2023 Houston Cougars football | |
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Conference | Big 12 Conference |
Record | 4–8 (2–7 Big 12) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Eman Naghavi (1st season) |
Defensive coordinator | Doug Belk (3rd, 5th overall 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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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.
In September 2021, Cincinnati, BYU, Houston, and UCF accepted bids to join the Big 12 Conference.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] He finished with a record of 31–28 in five seasons.
Player | Position | Destination |
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Joshua Atkins | OL | Hawaii |
Holman Edwards | QB | Southern Miss |
Rafal Szymanski | DE | Northwestern State |
Theron Stroops | CB | Unknown |
Demarcus Griffin-Taylor | CB | Louisiana Tech |
Derek Bowman | OL | South Florida |
Carlton Guidry | WR | Grambling State |
Ugonna Nnanna | OL | Virginia |
Khiyon Wafer | WR | Stephen F. Austin |
Trevor Helburg | K | Tarleton State |
Kyle Ramsey | K | Abilene Christian |
Carson Walker | OL | Abilene Christian |
Almarion Crim | OL | Chattanooga |
Cody Jackson | WR | Tarleton State |
Mark Wilson | CB | Unknown |
Jamel Starks | RB | Unknown |
Mannie Nunnery | S | Florida |
Cam'Ron Johnson | OT | Missouri |
Trevonte Sylvester | OT | Louisville |
Chayse Todd | OL | Texas State |
Lance Robinson | OT | Louisville |
Abdul-Lateef Audu | CB | Western Kentucky |
Alton McCaskill | RB | Colorado |
Player | Position | Previous School |
---|---|---|
Max Banes | OT | Akron |
Jack Martin | P | Alabama |
Aubrey Smith | LB | Colorado |
Malik Fleming | CB | East Carolina |
Shamar Hobdy-Lee | OT | FIU |
Peyton Dunn | OL | Louisiana–Monroe |
Juwon Gaston | S | NEMCC |
Adari Haulcy | S | New Mexico |
David Ugwoegbu | LB | Oklahoma |
Stephon Johnson | WR | Oklahoma State |
Brandon Mack | DE | Ole Miss |
Jaylen Garth | OL | Texas |
Brian George | CB | Texas A&M |
Isaiah Hamilton | CB | Texas Southern |
Donovan Smith | QB | Texas Tech |
Latrell McCutchin | CB | USC |
Mike O’Laughlin | TE | West Virginia |
Tony Mathis | RB | West Virginia |
David Ndukwe | OL | Western Kentucky |
Joshua Cobbs | WR | Wyoming |
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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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Roadrunners | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Cougars | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
See also: 2023 UTSA Roadrunners football team |
See also: 2023 Rice Owls football team |
Period | 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
Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Overtime
Second overtime
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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 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Horned Frogs | 7 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 36 |
Cougars | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
See also: 2023 TCU Horned Frogs football team |
See also: 2023 Sam Houston Bearkats football team |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bearkats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Cougars | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas
Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Statistics | SHSU | HOU |
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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 |
Period | 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
Game information | ||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Mountaineers | 10 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 39 |
Cougars | 7 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 41 |
See also: 2023 Texas Longhorns football team |
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Pregame line | Over/under |
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Texas -23.5 | 61[9] |
Statistics | Texas | Houston |
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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 |
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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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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Cougars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wildcats | 7 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 41 |
See also: 2023 Kansas State Wildcats football team |
See also: 2023 Baylor Bears football team |
Period | 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 |
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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 |
See also: 2023 Cincinnati Bearcats football team |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bearcats | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
Cougars | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Game information |
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Statistics | CIN | HOU |
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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 |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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No. 23 Oklahoma State | 3 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 43 |
Houston | 14 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 30 |
at TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX
Game information |
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Statistics | OKST | HOU |
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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 |
See also: 2023 UCF Knights football team |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cougars | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
Knights | 6 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
at FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL
Game information | ||
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Statistics | HOU | UCF |
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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 |