TCU looks to beat Houston again with Cougars reeling over back-to-back shutout losses
Houston (1-4, 0-2 Big 12) at TCU (3-2, 1-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
BetMGM College Football Odds: TCU by 16 1/2.
Series record: Tied 13-13.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
TCU is looking for a 10th consecutive victory in a series that Houston first dominated after joining the Southwest Conference in 1976. Houston hasn’t beaten TCU since 1992, three years before the breakup of the SWC sent the schools to separate conferences. Houston has been shut out in consecutive games for the first time since 1994. Since reaching the national championship game two seasons ago, the Horned Frogs have been over .500 in Big 12 play just once, after winning their conference opener last year.
KEY MATCHUP
QB Josh Hoover and the TCU offense vs. the Houston defense. Hoover is third nationally with 1,774 yards passing (355 per game) for an offense that has set season highs in yardage three consecutive weeks, capped by 507 in last week’s 38-27 victory over Kansas. The Cougars are giving up an average of 294 yards per game, including just 147 passing.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston: QB Donovan Smith. The passing game has virtually disappeared in consecutive shutout losses to open Big 12 play under first-year coach Willie Fritz, 34-0 at Cincinnati and 20-0 at home to Iowa State. The past two weeks combined, Smith is 19 of 28 for 144 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The former Texas Tech quarterback has two TD passes and five picks for the season.
TCU: WR Jack Bech is second nationally with 647 yards receiving after getting 131 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 10 catches against the Jayhawks. He has four 100-yard games already, including a career-best 200 in his most recent home game, a 35-34 loss to UCF.
FACTS & FIGURES
This is Houston’s first visit to TCU since 2004, the schools’ final season together in CUSA. TCU won the first Big 12 meeting 36-13 last year. … Houston has been shut out three times in a row once in school history. It was the final three games of the program’s second season in 1947. … Hoover has passed for at least two touchdowns in eight consecutive games. … Dana Holgorsen, who was fired as Houston’s coach last year, is a consultant on Sonny Dykes’ TCU staff. They were assistants together under Mike Leach at Texas Tech from 2000-06. … Horned Frogs NT Hakeem Ajijolaiya played 40 games over four seasons at Houston, including six starts last season.
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