COLLEGE FOOTBALL REWIND
Saturday NCAA recap: Crazy week sees big wins for TCU, Houston
KALAH WINTERS
Nov 5, 2017, 11:18 am
TCU and head coach Gary Patterson bounced back with a win over Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
The weekly recap of college football sees Baylor gets its first victory of the season and the Houston Cougars win big. Take a look at the highs and lows for Texas colleges:
Houston 52, East Carolina 27
Sophomore quarterback D’Eriq King threw for three touchdowns in his first start of the season against the East Carolina Pirates Saturday morning. The Cougars pushed ahead early in the first quarter, scoring two touchdowns in the first eight minutes of the game. Houston senior Steven Dunbar compiled six receptions for a career-high 171 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown catch. King also threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Linell Bonner and a 5-yarder to Courtney Lark. The bowl-eligible Cougars converted three forced turnovers into scores in the 52-27 win over East Carolina.
TCU 24, Texas 7
The two best defenses in the Big 12 conference battled it out in Fort Worth on Saturday. Coming off their first loss of the season against Iowa State last week, the Horned Frogs knew this game was a big deal and they did not disappoint, beating Texas 24-7. The Longhorns are still struggling offensively and gained a mere 263 total yards, nine of which were rushing in this humbling defeat against TCU.
Auburn 42, Texas A&M 27
After a scoreless first quarter for the Tigers, Auburn kicked it into gear in this road win over the Aggies. Kerryon Johnson had 145 rushing yards, including a dazzling one-handed catch in the fourth quarter. Jarrett Stidham threw for three touchdowns and 268 yards.
Alabama 24, LSU 10
The undefeated Crimson Tide hammered out a victory over the LSU Tigers. Despite their many defensive stops, LSU struggled offensively and it cost them this game.
Central Florida 31, Southern Methodist 24
Undefeated UCF put up unusually low numbers in this road win over SMU. Typically high-performing UCF quarterback Mckenzie Milton threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for an SMU touchdown.
Baylor 38, Kansas 9
Baylor has finally won a game. Freshman Charlie Brewer made his first start of the season and led his team to victory over Kansas. Brewer threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns, while the Bear’s defense held Kansas to a mere 289 yards in this 38-9 blowout over Kansas.
UAB 52, Rice 21
In their first season back after ending their football program two years ago, bowl eligible UAB rolled over Rice for a dominating victory at home.
New Mexico State 45, Texas State 35
Per usual, the Bobcats saw their seventh loss of the season. Tyler Rodgers threw for 474 yards and led the New Mexico State Aggies to a win over Texas State.
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The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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