# 2024 Houston Cougars football team

The 2024 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the Big 12 Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars were led by Willie Fritz in his first season as their head coach. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas.

## Offseason
### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | Destination |
| Bryan Henry | TE | Abilene Christian |
| Christopher Pearson | S | Arkansas State |
| Jett Huff | QB | Central Oklahoma |
| Kamsi Arinze | LB | Coffeyville CC |
| Tyler Johnson | IOL | Colorado |
| Chidozie Nwankwo | DL | Colorado |
| Aaron Willis | LB | Delaware State |
| Karson Jones | OT | East Carolina |
| Moses Alexander | CB | Eastern Illinois |
| CJ Nelson | WR | Eastern Illinois |
| Logan Compton | TE | Incarnate Word |
| Reuben Unije | OT | Louisville |
| Ja'koby Banks | WR | Memphis |
| Sam Brown | WR | Miami (FL) |
| Aubrey Smith | LB | Navarro |
| Tevin Shaw | IOL | New Mexico |
| Justin Beadles | DL | New Mexico State |
| Dalton Carnes | WR | North Texas |
| Darson Herman | TE | North Texas |
| Isaiah Hamilton | CB | Ole Miss |
| Jamaree Caldwell | DL | Oregon |
| Lucas Coley | QB | Prairie View A&M |
| Michael Patterson | CB | Stephen F. Austin |
| Hakeem Ajijolaiya | DL | TCU |
| Matthew Golden | WR | Texas |
| Amipeleasi Langi | DL | Texas State |
| Treylin Payne | LB | Texas State |
| Mikal Harrison-Pilot | WR | Texas Tech |
| Brandon Campbell | RB | UMass |
| Joshua Cobbs | WR | USF |
| Jaylen Garth | OT | UTSA |
| Sergio Snider | RB | Unknown |
| Jalyn Stanford | S | Unknown |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Previous School |
| J.D. Rhym | CB | Auburn |
| Quindario Lee | DL | Central Michigan |
| Teagan Wilk | S | East Carolina |
| Mekhi Mews | WR | Georgia |
| Carlos Allen Jr. | DL | Kennesaw State |
| Zeon Chriss | QB | Louisiana |
| Kendre Gant | LB | Louisiana |
| Sam Secrest | IOL | Louisville |
| Michael Batton | LB | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Dakota White | IOL | Louisiana Tech |
| Christian Brathwaite | LB | LSU |
| Maliq Carr | TE | Michigan State |
| Gabe Peterson | LB | New Mexico State |
| Cedric Melton | OT | Ole Miss |
| Bryan Massey | S | SMU |
| Kriston Davis | CB | Southern |
| Jeremiah Wilson | CB | Syracuse |
| Jayden York | TE | Texas Tech |
| Keith Cooper | DL | Tulane |
| Corey Platt Jr. | LB | Tulane |
| Kentrell Webb | S | Tulane |
| Everitt Rogers | DL | Tulsa |
| Marquis Shoulders | WR | Tulsa |
| Devan Williams | WR | Tulsa |
| Jake Wiley | IOL | UCLA |
| Jack Raney | K | UC Davis |
| Ajani Carter | CB | Utah State |
| Hershey McLaurin | S | West Virginia |

#### Coaching staff additions

| Name | New Position | Previous Team | Previous Position |
| Willie Fritz | Head Coach | Tulane | Head Coach |
| Kevin Barbay | Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends | Mississippi State | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| Shiel Wood | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers | Tulane | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers |
| Derrick Sherman | Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers | Tulane | Wide Receivers |
| Shawn Bell | Quarterbacks | Baylor | Quarterbacks |
| Joshua Christian-Young | Defensive Backs | Tulane | Defensive Backs |
| Zac Etheridge | Defensive Backs | Auburn | Associate Head Coach/Secondary |
| James Ross III | Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers | Tulane | Senior Defensive Analyst |
| Jordy Joseph | Running Backs | Southern Miss | Quarterbacks |
| Mike Krysl | Special Teams | Tulane | Special Teams Analyst |
| Oscar Giles | Defensive Line | Wyoming | Associate Head Coach/Defensive Run-Game Coordinator/Defensive Tackles/Freshman Head Coach |

