# 2022 Houston Cougars football team

The 2022 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, competing in the American Athletic Conference (The American). They were led by 4th-year head coach Dana Holgorsen. In September 2021, Houston and fellow conference members Cincinnati and UCF accepted bids to join the Big 12 Conference. The schools had been contractually required to remain with The American through 2024, but all reached a separation agreement that allowed them to join the Big 12 in 2023. Accordingly, the 2022 season was the program's last season as a member of The American.

## Preseason
### Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Maxwell Award | Clayton Tune | QB | Sr. |
| Maxwell Award | Nathaniel Dell | WR | Jr. |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Clayton Tune | QB | Sr. |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award | Nathaniel Dell | WR | Jr. |
| John Mackey Award | Christian Trahan | TE | Sr. |
| Butkus Award | Donavan Mutin | LB | Sr. |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Gervarrius Owens | S | Sr. |
| Outland Trophy | Patrick Paul | OT | So. |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Gervarrius Owens | S | Sr. |
| Ray Guy Award | Laine Wilkins | P | So. |
| Wuerffel Trophy | Donavan Mutin | LB | Sr. |
| Chuck Bednarik Award | Gervarrius Owens | S | Sr. |
| Lombardi Award | Patrick Paul | OT | So. |
| Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award | Clayton Tune | QB | Sr. |
| Manning Award | Clayton Tune | QB | Sr. |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Clayton Tune | QB | Sr. |

### American Athletic Conference preseason media poll

The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at AAC Media Day on July 28, 2022. The Cougars were picked to win the conference, edging defending conference champion Cincinnati by one vote.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Houston | 243 (7) |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 242 (10) |
| 3 | UCF | 225 (7) |
| 4 | SMU | 187 |
| 5 | Memphis | 162 |
| 6 | East Carolina | 157 |
| 7 | Tulane | 115 |
| 8 | Tulsa | 93 |
| 9 | South Florida | 71 |
| 10 | Navy | 61 |
| 11 | Temple | 28 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 2:30 p.m. | at UTSA* | No. 24 | AlamodomeSan Antonio, TX | CBSSN | W 37–35 $^{3OT}$ | 37,526 |
| September 10 | 3:00 p.m. | at Texas Tech* | No. 25 | Jones AT&T StadiumLubbock, TX (rivalry) | FS1 | L 30–33 $^{2OT}$ | 56,271 |
| September 17 | 3:00 p.m. | Kansas* | | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | ESPNU | L 30–48 | 30,317 |
| September 24 | 5:00 p.m. | Rice* | | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX (rivalry) | ESPN+ | W 34–27 | 26,377 |
| September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | Tulane | | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN | L 24–27 $^{OT}$ | 24,319 |
| October 7 | 6:30 p.m. | at Memphis | | Simmons Bank Liberty StadiumMemphis, TN | ESPN2 | W 33–32 | 28,126 |
| October 22 | 11:00 a.m. | at Navy | | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | ESPNU | W 38–20 | 32,443 |
| October 29 | 11:00 a.m. | South Florida | | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN2 | W 42–27 | 24,228 |
| November 5 | 6:00 p.m. | at SMU | | Gerald J. Ford StadiumUniversity Park, TX (rivalry) | NFLN | L 63–77 | 23,841 |
| November 12 | 2:00 p.m. | Temple | | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX | ESPN+ | W 43–36 | 21,731 |
| November 19 | 1:00 p.m. | at East Carolina | | Dowdy–Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | ESPN+ | W 42–3 | 42,475 |
| November 26 | 6:30 p.m. | Tulsa | | TDECU StadiumHouston, TX (rivalry) | ESPNU | L 30–37 | 21,785 |
| December 23 | 2:00 p.m. | vs. Louisiana* | | Independence StadiumShreveport, LA (Independence Bowl) | ESPN | W 23–16 | 23,410 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 1) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
Schedule Source:

## Game summaries
### At UTSA

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| • No. 24 Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 37 |
| Roadrunners | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 35 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –3.5 | 62 |
| Statistics | Houston | UTSA |
| First downs | 20 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 76–346 | 73–441 |
| Rushes–yards | 44–140 | 28–104 |
| Passing yards | 206 | 337 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 22–32–0 | 28–43–1 |
| Time of possession | 35:27 | 24:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 22/32, 206 yards, 3 TDs |
| Houston | Rushing | Clayton Tune | 15 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 5 receptions, 50 yards, 2 TDs |
| UTSA | Passing | Frank Harris | 28/43, 337 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| UTSA | Rushing | Frank Harris | 8 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD |
| UTSA | Receiving | Joshua Cephus | 7 receptions, 106 yards, 1 TD |

