Weigman Drives Cougars to Victory
No. 23 Houston Cougars defeated the visiting Oregon State Beavers 33-20 on Saturday, September 5, at TDECU Stadium in Houston. The decisive factor was a dominant aerial attack by quarterback Conner Weigman, who completed 20 of 30 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown. The Cougars, playing in front of a crowd of 28,742, improved their record to 1-0, while the Beavers fell to 0-1.
Early Momentum Shifts
The game opened with a quick strike from Houston. Amare Thomas caught a 31-yard pass from Weigman for a touchdown, though the extra point attempt failed. Oregon State responded immediately with a three-yard run by Braden Atkinson, tying the game at 7-7. Houston then extended their lead to 9-7 on a 42-yard field goal by Jonathan Dimas.
In the second quarter, Houston pulled away. Re'Shaun Sanford II broke a 56-yard run for a touchdown, and Dimas added a 32-yard field goal. At the half, Houston led 19-7, having outscored Oregon State 16-7 in the first half.
Second-Half Dominance
The Cougars maintained their offensive rhythm in the third quarter. Makhi Hughes rushed one yard for a touchdown, increasing the lead to 26-7. Oregon State managed to close the gap slightly when Jesse Legree caught a seven-yard pass from Atkinson for a touchdown, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving Houston up 26-13.