#### Coaching staff departures

| Name | Position | New Team | New Position | Source |
| Dana Holgorsen | Head Coach | TCU | Defensive analyst | |
| Doug Belk | Defensive Coordinator | USC | Defensive Backs | |
| Daikiel Shorts | Wide Receivers | Kentucky | Wide Receivers | |
| Mike Jinks | Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs | – | – | – |
| Corby Meekins | Tight Ends/Inside Receivers | Lutheran South | Head Coach | |
| Brian Early | Defensive Line | Missouri | Defensive Line/Edge | |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | UNLV* | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | FS1 | L 7–27 | 25,750 |
| September 7 | 6:45 p.m. | at No. 15 Oklahoma* | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial StadiumNorman, OK | SECN | L 12–16 | 83,653 |
| September 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Rice* | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX (rivalry) | ESPN+ | W 33–7 | 28,146 |
| September 21 | 11:00 a.m. | at Cincinnati | Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH | FS1 | L 0–34 | 38,007 |
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 18 Iowa State | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | FS1 | L 0–20 | 25,138 |
| October 4 | 6:30 p.m. | at TCU | Amon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TX | ESPN | W 30–19 | 44,211 |
| October 19 | 2:30 p.m. | at Kansas | Arrowhead StadiumKansas City, MO | ESPN+ | L 14–42 | 38,619 |
| October 26 | 6:00 p.m. | Utah | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN+ | W 17–14 | 28,251 |
| November 2 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 17 Kansas State | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | FOX | W 24–19 | 23,085 |
| November 15 | 9:15 p.m. | at Arizona | Arizona StadiumTucson, AZ | FS1 | L 3–27 | 38,538 |
| November 23 | 6:00 p.m. | Baylor | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX (rivalry) | FS1 | L 10–20 | 34,166 |
| November 30 | 9:15 p.m. | at No. 19 BYU | LaVell Edwards StadiumProvo, UT | ESPN | L 18–30 | 59,213 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 5) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Game summaries
### vs UNLV

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rebels | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
* Date: August 31, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 90 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 25,750
* Referee: Michael VanderVelde
* TV announcers (FS1): Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)
| Statistics | UNLV | HOU |
| First downs | 14 | 14 |
| Total yards | 308 | 247 |
| Rushing yards | 195 | 38 |
| Passing yards | 113 | 209 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 7–14–1 | 22–38–2 |
| Time of possession | 31:27 | 28:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UNLV | Passing | Matthew Sluka | 6/13, 71 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| UNLV | Rushing | Michael Allen | 10 carries, 65 yards |
| UNLV | Receiving | Jaden Bradley | 2 receptions, 60 yards |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 15/30, 135 yards, 2 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Parker Jenkins | 2 carries, 17 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Mekhi Mews | 3 receptions, 57 yards |

### at No. 15 Oklahoma

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| No. 15 Sooners | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK
* Date: September 7, 2024
* Game time: 6:45 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 78 °F (26 °C)
* Game attendance: 83,653
* Referee: Stephen Baron
* TV announcers (SEC Network): Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst), and Cole Cubelic (sideline)
| Statistics | HOU | OU |
| First downs | 18 | 15 |
| Total yards | 318 | 249 |
| Rushing yards | 58 | 75 |
| Passing yards | 260 | 174 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–28–1 | 19–32–1 |
| Time of possession | 35:03 | 24:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 24/28, 260 yards, TD, INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 11 carries, 33 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Joseph Manjack IV | 3 receptions, 72 yards, TD |
| Oklahoma | Passing | Jackson Arnold | 19/32, 174 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Oklahoma | Rushing | Jovantae Barnes | 12 carries, 40 yards |
| Oklahoma | Receiving | Deion Burks | 9 receptions, 53 yards |

