HOUSTON — Conner Weigman threw for 222 yards and ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns — both career highs — to lead Houston over Colorado 36-20 on Friday night.
“We didn’t play great and there’s things we can really improve on,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “But for our Big 12 opener, playing a good squad like Colorado, we’re very happy with the outcome.”
The Cougars (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) were up by five late in the third quarter when Dean Connors ran 18 yards to get them to the 1-yard line. Weigman scored on the next play to make it 26-14.
“I love to come here and come to work every day and put it all on the line for my brothers,” Weigman said. “And I feel like we all did that for each other and when you do that, as a team, good things happen.”
Blake Thompson intercepted Ryan Staub on the first play of the fourth quarter, but the Cougars couldn’t cash in on the mistake after Ethan Sanchez missed a 50-yard field goal attempt.
Houston forced a punt and Weigman made it 33-14 when he scored on a 7-yard run that was set up by a 54-yard pass to Stephon Johnson a play earlier.
“I thought he played his best game today,” Fritz said of Weigman. “He ran the ball extremely well. I think sometimes he’s underestimated his ability to run.”
Staub got his first start of the season. He served as the backup to Shedeur Sanders the past two seasons and entered the year as the third-string quarterback behind Kaidon Salter, who started the first two games, and heralded freshman Julian Lewis. Staub earned the start this week after throwing two touchdown passes in a 31-7 win over Delaware a week prior.
Staub was 19 of 35 for 204 yards and a touchdown, but couldn’t get much going in the second half as Colorado (1-2, 0-1) managed just six points after halftime and he was intercepted twice.
Coach Deion Sanders couldn’t believe how poorly his team played after what he felt like was a good week of preparation.
“It wasn’t good,” he said. “It wasn’t good at all. I take full responsibility of the foolishness that went on out there that we tried to… call football. It wasn’t that. We gotta do better in every phase of the game. We gotta do better preparing our kids. We gotta do better, period.”
Houston led 13-0 early after scoring on its first three possessions. Colorado cut the lead to 13-7 when Simeon Price capped a 10-play, 93-yard drive with a 38-yard touchdown run with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter.
A field goal by the Cougars made it 16-7 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. But the Buffaloes added a touchdown just before halftime to get within 16-14. Staub scrambled 19 yards but fumbled before he crossed the goal line and Zach Atkins jumped on the ball in the end zone for the score.
The Takeaway
Colorado: Sanders must decide if Staub is the answer at quarterback or if he should give Lewis or Salter another shot. He was asked about the plan moving forward after the game.
“I have no idea right now,” he said. “I’m not thinking about that.”
Houston: Weigman has looked great in his first three games for the Cougars after a transfer from Texas A&M. He has thrown four touchdown passes without an interception and added three rushing scores.
Kicking It
Sanchez made five field goals Friday night to tie a school record for most field goals in a game. Sanchez, who hit five of six attempts, made kicks of 52, 43, 47, 35 and 49 yards.
Don’t Sugarcoat It
When the Buffaloes were down 10-0 at the end of the first quarter, Sanders said his defense was playing like “hot garbage” in a television interview. After the game, when a reporter referred to the defense as struggling, he had strong words for the performance of not only his defense but the entire team
“We’re not struggling, we’re getting our butts kicked,” he said. “You don’t have to be polite. You don’t have to sugarcoat it. I come from a mama who kept it a buck with me so let’s keep it a buck. We’re getting our butts kicked. We’re not as successful on either side of the ball as we would wish to be.”
Up Next
Colorado: Hosts Wyoming next Saturday.
Houston: The Cougars are off next week before visiting Oregon State on Sept. 26.
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