#17 Cougars Beat Cincinnati Behind Strong Rushing Game

Saturday, November 7

Houston, Texas

2:30 p.m.

University of Houston

7-2 , 4-2

Cincinnati

5-4 , 2-4

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Cincinnati	0	10	7	7	24
Houston	14	7	3	7	31

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11/7/2026 6:56:00 AM | Football

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Running back Re'Shaun Sanford II rushes for 126 yards and tie-breaking score in fourth quarter

HOUSTON (AP) – Houston Football junior running back Re'Shaun Sanford II ran for 126 yards and the tiebreaking score in the fourth quarter, and Conner Weigman threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns as No. 17 Houston beat Cincinnati 31-24 on Saturday.

Sanford's 51-yard TD run with 5:10 remaining gave the Cougars (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) the lead.

The Cougars went up 14-0 in the first quarter when Weigman found receiver Amare Thomas twice for 8- and 31-yard receiving touchdowns. Thomas' two receiving touchdowns in the first quarter marked the first time UH player scored two receiving TDs in the first quarter since Tank Dell against Navy on Oct. 22, 2022.

Weigman finished the game 15 passing yards shy of surpassing the 5,000-yard passing mark as a Cougar. His 47 passing touchdowns are eighth most by a Cougar in program history.

Houston coach Willie Fritz said Sanford "did a good job of hitting it clean and sprinting between the two guys" before outrunning the secondary to break a 24-all tie.

"Things didn't look quite so good when they tied it up," Fritz said. "Great job of coming down the field, getting that touchdown and putting us in control of the game."

Cincinnati (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) drove to the Houston 42, but a throw by JC French IV was ruled a backward pass after a replay review, and Houston recovered with 2:11 remaining.

Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield called the ruling "frustrating."

"I thought we were moving in the right direction," Satterfield said. "Unfortunate on that play where we throw the swing pass, they blow it dead and said incomplete, and then we're getting ready to snap it, they review it and ultimately said it was a backwards pass. I can't tell from the sidelines. We have to go off what these guys do back at the review station."

Defensive lineman Quindario Lee had a breakout game in the most action he has seen as a Cougar, recording three tackles and his first full sack in a Houston uniform. Lee finished with three tackles – a season high.

The Cougars ran out the clock from there.

"We talk about game of inches," Fritz said. "When they called it a lateral on the swing pass, and we got it. It was a lateral but probably by six inches. We'll take it."

Makhi Hughes rushed for 90 yards, and Weigman, who finished 17 of 24 passing, also rushed for a touchdown. Amare Thomas had six catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and Patrick Overmyer had four receptions for 66 yards for Houston, which finished with 468 yards of offense.

French was 19 of 30 for 217 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a score. Gi'Bran Payne rushed for 71 yards, and Cole Tabb had 60 yards rushing and a touchdown catch.

THE TAKEAWAY
Cincinnati: The Bearcats lost their second straight and need one win to become bowl-eligible. ... Cincinnati finished 9 of 14 on third down and 1 of 1 on fourth down.

Houston: The Cougars, who were No. 17 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, are poised to move up a bit. Houston also remains in the Big 12 title hunt with three games left.

UP NEXT
Houston continues its Big 12 schedule when it faces Colorado at Folsom Field at 9:15 p.m. (CST) Friday. That game will air on ESPN.

From there, the Cougars close out their regular-season road slate when they meet West Virginia at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va., on Nov. 21. Kickoff time and broadcasting network for that game will be announced soon.

Houston closes its regular-season schedule and celebrates Senior Day in its regular-season finale when it plays host to Baylor inside TDECU Stadium on Nov. 28. Kickoff time and broadcasting network for that game will be announced soon.

All Houston Football games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

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