Houston Cougars to Face a Strong No. 15 Sooner Squad

Oklahoma Sooners — © Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/USA TODAY SPORTS

The Houston Cougars (0-1) will be making a trip north to Norman, Okla., on Sept. 7 at 7:45 p.m.EST where they will face an old Big 12 Conference foe, the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners (1-0). Houston is coming off a bad loss to the UNLV Rebels (1-0), 27-7, where their offense struggled to get anything going.

The Cougars' offense will have to face the Sooners' strong linebacking corps this time around. Houston also will have to keep up with the high-flying Sooner offense. This can be a major challenge for a team coming off of a demoralizing loss like this. What do the Cougars' chances look like?

What's At Stake

A win here for the Cougars would provide a huge boost to morale coming off of a disappointing loss. Head coach Willie Fritz is known for having winning programs. With his program starting off on the wrong foot like this, he likely knows he will have to turn the ship around quickly in order to have a successful year. A win here would do just that for his team's confidence.

That being said, a loss to the Sooners for Houston wouldn't be the end of this season. There are plenty of games left and while Fritz is certainly known as a winner, expectations for his first year taking over a struggling team are low. An 0-2 start isn't ideal, but not entirely unexpected, especially after dropping the first game. UNLV has a strong team this season and will be a Group of 5 contender, so it wasn't entirely a fluke loss.

For the Sooners, simply just handle business and it will be onto the next one against the Tulane Green Wave (1-0). Tulane could pose a challenge but will hopefully be another tune-up game for Southeastern Conference play. The Sooners can't come out flat or complacent, though. This Houston team has the talent to be competitive in this one should Oklahoma not bring their "A" game.

Key Players: Houston Cougars

As stated previously, the Cougars do have talent on their roster that could be the difference in this game. Last week, nobody really performed well, but it's a new week against an opponent where you will need your strongest performers. Who might those potential difference makers be for the Cougars?

Donovan Smith, Quarterback: Smith was not great in the season opener. He went 15-of-30 passing for 135 yards, 2 interceptions and a fumble in what was a debacle of a performance for the senior quarterback. Smith is capable, though, of being a game-breaker and has had some high-quality games in the past. Shoulder surgery may have perhaps dampened his abilities, but nonetheless, Smith has assured everyone that his shoulder is "100 percent." This game will be a test. If the Smith that threw for 331 yards, 2 touchdowns and ran for 42 yards and a score versus the Texas Longhorns in 2022 shows up, then the Cougars have a shot.

Parker Jenkins, Running Back: The Houston run game was flat-out awful last week, rushing for just 38 yards total. The leading rusher was Jenkins, who carried the ball twice for 17 yards. It seems like a "by committee" affair for the running back position so far, though, with the Cougars. But Jenkins led the team in 2023 last year with 464 yards and 3 touchdowns, so why not continue to lean into that upward trend?

Fritz and the Cougars will need to lean on their highest-producing running back against one of the better linebacking corps in the country in Oklahoma. They cannot have another dud and Jenkins is the most dependable back. So, it's time to lean on that talent and put this linebacking corps is on its heels.

Keith Cooper, Jr., Defensive End: Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold replaces the vaunted Dillon Gabriel this season. Arnold is a talent himself, though. He was a 2023 five-star prospect out of Denton, Texas and has shown flashes of greatness throughout his two games started. This being said, Arnold is still young. If his three-interception performance against the Arizona Wildcats in the Alamo Bowl is any indication, then he still has some maturation to do.

Cooper will be that guy who forces those mistakes. The Tulane transfer racked up 5 sacks in 2023 and is poised for more, already recording a sack in the loss to UNLV. Getting pressure on Arnold will be paramount with Cooper leading the way.

Key Players: Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners have a couple of players that could put this game on ice quick with quality performances. Expect the Sooners to hammer the run game more than they did against the Temple Owls (0-1) and force the Cougars into making mistakes. This is something that UNLV did very well last week against them. Don't expect the Sooners to shy away from the big play pass, however, as they know Arnold can sling it. These will be the guys to watch for to make this an easy win for the Sooners.

Gavin Sawchuk, Running Back: Sawchuk didn't see much time in last week's contest, but given it was a blowout, he got some good rest in. Sawchuk is the bell cow back for the Sooners this season after showing what he could do in 2023 due to injuries to the guys ahead of him. He carried the ball 120 times for 744 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 9 touchdowns in 2023. He showed what he could do with a high volume of production. Expect the Sooners to heavily use him along with Jovantae Barnes, Sam Franklin and even perhaps Taylor Tatum, who was last week's leading rusher with 69 yards and a touchdown.

Deion Burks, Wide Receiver: The Sooners will lean heavily on their run game in this contest due to the mismatches there. However, don't expect them to completely go away from the pass. As stated earlier, Arnold can sling it. With his favorite target Jalil Farooq unfortunately dealing with an injury, that leaves the door open for Burks. Burks caught 6 passes for 36 yards and 3 touchdowns last week. With Farooq's injury, the Sooners will continue to depend on him and tight end Bauer Sharp for pass game production. While it's hoped that he won't be heavily needed, Burks is a dependable option and a major red-zone threat. Should the Cougars get smart to the run game, then Burks and Co. will certainly pose a new challenge.

Danny Stutsman, Linebacker: You can't talk about the Oklahoma defense without talking about Stutsman, who leads a strong linebacking corps into 2024. Stutsman is a preseason candidate for the Bednarik and Butkus Awards and it is more than well-deserved, recording 104 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, a recovery and an interception returned for a touchdown in 2023.

He is one of the best linebackers in the country and will be key in forcing this Houston offense into mistakes while stuffing their run game. If Stutsman plays well, then the Cougars can likely kiss their chances of good offensive production goodbye.

Final Predictions

The Cougars don't stand much of a chance in this one unless some drastic changes have been made from Week 1 to Week 2. If they can get the run game going and limit the mistakes, then their chances of being competitive certainly rise. But will it be enough to win in a hostile environment against a ranked team? Smith and Co. will have to play their best game perhaps of their careers and the defense will have to make stops.

The Cougars do not want this to turn into a track meet. They simply do not have the cohesion and firepower to keep up, so it will be up to what should be a decently strong Houston defense to force Arnold into making mistakes. The defense also needs to stuff the run game in order for the Cougars to have any room to work with offensively.

If the production can be there and the defense can force those errors and stops, then the Cougars have a chance. To say it isn't likely is an understatement. The Cougars will have to play near-perfect football or the Sooners will have to shoot themselves in the foot on more than one to two occasions. It hopefully will be at least close, but the Sooners are almost certain to walk away with a win here. Look for Oklahoma to beat Housotn, 38-14.