Scouting the opponent: Five questions about Houston ahead of UCF matchup

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After a disappointing road loss at Baylor, UCF is back home, preparing to host Houston in the annual space game on Friday.

The Orlando Sentinel spoke with Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle to gain a deeper understanding of the Cougars. Here is an edited version of that conversation:

What’s stood out about Houston’s season so far?

Joseph Duarte: “Bowl eligibility for one. This is a much-improved team from last year, and it has to start with what they’ve done on the offensive side of the ball. They were among the worst in the country last year, averaging 14 points a game and they’ve more than doubled that this season. The transfer portal can do miracles these days. In one year, they keyed in on areas that needed improvement, and went out and got a top-tier quarterback in Conner Weigman and surrounded him with a bunch of playmakers at receiver and on the offensive line.”

How has coach Willie Fritz elevated the program?

Duarte: “His reputation has always been as a program builder and Houston’s his first shot after 30 years or more of being outside the Power Four. But Year two has always been the sort of magic year for him, because everywhere he’s been, there’s been a jump and Houston’s no exception. I thought they would, at the very least, get to a bowl game this year, 6-6, that type of deal or 7-5, but the fact that they not only got to bowl-eligible in early October. But up until the West Virginia game, they were playing meaningful November football. It just shows the impact he’s had, because he didn’t inherit a good situation. He had a lot of things to fix from the Dana Holgorsen era. I believe he’s ahead of schedule than what many people thought he would be.”

What’s impressed you about Conner Weigman this season?

Duarte: “He’s been healthy, that’s the key part of it. He was one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 class and part of the highly regarded Texas A&M recruiting class that garnered significant attention. He’s a Houston guy. So, if he was going to go anywhere, this probably was the perfect fit. He probably could have gone to other places, bigger programs, but he’s close to home now. It was a fresh start to hit the reset button, and he’s doing things now that he didn’t get a chance to do at A&M because he was hurt a lot of the time. The biggest surprise is that he showed people that he can run the ball and that was something that just wasn’t utilized at A&M. Before this last game, he had run, I believe, on like 26% of his plays this year, and that was like more than double his previous three years. Before the West Virginia game, he was averaging close to 100 yards in wins over Arizona State and Arizona. So health has been a big key to his resurgence.”

Who else should UCF pay special attention to?

Duarte: “On offense, Tanner Koziol. He’s a tight end. He’s 6-7. He’s an NFL-caliber guy. He was at Ball State last year, had around 90 catches, over 1,000 yards, or close to it, and he ended up going to Wisconsin. He went through the spring there, but didn’t feel like it was the right fit, so he hopped back into the transfer portal. He had a previous relationship with Houston’s coaches and they landed him. It was a huge, huge pickup.

“Amare Thomas began the year as the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver and due to injuries, he’s moved up the pecking order. He’s got seven receiving touchdowns, three of them in the past game of the loss to West Virginia. Every time he gets the ball, it seems like it’s a first down. He’s very much a go-to guy in tight situations and a moves-the-chains type of player.

“On defense, Carlos Allen Jr. is a guy who, while the position normally doesn’t get a lot of stats, he’s got close to 60 or so tackles from the nose guard position. Eddie Walls III had three sacks against Arizona State and has really been a force on the outside. He’s had like 40 quarterback pressures in his last season.”

What do you see as a challenge for Houston against UCF?

Duarte: “If you go judging off of the last few games, they’ve struggled against the run. Seeing what UCF did to West Virginia and then seeing how Houston was never in it against West Virginia, it’s somewhat challenging to gauge where they go. If they continue to struggle against the run the way that they have, it could be a long night for them. It’s been a combination of just the tackling aspect. They get a guy and it looks like he’s wrapped up for a loss or a short gain and then the guy breaks loose for 7-, 8- or 9-yard gains.

“The quarterback situation, West Virginia was on its fourth quarterback and the true freshman comes in and has a big game. Well, UCF’s quarterback situation has been fluid all year. So, I’d be interested in how they prepare that way and whether they let another quarterback, one that you would think they should handle, cause them problems? Because that’s, that’s sort of been their problem this year.”

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.

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