The Houston Cougars got off to a rocky start in their 2024 season, falling 27-7 to the UNLV Rebels on Saturday. The Cougars struggled on both sides of the ball, failing to establish a consistent running game and struggling to contain UNLV’s rushing attack.
The Rebels dominated both lines of scrimmage, rushing for 195 yards and recording 10 tackles for loss, including six sacks. Houston’s offense struggled to find a rhythm, finishing 2 of 15 on third downs and gaining just 59 yards in the first half.
The Cougars’ performance against UNLV raises questions about their ability to compete at a high level this season. Now, their matchup with Oklahoma in Week 2 presents an opportunity to build confidence for the Sooners. Oklahoma is a talented team with a strong defense, but they also struggled to get a running back going in their opener against Temple.
It looks like Oklahoma is going to have several advantages heading into Saturday’s matchup. The Sooners’ defense dominated Temple in Week 1, recording six sacks, four fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. If they can replicate that performance against Houston, we’ll see a pattern of consistency at the start of the season. However, what really needs to happen is the rise of a feature running back and there may not be a better opportunity to do that than Saturday night.
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