Houston coach Willie Fritz speaks during the Big 12 Conference media days in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. | Lucas Peltier, Associated Press
Editor’s note: Fourth in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2024.
When a college football team has its starting quarterback back, it usually gets treated favorably by the prognosticators who like to make preseason predictions.
Not so this season for the Houston Cougars, who are picked to finish 15th in the Big 12 Football Media Preseason Poll.
Having thrown for 2,801 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, quarterback Donovan Smith returns to the Space City in 2024. Trouble is, the Cougars went 4-8 last year, mercurial coach Dana Holgorsen was fired, and now the Big 12 newcomer in 2023 is forecast to only be better than Arizona State this season.
But there’s some optimism emanating from TDECU Stadium.
For starters, new coach Willie Fritz, hired away from Tulane, has been successful at every place he’s been. Houston backers are counting on the 64-year-old Fritz to lead them back to where the program was in the American Athletic Conference.
“When I took the job at Houston, I mentioned that I feel like it is a sleeping giant, and the sky is the limit, and I feel the same about the Big 12,” Fritz said at the Big 12 football media days last week. “We are at the epicenter of football in the world in Houston, Texas. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to get on a plane to go recruit.”
Truly, Houston is a football hotbed. Whether or not Fritz can keep his share of players home remains to be seen.
Keeping Smith, who completed 64.5% of his passes last year, is a good start.
“His football IQ is off the charts,” Fritz said of the son of Indianapolis Colts running backs coach DeAndre Smith.
Houston went 2-7 in the Big 12 last year, finishing in a tie for 11th with…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-12-team-preview-houston-211527484.html
Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2024-07-16 21:15:27
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