2023 Houston Cougars football team
American college football season
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The 2023 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the Big 12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars were led by Dana Holgorsen in his fifth season as their head coach. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Houston Cougars football team drew an average home attendance of 36,020 in 2023.[1]
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record4–8 (2–7 Big 12)
Headcoach
- Dana Holgorsen (5th season)
OffensivecoordinatorEman Naghavi (1st season)
| 2023 Houston Cougars football | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Record | 4–8 (2–7 Big 12) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Eman Naghavi (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Doug Belk (5th season) |
| Base defense | 4–2–5 |
| Home stadium | TDECU Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Texas y$^ | 8 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Oklahoma State y | 7 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Oklahoma | 7 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa State | 6 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Kansas State | 6 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | 6 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Tech | 5 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Kansas | 5 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 3 | – | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TCU | 3 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 2 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU | 2 | – | 7 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baylor | 2 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 1 | – | 8 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Texas 49, Oklahoma State 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In September 2021, Cincinnati, BYU, Houston, and UCF accepted bids to join the Big 12 Conference.[2] On June 10, 2022, the American Athletic Conference and the three American Athletic Conference schools set to depart from the league (Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF) announced that they had reached a buyout agreement with the conference that would allow those schools to join the Big 12 in 2023.[3] BYU had previously operated as an independent prior to accepting a membership invitation to join the Big 12.
On November 26, head coach Dana Holgorsen was fired.[4] He finished with a record of 31–28 in five seasons.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | UTSA* | FS1 | W 17–14 | 37,862 | |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | at Rice* |
| NFLN | L 41–43 2OT | 23,425 |
| September 16 | 7:00 p.m. | TCU |
| FOX | L 13–36 | 36,049 |
| September 23 | 6:00 p.m. | Sam Houston* |
| ESPN+ | W 38–7 | 35,044 |
| September 30 | 2:30 p.m. | at Texas Tech | FS2 | L 28–49 | 53,308 | |
| October 12 | 6:00 p.m. | West Virginia |
| FS1 | W 41–39 | 32,152 |
| October 21 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 8 Texas |
| FOX | L 24–31 | 42,812 |
| October 28 | 11:00 a.m. | at Kansas State | ESPN2 | L 0–41 | 51,928 | |
| November 4 | 2:30 p.m. | at Baylor | ESPN+ | W 25–24 OT | 41,180 | |
| November 11 | 6:00 p.m. | Cincinnati |
| FS1 | L 14–24 | 34,312 |
| November 18 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 23 Oklahoma State |
| ESPN2 | L 30–43 | 33,906 |
| November 25 | 11:00 a.m. | at UCF | FS1 | L 13–27 | 43,610 | |
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Game summaries
UTSA
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roadrunners | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Cougars | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Rice
Houston Cougars at Rice Owls – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 41 |
| Owls | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 43 |
at Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 9
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 96 °F (36 °C)
- Game attendance: 23,425
- Referee: Derek Anderson
- TV announcers (NFLN): Doug Sherman and Tyoka Jackson
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Overtime
Second overtime
|
| Statistics | HOU | RICE |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 27 | 24 |
| Total yards | 443 | 470 |
| Rushing yards | 183 | 69 |
| Passing yards | 260 | 401 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 28:10 | 31:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 24/42, 260 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Tony Mathis Jr. | 8 rushes, 60 yards | |
| Receiving | Samuel Brown | 9 receptions, 138 yards | |
| Rice | Passing | JT Daniels | 28/42, 401 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Rushing | Dean Connors | 8 rushes, 48 yards | |
| Receiving | Luke McCaffrey | 7 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TD |
TCU
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horned Frogs | 7 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 36 |
| Cougars | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Sam Houston
Sam Houston State Bearkats at Houston Cougars – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bearkats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Cougars | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: September 23
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 94 °F (34 °C)
- Game attendance: 35,044
- Referee: Tutashinda Salaam
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Mark Neely, Ryan Leaf, and Shane Sparks
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
| Statistics | SHSU | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 8 | 27 |
| Total yards | 178 | 538 |
| Rushing yards | 52 | 186 |
| Passing yards | 126 | 352 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 25:05 | 34:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Grant Gunnell | 14/22, 100 yards, INT |
| Rushing | Tobias Weaver | 6 rushes, 18 yards | |
| Receiving | John Gentry | 5 receptions, 32 yards | |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 31/40, 294 yards, TD |
| Rushing | Parker Jenkins | 20 rushes, 105 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Matthew Golden | 9 receptions, 92 yards, TD |
at Texas Tech
Houston Cougars at Texas Tech Red Raiders – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Red Raiders | 14 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 49 |
at Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 85 °F (29 °C)
- Game attendance: 53,308
- Referee: David Alvarez
- TV announcers (FS2): Dan Hellie and Petros Papadakis
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers at Houston Cougars– Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineers | 10 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 39 |
| Cougars | 7 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 41 |
- Date: October 12
- Game time: 7:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C), SE 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)
- Game attendance: 32,152
- Referee: Stephen Baron
- TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman
- Gamecast
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | WVU | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 20 |
| Total yards | 546 | 393 |
| Rushes/yards | 44/155 | 26/140 |
| Passing yards | 391 | 253 |
| Passing Comp-Att-Int | 20-38-1 | 21-27-0 |
| Time of possession | 36:59 | 23:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | Passing | Garrett Greene | 20/38, 391 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Rushing | CJ Donaldson | 17 carries, 66 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Devin Carter | 5 receptions, 116 yards | |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 21/27, 253 yards, 4 TD |
| Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 7 carries, 78 yards | |
| Receiving | Stephon Johnson | 4 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD |
No. 8 Texas
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 8 Texas | 14 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| Houston | 0 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
- Date: October 21, 2023
- Location: TDECU Stadium (Houston, TX)
- Game start: 3:05 p.m.