### At Texas Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
| No. 25 Cougars | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
| • Red Raiders | 3 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 33 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| TTU –4.0 | 62 |
| Statistics | Houston | Texas Tech |
| First downs | 16 | 35 |
| Plays–yards | 68–354 | 103–468 |
| Rushes–yards | 29–88 | 44–117 |
| Passing yards | 266 | 351 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–39–1 | 36–59–3 |
| Time of possession | 22:42 | 37:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 20/39, 266 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Brandon Campbell | 16 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 7 receptions, 120 yards |
| Texas Tech | Passing | Donovan Smith | 36/59, 351 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs |
| Texas Tech | Rushing | Tahj Brooks | 18 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD |
| Texas Tech | Receiving | Myles Price | 5 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD |

### Kansas

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Jayhawks | 14 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 48 |
| Cougars | 14 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 30 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –8.5 | 58 |
| Statistics | Kansas | Houston |
| First downs | 24 | 26 |
| Plays–yards | 66–438 | 70–446 |
| Rushes–yards | 43–280 | 39–174 |
| Passing yards | 158 | 272 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–23–0 | 22–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:27 | 28:33 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kansas | Passing | Jalon Daniels | 14/23, 158 yards, 3 TDs |
| Kansas | Rushing | Jalon Daniels | 12 carries, 123 yards, 2 TDs |
| Kansas | Receiving | Torry Locklin | 1 reception, 60 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 22/31, 272 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Clayton Tune | 16 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Ta'Zhawn Henry | 5 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD |

### Rice (Bayou Bucket Classic)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| • Cougars | 7 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 34 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –17.5 | 52 |
| Statistics | Rice | Houston |
| First downs | 22 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 65–424 | 58–427 |
| Rushes–yards | 25–90 | 32–178 |
| Passing yards | 334 | 249 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–40–1 | 19–26–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:55 | 30:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Rice | Passing | T. J. McMahon | 25/39, 334 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rice | Rushing | Kobie Campbell | 1 carry, 34 yards |
| Rice | Receiving | Bradley Rozner | 5 receptions, 123 yards |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 19/26, 249 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Ta'Zhawn Henry | 17 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 7 receptions, 134 yards, 1 TD |

### Tulane

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| • Green Wave | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
| Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –5.5 | 52 |
| Statistics | Tulane | Houston |
| First downs | 14 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 54–273 | 81–383 |
| Rushes–yards | 28–84 | 48–175 |
| Passing yards | 189 | 208 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16–26–0 | 22–33–0 |
| Time of possession | 23:05 | 36:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tulane | Passing | Kai Horton | 11/21, 132 yards, 3 TDs |
| Tulane | Rushing | Tyjae Spears | 14 carries, 54 yards |
| Tulane | Receiving | Tyjae Spears | 6 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 22/33, 208 yards, 2 TDs |
| Houston | Rushing | Brandon Campbell | 19 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 8 receptions, 73 yards, 2 TDs |

### At Memphis

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 33 |
| Tigers | 14 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 32 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| MEM –1.5 | 57.5 |
| Statistics | Houston | Memphis |
| First downs | 25 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 80–463 | 75–438 |
| Rushes–yards | 23–97 | 41–156 |
| Passing yards | 366 | 282 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 36–57–1 | 21–32–0 |
| Time of possession | 26:22 | 33:38 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 36/57, 366 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Brandon Campbell | 12 carries, 53 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Sam Brown | 9 receptions, 116 yards |
| Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 21/32, 241 yards, 1 TD |
| Memphis | Rushing | Jevyon Ducker | 10 carries, 38 yards |
| Memphis | Receiving | Gabriel Rogers | 5 receptions, 71 yards |

### At Navy

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cougars | 14 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –3.0 | 51.0 |
| Statistics | Houston | Navy |
| First downs | 23 | 16 |
| Plays–yards | 64–441 | 63–326 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–180 | 50–201 |
| Passing yards | 261 | 125 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 21–30–0 | 6–13–2 |
| Time of possession | 28:12 | 31:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 21/30, 261 yards, 5 TDs |
| Houston | Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 20 carries, 100 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 8 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TDs |
| Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 6/13, 125 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| Navy | Rushing | Daba Fofana | 20 carries, 89 yards, 1 TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Jayden Umbarger | 2 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD |

