Houston Cougars vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 4th 2024
Preview and Prediction
TCU is seeking to capitalize on its strongest showing of the season as it prepares to welcome struggling Houston for a Big 12 Conference showdown in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday night.
The Horned Frogs (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) are returning home after a dominant 38-27 win over Kansas last Saturday, breaking a two-game losing streak. Quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 356 yards and three touchdowns, with 10 of his passes caught by Jack Bech for 131 yards and two scores.
TCU secured the lead for good in the third quarter with J.P. Richardson's 89-yard punt return for a touchdown.
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According to TCU coach Sonny Dykes, "Our players showed toughness and resilience. It's not easy for a team to bounce back after two consecutive losses, but our guys did it. It speaks volumes about their character and work ethic."
Hoover has thrown for at least two touchdowns in eight consecutive games, while Bech set a career high with 10 receptions against Kansas. Bech has surpassed 100 receiving yards in four out of five games this season.
Houston (1-4, 0-2) is heading north after a 20-0 defeat at home against then-No. 18 Iowa State last Saturday. This was the Cougars' second consecutive loss, following a 34-0 shutout in Cincinnati on September 21. It's the first time since 1994 that Houston has been held scoreless in back-to-back games.
The Cougars rotated between quarterbacks throughout the game, with Donovan Smith (8 of 12 for 71 yards and an interception) and Zeon Chriss (1 of 4 for 1 yard and a pick) both seeing significant playing time. However, they only managed to combine for 72 passing yards.
According to Houston coach Willie Fritz, "We're looking for one of our quarterbacks to step up and take charge. Right now, we're giving two players the opportunity. Once one of them proves themselves, they will become our starter. Until then, we'll continue to rotate."
Out of 134 teams in the FBS, Houston currently ranks last in scoring offense with only 52 points scored this season, averaging 10.4 points per game. However, 33 of those points were scored in a September 14 victory over Rice.
TCU has dominated the series against Houston, winning the last nine matchups. In their most recent meeting in 2023, TCU defeated Houston 36-13 in Houston, evening out the all-time series at 13-13.
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Houston Cougars vs. Texas Christian Horned Frogs Recap OCT 4TH 2024
Zeon Chriss threw for a touchdown and ran for another Friday night as Houston rebounded from consecutive shutouts to earn a 30-19 Big 12 Conference win over TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.
Chriss completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards while running for a game-high 97 yards on 11 carries. The Cougars (2-4, 1-2), who hadn't scored a point since Sept. 14 vs. Rice, rolled up 361 total yards and kept the ball for almost 37 minutes.
Chriss sat out Houston's next-to-last drive with an apparent forearm injury but backup Donovan Smith came in and led the team on a 66-yard march that lasted nearly 7:27 and concluded with Jack Martin's third field goal, a 27-yarder with 1:58 to play for a two-possession advantage.
Josh Hoover completed 23 of 37 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Horned Frogs (3-3, 1-2). Hoover tossed a 29-yard scoring strike to Jack Bech with 9:25 remaining that got them within a possession, but he also absorbed three sacks, losing a fumble after the final one with 48 seconds on the clock to end it.
TCU came into the game as a 16 1/2-point favorite but it was Houston that controlled the first 30 minutes with its best offensive half of the year.
Getting help from a targeting penalty that led to the ejection of the Horned Frogs' Abe Camara and gifted the Cougars a first down at the 13, Houston scored first via Chriss' 8-yard touchdown pass to Devan Williams at the 5:29 mark of the first quarter.
Houston made it 14-0 less than 90 seconds into the second period on a 2-yard run from Re'Shaun Sanford II, then got a 34-yard field goal from Martin with 4:55 left in the half.
Hoover got TCU on the board just before the two-minute timeout on a 21-yard touchdown strike to Savion Williams.
However, Chriss answered back with 1:48 remaining on a 71-yard scoring jaunt, enabling the Cougars to take a 24-6 cushion to intermission.