- Game attendance: 42,812
- Game weather: Sunny, 93 °F (34 °C), wind SW at 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
- Referee: Michael VanderVelde
- TV announcers (FOX): Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman
| Statistics | Texas | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 69–360 | 65–392 |
| Rushes–yards | 37–141 | 19–14 |
| Passing yards | 219 | 378 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 25–32–0 | 32–46–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:58 | 28:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Passing | Quinn Ewers | 23–29, 211 yards, 2 TD |
| Rushing | Jonathon Brooks | 20 carries, 99 yards | |
| Receiving | Xavier Worthy | 6 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD | |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 32–46, 378 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Parker Jenkins | 9 carries, 23 yards | |
| Receiving | Joseph Manjack IV | 6 receptions, 88 yards, 1 TD |
| Scoring summary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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at Kansas State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 41 |
at Baylor
Houston Cougars (3–5) vs. Baylor Bears (3–5)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 25 |
| Baylor | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at McLane Stadium • Waco, TX
| Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Statistics | Houston | Baylor |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 59–366 | 72–413 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–130 | 35–150 |
| Passing yards | 236 | 263 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 21–27–2 | 29–37–1 |
| Time of possession | 26:39 | 33:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 21–27, 236 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Donovan Smith | 20 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Samuel Brown | 9 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD | |
| Baylor | Passing | Blake Shapen | 29–37, 263 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Dominic Richardson | 11 carries, 51 yards | |
| Receiving | Drake Dabney | 4 receptions, 76 yards, 1 TD |
Cincinnati
Game Ten – Cincinnati Bearcats at Houston Cougars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bearcats | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | CIN | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 12 |
| Plays–yards | 71–368 | 51–241 |
| Rushes–yards | 48–204 | 23–139 |
| Passing yards | 164 | 102 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 17–23–0 | 16–28–0 |
| Time of possession | 36:55 | 23:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | Passing | Emory Jones | 13/16, 131 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Corey Kiner | 23 carries, 129 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Braden Smith | 5 receptions, 69 yards | |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 16/28, 102 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Donovan Smith | 13 carries, 88 yards | |
| Receiving | Joseph Manjack IV | 4 receptions, 22 yards, 2 TD |
No. 23 Oklahoma State
No. 23 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7–3) vs. Houston Cougars (4–6)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 23 Oklahoma State | 3 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 43 |
| Houston | 14 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 30 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
- Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: • Sunny Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 33,906
- Referee: Stephon Baron
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst) Kayla Burton (sideline)
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | OKST | HOU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 28 | 18 |
| Total yards | 501 | 393 |
| Rushing yards | 153 | 130 |
| Passing yards | 348 | 263 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 29–43–1 | 18–30–2 |
| Time of possession | 32:12 | 27:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State | Passing | Alan Bowman | 29/43, 348 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Ollie Gordon II | 25 carries, 164 yards, 3 TD | |
| Receiving | Brennan Presley | 15 receptions, 189 yards | |
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 17/29, 235 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Rushing | Donovan Smith | 13 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Jonah Wilson | 1 reception, 60 yards, 1 TD |
at UCF
Houston Cougars at UCF Knights
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Knights | 6 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL
- Date: November 25, 2023
- Game time: 12:00 p.m.
- Game attendance: 43,610
- TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins, Devin Gardner
- Gamecast
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Statistics | HOU | UCF |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 17 | 23 |
| Total yards | 259 | 476 |
| Rushing yards | 94 | 223 |
| Passing yards | 165 | 253 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 27:04 | 32:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Passing | Donovan Smith | 12–20, 161 yards, 1 TD, I INT |
| Rushing | Stacy Sneed | 3 carries, 33 yards | |
| Receiving | Joseph Manjack IV | 4 receptions, 74 yards | |
| UCF | Passing | John Rhys Plumlee | 23–27, 253 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | R. J. Harvey | 21 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Kobe Hudson | 9 receptions, 98 yards |