Houston's biggest home test this season has now arrived. The No. 20 Cougars are set to take on the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday night in a game that is absolutely pivotal in the race to the Big 12 championship.
This is Houston's most anticipated home game in quite a while and it's the first top-25 matchup at TDECU Stadium since 2015.
How to Watch Houston vs Oklahoma State
• Who: Houston Cougars 5-1 (2-1 in Big 12) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys 4-1 (2-0 in Big 12)
• What: Week 7 of the regular season
• When: Saturday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. CT
• Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas
• TV/Streaming: FOX
• TV Announcers: Jack Kizer (Play-by-Play), Mark Helfrich (Analyst)
• Radio: KPRC 950 AM, The Varsity Network- “Search Houston”, SiriusXM: 138 or 199, and on the SiriusXM App
• Radio Announcers: Kevin Eschenfelder (play-by-play), Ted Pardee (color), and Jeremy Branham (sideline reporter)
• Last Season: Houston went 10-3 and beat LSU in the Texas Bowl for its first 10-plus-win season since 2021.
• Series History: Houston leads the all-time series 11-10-1 and the series at Houston is also tied 5-5-1. Houston won the last matchup 39-17 last season in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The last time Oklahoma State played at Houston was in 2023 when the Cougars lost 43-30. The two programs used to play each other every year from 1951-1961, but they're now in the same conference.
Meet the Coaches
Eric Morris, Oklahoma State: The 40-year-old offensive mastermind and latest hot-shot head coach in college football was named the head coach of Oklahoma State last November and has quickly turned the program around. Morris spent the three seasons as the head coach of North Texas with a 22-16 record and led the Mean Green to the AAC Conference Championship and an AP Poll ranking last year. He was also the head coach at Incarnate Word from 2018-21. Morris actually spent his first two years as a coach at Houston from 2010-11, where he was on the offensive staff as an assistant.
Willie Fritz, Houston: Fritz is in his third season with the Cougars, and he has a 19-12 record heading into this game. Fritz has 34 years of coaching experience and a 266-133-1 record overall. He was hired in Dec. 2023 from Tulane and has turned Houston into a Big 12 contender this year. Fritz led Houston to the largest single-season turnaround in the country last year from four to 10 wins. Fritz has the most head-coaching experience in the Big 12 and the second-most wins in college football by an active head coach.
Matchup Odds
Spread: Houston -4.5 (-110), Oklahoma State +4.5 (-110)
Over/Under: 62.5 (O-110, U-110)
Houston Injury Report
The Cougars will once again not have senior linebacker Jaden Yates available in this one as he deals with a leg injury. He's expected to be out a couple of weeks. Additionally, a big loss this week is starting senior defensive tackle De'Marion Thomas, who's listed out according to the Big 12 availability report. Thomas used to play at Oklahoma State last year.
Besides that, the other notable update is that fifth-year corner Jalen Mayo is questionable. Senior defensive back JD Rhym is probable, as are seventh-year defensive tackle Ejiro Egodogbare and junior linebacker Miller Malone.
What to Know About Oklahoma State
The Oklahoma State passing and total offense is the best in the Big 12 and ranked sixth nationally. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker has been one of the best at his position in college football so far, and combine that with Morris' playcalling as well as the continuity in offense from North Texas.
Mestemaker's top target, junior wide receiver Wyatt Young, as well as the large number of talented playmakers, will be a big challenge to stop. Sophomore running back Caleb Hawkins also has over 500 yards this year. The offense is obviously their calling card, and Houston will have to find a way to control the game on offense, as the Oklahoma State defense can be susceptible.
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