PREVIEW: Cougars Black Out TDECU Stadium Against West Virginia

Saturday, November 1

Houston, Texas

11 a.m.

University of Houston

West Virginia

Tickets

PREVIEW: Cougars Black Out TDECU Stadium Against West Virginia

10/30/2025 1:30:00 PM | Football

Houston will honor the 2015 Peach Bowl team, Coach Kurt Hester and Cougar legend Warren McVea

HOUSTON – The #22/#22 Houston Football team returns to TDECU Stadium for a 11 a.m., Saturday, kickoff against West Virginia. The game, which will be broadcast on FS1, will feature the reunion of the Cougars' 2015 Peach Bowl Champion team as well as honor the late Kurt Hester and Warren McVea.

GAME 9 – WEST VIRGINIA

COUGAR ALLEY - PREGAME ACTIVITIES

The first 5,000 students through the gates will receive a Black Out t-shirt with #Unbreakable on the front, in honor of Coach Hester who passed hours before Houston's game at Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Stop by the UH Team Shop for newly released merchandise. Team Shop opens at 7 a.m. near the Stadium Garage.
Bring the kids to the Kids' Zone by Schroeder Gate 1 for inflatables and fun!
Arrive early and kick back with friends in the Bud Light Backyard Beer Garden between Schroeder Gate 1 and Gate 2.
Student Tailgate opens at 8 a.m.! All students are invited to the tent outside Gate 2, sponsored by Dean of Students Office, Coca‑Cola and H‑E‑B. Enjoy games, TVs, video games, food and giveaways!
Catch the Spirit of Houston on Cullen Blvd. at 9:50 a.m. for a high‑energy pregame performance!

IN-GAME ACTIVITIES

Moment of silence for Warren McVea before national anthem.
Moment of silence for Kurt Hester after the coin toss.
Get into the game early and take a selfie with the 2015 Peach Bowl Trophy. It will be in the Bud Light Backyard inside the stadium until kick-off!
Join us as we honor the 2015 Peach Bowl Champions, one of the most iconic teams in Houston history. We're expecting Head Coach Tom Herman, Greg Ward Jr., Tyus Bowser, and many more fan favorites back in Houston for this unforgettable reunion.
Celebrate the Houston Men's Golf team with a special on‑field recognition.
The Varsity Spirit kick off halftime with a high-energy performance you won't want to miss!
At halftime, The Spirit of Houston Marching Band will present A Salute to Heroes — a stirring patriotic tribute honoring the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and all who serve our nation with courage and pride. The band will spell "unbreakable" at the end of the performance to honor Coach Hester.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Continuing to get better each week, the Houston offensive line posted a 92.7 pass block grade, its best pass block grade was 25+ points better than the next best grade this season and the best grade since 2017 at East Carolina (93.5). Houston allowed just one pressure all game the fewest in the Big 12 in Week 9.
The Cougars held Arizona State to 98 rushing yards, the fifth-fewest allowed to a Big 12 opponent since joining the conference. Houston has held three Big 12 opponents under 100 yards this season.
Finishing drives has been a point of emphasis for Houston in 2025 and it has paid off with the Cougars red zone offense ranking 21st nationally and third-best in the Big 12 Conference. Houston has converted and scored on 92.6% of its drives in the red zone with its final drive against Arizona State ending in a kneel down inside the 20, deflating the red zone conversion percentage.
The Cougars defense has been stout on fourth down, holding opponents to a 41.2% conversion rate on fourth down, 29th best in the country. Houston's third-down defense ranks 35th nationally at 34.7%.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

Houston is 7-1 to start the season for the first time since 2021 after winning the first four games of the season and its lone loss coming at the hands of #11 Texas Tech. Among Power 4 teams with only one loss this season, Houston is one of six to have its only defeat come against a current AP Top 15 opponent (Georgia, Louisville, Ole Miss, Oregon and Vanderbilt).
With the 24-16 win over then #24/#25 Arizona State, the Cougars beat a ranked team on the road for the first time since 2017. Houston beat #17/14 South Florida 28-24 on Oct. 29, 2017 in Tampa. The Cougars have beaten ranked opponents in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2017-18. Houston snapped Arizona State's 10-game home winning streak dating to 2023. Houston moved to 2-3 against the #24 team in the country.
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman rushed for two touchdowns and threw for a touchdown at Arizona State. The quarterback rushed 21 times, the fourth most by a Power 4 quarterback this season. Weigman's 111 rushing yards were a career-high and the 11th most by a Power 4 quarterback this season.
Senior defensive lineman Eddie Walls III recorded a career-high 3.0 sacks at Arizona State, tying the Houston program record in Big 12 action. Walls and fellow lineman Brandon Mack II sacked Arizona State's Sam Leavitt four times and the Houston defense tallied five tackles for loss. Walls is the third Big 12 player with 3+ sacks in a game this season.
Koziol has hauled in 19 contested catches in 2025 – the most among tight ends nationally. His 78.9% contested catch rate leads all FBS tight ends by seven percentage points among tight ends with at least five contested catches.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA

The Mountaineers enter the week with a 2-6 record and a 0-5 mark in Big 12 play. West Virginia's wins came against Robert Morris, 45-3, and Pitt, 31-24 (OT).
Last week, West Virginia fell to TCU, 23-17, in Morgantown. Quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. finished the day with a 28-for-41 line, passing for 301 yards and two touchdowns while the Mountaineers posted 41 yards on the ground.

LAST TIME AGAINST WEST VIRGINIA

The significance knows no bounds from Houston's 41-39 win over West Virginia in 2023. It marked the first Big 12 win for the Cougars, joining the conference in July of 2023. It is still the most points scored by a Houston team in a Big 12 game. Houston needed a Hail Mary as time expired to beat the Mountaineers after giving up a 50-yard touchdown with 12 seconds remaining.
42 points were scored in the fourth quarter with 13 being scored in the final 12 seconds.
Donovan Smith threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another score against West Virginia, who was receiving votes in both major polls at the time. Isaiah Hamilton caught an interception while Houston posted six tackles for a loss.

A HOUSTON WIN WOULD ...

Move Houston to 2-0 against West Virginia.
Move Houston to 10-14 in Big 12 Conference action all-time.

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