COLLEGE FOOTBALL REWIND
Saturday NCAA Football Recap: Things are looking up in Texas
KALAH WINTERS
Oct 29, 2017, 9:51 am
It was a tough day for Kliff Kingsbury and Tech. Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images
A Major victory for for the Houston Cougars. Taking a look back at the highs and lows for Texas colleges:
Houston 28, South Florida 24
How ‘bout them Cougars! Coach Major Applewhite and the Houston Cougars soared to new heights with their dazzling win over No. 17, South Florida. The Cougars offense got off to a sluggish start but came alive in the second half, contrary to what last week’s game might have lead one to believe was possible. Sophomore D’Eriq King entered the game early and soon thereafter began making crucial contributions to the the Cougar offense. Arguably, the most significant of which was a game-winning 20-yard touchdown run to to end South Florida’s historic winning streak. South Florida did not seem themselves while hosting Houston in Saturday night’s match.
Iowa State 14, TCU 7
Defense wins games: The Iowa State defensive line was impenetrable against the Horned Frogs in Saturday’s matchup which left the Big 12 without an undefeated team. TCU remained scoreless until the third quarter but that was their only score of the game.
Oklahoma 49, Texas Tech 27
Tech got off to a promising start, scoring 20 points in the first quarter over OU’s 14, but it appears OU found their step in the second quarter. OU quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 22 passes totaling 281 yards and four touchdowns as he led his team to victory over the Red Raiders.
Texas 38, Baylor 7
It should come as no surprise that Texas beat bad Baylor. The trajectory of this game could be seen during the first minute: DeShon Elltiott intercepted a pass by Baylor quarterback Zach Smith and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Longhorn coach Tom Herman admitted his team is being carried by the defensive side of the ball, but insists it is all a part of his plan. Demonstrably growing and learning from each game, this young Texas team has the potential to really shake things up for college football the rest of the season.
Mississippi State 35, Texas A&M 14
A “frustrating” game against Mississippi State, according to Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin. The Aggies took a physical beating and lost their third game of the year.
Louisiana Tech 42, Rice 28
Louisiana Tech dominated the field from start to finish in Saturday’s game in Houston, scoring 14 points in the final minute in this 42-28 win over Rice.
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The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!