PREVIEW: Houston Hosts #18/19 Iowa State in First Meeting

HOUSTON – University of Houston Football welcomes #18/19 Iowa State to TDECU Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the first meeting between the two Big 12 Conference teams. The matchup is Houston's second against a ranked opponent this season and first at TDECU Stadium.

GAME 5 – #18/19 IOWA STATE

Houston (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) vs. #18/19 Iowa State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12)
Saturday, Sept. 28 | 6 p.m. CT
TDECU Stadium | Houston, Texas
Broadcast: FS1
Radio: KPRC 950 AM

COOG FEST – PREGAME ACTIVITIES

Join the team for Cougar Walk at 4:30 p.m. Cougar Walk will be led by the UH Helmet Car with Shasta and Sasha. Plus, you will enjoy performances by the Spirit of Houston, UH Cheerleaders and the Cougar Dolls!

IN-GAME ACTIVITIES

Performances by the Spirit of Houston!
On the field recognitions of 1984 Houston Football team and current Swimming & Diving team.
Cheerleaders and Cougar Dolls on hand to entertain you!
Join the Light Show in the 4th Quarter with Cougar Lights in the Houston Athletics app!

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Houston and Iowa State meet for the first time in the history of the programs Saturday. The Cougars are in the midst of their 79th season of football (1946-present). Iowa State Football is in its 133rd season of existence (1892-present). The Cyclones are the Cougars' lone first-time opponent on the 2024 schedule.
While Saturday marks the first meeting on the gridiron between the two schools, the new conference mates have competed head-to-head across six sports as co-Big 12 members including Men's Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball and Women's Basketball.
During his 32-year head coaching career, Head Coach Willie Fritz is 67-39 in games immediately (occurred during same season) following a loss. Dating to the final month of Tulane's 2021 season, Fritz coached teams are 4-1 in games immediately following a loss.
Houston's 12-game schedule ranks among the hardest in the country according to Phil Steele who utilized the "NCAA Method" to rank schedules, compiling each team's opponent's records from the previous season. The Cougars are facing the nation's fifth-toughest schedule and toughest schedule in the Big 12. Iowa State earned seven victories a season ago and is currently 3-0 for the fourth time since 2010.
#18/19 Iowa State is the second ranked opponent the Cougars have faced through their first five games. Houston fell 16-12 at #15/13 Oklahoma, on Sept. 7. Houston is in search of its first win against a Top 25 opponent since knocking off #19/16 SMU, 44-37, on Oct. 30, 2021, inside TDECU Stadium. Houston is 6-8 against Top 25 opponents inside TDECU Stadium since the facility opened in 2014.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

UH wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV has hauled in a reception in 20 consecutive games (Dec. 4, 2021) including all 19 games as a Cougar (Sept. 3, 2022-present). The junior paces the Cougars in receiving yards (146) and touchdown receptions (2) through four games.
Houston is 12-4 in conference home openers since the start of the 2008 season. The Cougars are looking for their second Big 12 win inside TDECU Stadium with the last, and only, coming by way of a Hail Mary, walk-off, 41-39, victory against West Virginia on Oct. 12, 2023.
UH ranks 24th nationally in total defense (269.5 yards per game). In all four prior seasons as Defensive Coordinator or co-Defensive Coordinator, Shiel Wood's units have ranked inside the Top 35 nationally in the category including within the Top 25 in rushing defense.
Fritz is no stranger to turning around programs. After going 6-3-1 at Blinn College in 1993, the Buccaneers captured back-to-back NJCAA National Championships with perfect 12-0 records (1994-95). Fritz went 5-6 at Central Missouri during Year 1 (1997) en route to back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2001-02. During his first season at Sam Houston (2010), the Bearkats went 6-5. They advanced to the NCAA FCS Championship in each of the next two seasons. Following a two-year stint at Georgia Southern, which included a pair of 9-win seasons, he helped Tulane improve from 4-8 in Year 1 to a combined 23-4 during his final two seasons, including a Cotton Bowl Classic victory.
Houston's 63 newcomers are tied with Colorado for the most among Power Four members. The Cougars' 36 first-year transfers are the second most among the Power 4 behind only Colorado's 44. It is tied with New Mexico State and North Texas for the fifth most in all FBS.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has at least two TD passes in seven-straight games dating back to last season, the nation's second-longest streak (Kyle McCord, Syracuse, 8); he's among the nation's Top 30 and second in the Big 12 with a 68.4 completion percentage.
Darien Porter had two INTs at Iowa and against Arkansas State blocked his fourth career punt making him the nation's leader; he has one block in four-straight seasons, something that hasn't been done dating back to at least 2012.
Jaylin Noel is just 22 receiving yards shy of reaching 2,000 in his career; he'll be the 10th player in school history to reach the mark.
J.R. Singleton entered his redshirt junior season with no sacks but had 3.5 in 2023; all of his sacks came in Big 12 play and he has 5.5 sacks in last 13 games.
Iowa State is 3-0 for the second time in the last three seasons and looks to win its Big 12 opener for the second-straight year. ISU checks in at No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25, its highest ranking since week four in 2021 (No. 14).

LAST TIME AGAINST IOWA STATE

This is the first meeting between Houston and Iowa State.

A HOUSTON WIN WOULD ...

Be the Cougars' third Big 12 victory and second inside TDECU Stadium.
Be UH's first against a Top 25 opponent since defeating #19/16 SMU, 44-37, on Oct. 30, 2021, inside TDECU Stadium.
Move the Cougars to 13-4 in conference home openers since the start of the 2008 season.
Up Houston's record inside TDECU Stadium to 43-20 (2014-present).
Be the 249th head coaching victory for Willie Fritz.
Improve Fritz to 159-90 in conference play as a head coach and the Cougars to 228-187-5 all-time in league games.

TICKETS ON SALE
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