### vs Rice (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Cougars | 14 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 33 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
* Date: September 14, 2024
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Clear, 92 °F (33 °C)
* Game attendance: 28,146
* Referee: Kevin Boitmann
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play), Fozzy Whittaker (analyst), and Tori Petry (sideline)
| Statistics | RICE | HOU |
| First downs | 9 | 16 |
| Total yards | 159 | 379 |
| Rushing yards | 75 | 237 |
| Passing yards | 84 | 142 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–27–1 | 12–21–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:03 | 31:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Rice | Passing | E. J. Warner | 12/21, 50 yards, INT |
| Rice | Rushing | Dean Connors | 11 carries, 32 yards, TD |
| Rice | Receiving | Christian Francisco | 2 receptions, 26 yards |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 12/21, 142 yards, TD |
| Houston | Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 7 carries, 82 yards, TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Stephon Johnson | 1 reception, 44 yards, TD |

### at Cincinnati

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bearcats | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
at Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH
* Date: September 21, 2024
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 81 °F (27 °C) • Wind: NW at 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h)
* Game attendance: 38,007
* Referee: David Alvarez
* TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst)
| Statistics | HOU | CIN |
| First downs | 12 | 22 |
| Total yards | 233 | 362 |
| Rushing yards | 141 | 149 |
| Passing yards | 92 | 213 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 13–21–1 | 15–19–0 |
| Time of possession | 26:26 | 33:34 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 11/16, 73 yards, INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Re'Shaun Sanford II | 6 carries, 62 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Joseph Manjack IV | 2 receptions, 51 yards |
| Cincinnati | Passing | Brendan Sorsby | 12/15, 188 yards, 2 TD |
| Cincinnati | Rushing | Corey Kiner | 16 carries, 78 yards, TD |
| Cincinnati | Receiving | Sterling Berkhalter | 3 receptions, 60 yards |

### vs No. 18 Iowa State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Cyclones | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
* Date: September 28, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 92 °F (33 °C) • Wind: NW 10 mph
* Game attendance: 25,138
* Referee: Hank Johns
* TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst)
| Statistics | ISU | HOU |
| First downs | 19 | 11 |
| Total yards | 393 | 241 |
| Rushing yards | 240 | 169 |
| Passing yards | 153 | 72 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–28–0 | 9–16–2 |
| Time of possession | 34:55 | 25:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa State | Passing | Rocco Becht | 17/28, 153 yards, TD |
| Iowa State | Rushing | Abu Sama | 11 carries, 101 yards, TD |
| Iowa State | Receiving | Jayden Higgins | 8 receptions, 79 yards, TD |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 8/12, 71 yards, INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 10 carries, 79 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Stephon Johnson | 4 receptions, 42 yards |

### at TCU

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 7 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 30 |
| Horned Frogs | 0 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 |
at Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX
* Date: October 4, 2024
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) • Wind: NE 9 mph
* Game attendance: 44,211
* Referee: Kevin Mar
* TV announcers (ESPN): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
| Statistics | HOU | TCU |
| First downs | 19 | 20 |
| Total yards | 361 | 299 |
| Rushing yards | 207 | 66 |
| Passing yards | 154 | 233 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–20–0 | 23–37–2 |
| Time of possession | 36:53 | 23:07 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Zeon Chriss | 15/18, 141 yards, TD |
| Houston | Rushing | Zeon Chriss | 11 carries, 97 yards, TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Maliq Carr | 2 receptions, 39 yards |
| TCU | Passing | Josh Hoover | 23/37, 233 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| TCU | Rushing | Cam Cook | 14 carries, 77 yards |
| TCU | Receiving | JP Richardson | 9 receptions, 98 yards |

### at Kansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Jayhawks | 14 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 42 |
at Arrowhead Stadium • Kansas City, MO
* Date: October 19, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: SW 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 38,619
* Referee: Tutashinda Salaam
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Neely (play-by-play), Todd Doxzon (analyst), and Kelly Crull (sideline)
| Statistics | HOU | KU |
| First downs | 20 | 21 |
| Total yards | 335 | 467 |
| Rushing yards | 98 | 220 |
| Passing yards | 237 | 247 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–33–4 | 16–21–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:41 | 28:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 15/24, 173 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Donovan Smith | 14 carries, 45 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Mekhi Mews | 6 receptions, 99 yards, TD |
| Kansas | Passing | Jalon Daniels | 16/21, 247 yards, 3 TD |
| Kansas | Rushing | Devin Neal | 17 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD |
| Kansas | Receiving | Lawrence Arnold | 4 receptions, 80 yards |