### South Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 14 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
| • Cougars | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –17.5 | 59 |
| Statistics | South Florida | Houston |
| First downs | 25 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 65–429 | 64–490 |
| Rushes–yards | 31–154 | 25–103 |
| Passing yards | 275 | 387 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–34–0 | 33–39–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:53 | 30:07 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| South Florida | Passing | Katravis Marsh | 24/34, 275 yards, 1 TD |
| South Florida | Rushing | Brian Battie | 12 carries, 106 yards, 2 TDs |
| South Florida | Receiving | Xavier Weaver | 7 receptions, 84 yards |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 31/37, 380 yards, 4 TDs |
| Houston | Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 10 carries, 60 yards, 2 TDs |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 9 receptions, 112 yards, 2 TDs |

### At SMU

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cougars | 14 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 63 |
| • Mustangs | 21 | 35 | 7 | 14 | 77 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| SMU –3.5 | 66 |
| Statistics | Houston | SMU |
| First downs | 34 | 31 |
| Plays–yards | 71–710 | 83–642 |
| Rushes–yards | 17–182 | 46–263 |
| Passing yards | 528 | 379 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 37–54–3 | 28–37–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:28 | 31:32 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 36/53, 527 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs |
| Houston | Rushing | Clayton Tune | 12 rushes, 111 yards, 1 TD |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 13 receptions, 180 yards, 2 TDs |
| SMU | Passing | Tanner Mordecai | 28/37, 379 yards, 9 TDs |
| SMU | Rushing | Tyler Lavine | 25 rushes, 146 yards, 1 TD |
| SMU | Receiving | Dylan Goffney | 3 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD |

### Temple

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 7 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 36 |
| • Cougars | 0 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 43 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –20.0 | 56 |
| Statistics | Temple | Houston |
| First downs | 33 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 85–533 | 66–485 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–47 | 26–196 |
| Passing yards | 486 | 289 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 42–59–0 | 29–40–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:44 | 28:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Temple | Passing | E.J. Warner | 42/59, 486 yards, 3 TDs |
| Temple | Rushing | Darvon Hubbard | 4 carries, 26 yards |
| Temple | Receiving | Jose Barbon | 8 receptions, 128 yards |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 29/40, 289 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 11 carries, 143 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 12 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD |

### At East Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cougars | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
| Pirates | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| ECU –6.0 | 66.5 |
| Statistics | Houston | East Carolina |
| First downs | 27 | 13 |
| Plays–yards | 68–515 | 57–315 |
| Rushes–yards | 24–80 | 22–118 |
| Passing yards | 435 | 197 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 32–44–1 | 17–35–0 |
| Time of possession | 30:42 | 29:18 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 32/44, 435 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Clayton Tune | 6 carries, 43 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 9 receptions, 176 yards, 1 TD |
| East Carolina | Passing | Holton Ahlers | 15/30, 182 yards |
| East Carolina | Rushing | Keaton Mitchell | 14 carries, 129 yards |
| East Carolina | Receiving | Jsi Hatfield | 2 receptions, 68 yards |

### Tulsa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Golden Hurricane | 3 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 37 |
| Cougars | 14 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –12.0 | 67 |
| Statistics | Tulsa | Houston |
| First downs | 19 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 75–431 | 70–506 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–115 | 23–120 |
| Passing yards | 316 | 386 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 25–43–0 | 26–47–1 |
| Time of possession | 29:37 | 30:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Tulsa | Passing | Braylon Braxton | 25/43, 316 yards, 3 TDs |
| Tulsa | Rushing | Braylon Braxton | 11 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD |
| Tulsa | Receiving | JuanCarlos Santana | 6 receptions, 169 yards, 2 TDs |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 26/47, 386 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Houston | Rushing | Ta'Zhawn Henry | 9 carries, 54 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | Nathaniel Dell | 9 receptions, 161 yards, 1 TD |

### Vs. Louisiana (Independence Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cougars | 0 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 23 |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| HOU –5.0 | 58.0 |
| Statistics | Houston | Louisiana |
| First downs | 21 | 21 |
| Total yards | 363 | 323 |
| Rushing yards | 139 | 129 |
| Passing yards | 224 | 194 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 30:19 | 29:41 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Houston | Passing | Clayton Tune | 19/28, 224 yards, 3 TDs |
| Houston | Rushing | Clayton Tune | 11 carries, 55 yards |
| Houston | Receiving | KeSean Carter | 4 receptions, 112 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Passing | Chandler Fields | 17/25, 169 yards, 1 TD |
| Louisiana | Rushing | Chris Smith | 14 carries, 48 yards |
| Louisiana | Receiving | Lance Legendre | 5 receptions, 56 yards |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 24 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | 25 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |