus environment and strong alumni network make it a compelling option for those seeking both on-field development and long-term career pathways.
Texas Southern University competes in the FCS ranks and provides athletes the chance to play meaningful snaps earlier in their careers while still staying in a major media market. TSU’s tradition, campus culture, and urban setting appeal to recruits who want a vibrant HBCU experience with room to grow as players.
Houston Christian University offers a smaller-school feel with Division I football opportunities. For prospects seeking a faith-oriented campus community, strong relationships with coaches, and the ability to stand out on a roster, HCU can be an excellent fit within the larger Houston football ecosystem.
Using Pathley’s college discovery tools at https://www.pathley.ai/, athletes can compare these programs side by side with the University of Houston and other regional options to find the right competitive level, academic profile, and campus experience.
As the 2025 season fades into the record books, the Kinder’s Texas Bowl will stand as a milestone for Houston football. It was the Cougars’ first 10-win season since 2021, their first 10-win campaign in a power conference since 1990, and their first bowl win as a Big 12 member. Just as importantly, it was a showcase of the style and substance Willie Fritz has brought to the program.
With Weigman’s emergence, the impact of transfer additions like Koziol, and a run game powered by backs like Connors, Houston has a template to recruit to: high-efficiency offense, physical fronts, and a clear path to nationally relevant games. The Cougars’ performance against LSU did not just prove they can win on a big stage. It signaled that they expect to be on that stage regularly.
For prospects and families navigating the modern recruiting landscape, this is an opportune time to learn more about Houston and other emerging programs. Pathley’s AI-driven tools help athletes discover schools they might not have considered, build a targeted list, and understand where they fit best. Whether you are interested in a rising Big 12 program like the University of Houston or exploring strong options across the Houston area and beyond, Pathley can streamline the search and keep you informed as teams like the Cougars continue to climb.
The 38-35 win over LSU will live in Houston lore as a night when the Cougars defended their city and their trajectory. For the program’s future, it may be remembered as the game where expectations permanently changed.