### vs Utah

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Utes | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
* Date: October 26, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: SE 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
* Game attendance: 28,251
* Referee: Luke Richmond
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Richard Cross (play-by-play), Barrett Brooks (analyst), and Tori Petry (sideline)
| Statistics | UTAH | HOU |
| First downs | 12 | 16 |
| Total yards | 306 | 289 |
| Rushing yards | 90 | 228 |
| Passing yards | 216 | 61 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–37–1 | 6–13–1 |
| Time of possession | 28:58 | 31:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Utah | Passing | Isaac Wilson | 13/22, 171 yards, TD |
| Utah | Rushing | Micah Bernard | 14 carries, 51 yards, TD |
| Utah | Receiving | Brant Kuithe | 5 receptions, 113 yards, TD |
| Houston | Passing | Zeon Chriss | 6/13, 61 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Houston | Rushing | J'Marion Burnette | 8 carries, 81 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Joseph Manjack IV | 1 reception, 28 yards, TD |

### vs No. 17 Kansas State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Wildcats | 3 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| Cougars | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
* Date: November 2, 2024
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Rain • Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: NW 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
* Game attendance: 23,085
* Referee: Stephen Baron
* TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst), and Allison Williams (sideline)
| Statistics | KSU | HOU |
| First downs | 21 | 10 |
| Total yards | 327 | 232 |
| Rushing yards | 89 | 121 |
| Passing yards | 238 | 111 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 23–41–2 | 12–12–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:01 | 28:59 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kansas State | Passing | Avery Johnson | 23/39, 238 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Kansas State | Rushing | DJ Giddens | 17 carries, 50 yards, TD |
| Kansas State | Receiving | Jayce Brown | 3 receptions, 86 yards |
| Houston | Passing | Zeon Chriss | 11/11, 103 yards, TD |
| Houston | Rushing | Zeon Chriss | 22 carries, 75 yards, TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Joseph Manjack IV | 1 reception, 44 yards |

### at Arizona

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 27 |
at Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ
* Date: November 15, 2024
* Game time: 9:15 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear, 58 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 38,538
* Referee: Mike McCabe
* TV announcers (FS1): Trent Rush (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst)
| Statistics | HOU | ARIZ |
| First downs | 14 | 20 |
| Total yards | 326 | 341 |
| Rushing yards | 135 | 117 |
| Passing yards | 191 | 224 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–28–1 | 20–35–1 |
| Time of possession | 28:56 | 31:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Zeon Chriss | 16/27, 191 yards, INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Re'Shaun Sanford II | 10 carries, 76 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Stephon Johnson | 4 receptions, 70 yards |
| Arizona | Passing | Noah Fifita | 20/35, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Arizona | Rushing | Quali Conley | 11 carries, 107 yards, TD |
| Arizona | Receiving | Tetairoa McMillan | 6 receptions, 70 yards, TD |

### vs Baylor (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Cougars | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
* Date: November 23, 2024
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 68 °F (20 °C) • Wind: SE 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
* Game attendance: 34,166
* Referee: Henry Johns
* TV announcers (FS1): Connor Onion (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst)
| Statistics | BAY | HOU |
| First downs | 20 | 14 |
| Total yards | 325 | 239 |
| Rushing yards | 121 | 92 |
| Passing yards | 204 | 147 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 15–23–2 | 14–25–3 |
| Time of possession | 34:52 | 25:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Baylor | Passing | Sawyer Robertson | 15/23, 204 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Baylor | Rushing | Bryson Washington | 28 carries, 113 yards |
| Baylor | Receiving | Michael Trigg | 4 receptions, 96 yards, TD |
| Houston | Passing | Zeon Chriss | 13/24, 126 yards, 3 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Re'Shaun Sanford II | 8 carries, 37 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Stephon Johnson | 3 receptions, 54 yards |

### at No. 19 BYU

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 19 BYU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT
* Date: November 30, 2024
* Game time: 9:15 p.m.
* Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Flemming (play-by-play, Brock Osweiler (analyst), and Stormy Buonantony (sideline reporter)
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Houston | Passing |
| Houston | Rushing |
| Houston | Receiving |
| BYU | Passing |
| BYU | Rushing |
| BYU | Receiving |