HOUSTON , TX— Houston didn’t need much time to take control Saturday night. By the time the Cougars began turning the game over to their young players, the outcome had long been decided.
No. 22 Houston scored on its first 11 possessions and overwhelmed Southern 77-6 at TDECU Stadium, giving coach Willie Fritz an opportunity to empty his bench and get an extended look at the depth of his roster.
The Cougars improved to 2-0 behind an offense that produced 388 rushing yards and contributions from nearly every level of the depth chart. Houston used 99 players, with 36 making their college debuts.
“The best thing about the evening was just getting a chance to play a lot of guys,” Fritz said.
Starting quarterback Conner Weigman helped Houston build a 28-0 first-quarter advantage before his night ended early. Weigman threw for 120 yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars quickly removed any possibility of an upset.
Freshman quarterback Keisean Henderson took advantage of his extended opportunity, completing 6 of 7 passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns while directing four touchdown drives. He also turned a broken play into one of the night’s highlights, recovering a fumbled snap and racing 54 yards for a touchdown.
Houston’s younger skill players continued the scoring. John Hebert scored on the ground and through the air, while Koby Young caught two touchdown passes, including a 42-yard score from Weigman.
The Cougars were equally dominant defensively, keeping Southern out of the end zone until the game was well out of reach. Houston’s ability to control both lines of scrimmage allowed Fritz to rotate players throughout the second half without sacrificing production.
“A lot of guys got to play quite a bit, some meaningful snaps,” Fritz said.
The 71-point margin was Houston’s largest since a 95-21 victory over SMU in 1989. More importantly for the Cougars, the night provided valuable game experience throughout the roster without requiring the starters to carry a heavy workload.
Houston now turns its attention to Big 12 play, where the competition increases significantly with a road trip to Texas Tech.