The Oklahoma State Cowboys have a star at quarterback in Drew Mestemaker. There should be a spotlight on Houston quarterback Conner Weigman, too.
At least that’s how Cowboys head coach Eric Morris sees it as he prepares No. 18 Oklahoma State (4-1, 2-0 in Big 12) to face No. 20 Houston (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at TDECU Stadium in Houston.
But what makes Weigman — who struggled for three seasons with injuries and inconsistency at Texas A&M before emerging as a star for the Cougars last season — so hard to defend? Unlike Mestemaker, who is a passer first with enough athleticism to run the ball when needed, Weigman’s legs are a weapon to go along with an incredibly accurate passer.
Houston knows how to use him, too — and Eric Morris can even compare him to a former Oklahoma State quarterback.
Eric Morris Compares Conner Weigman to this Former OSU QB
Morris was asked if Weigman had a little Zac Robinson in him on Tuesday. Morris chose a different former OSU QB.
“JW Walsh here [at Oklahoma State] could beat you with his legs and his arm,” Morris said. “He was tough. He was gritty. He could get the extra yards. I think Conner, he's just so big and strong on tape.”
At 6-3, 210 pounds, Weigman is tough to bring down. Houston has deployed him as a weapon in the run game, especially close to the goal line. He has 177 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Last year, as the Cougars won 10 games, he rushed for 700 yards and 11 touchdowns on 177 carries. The tandem backs — Re’Shaun Sanford and Makhi Hughes — have taken some of the workload off his shoulders.
But Morris said that Weigman is too good not to use in those situations.
“I don't even know what they actually list him at,” Morris said. “But he runs with strength behind his pads and he’s somebody we're gonna have to work on getting on the ground because they'll do some designed runs for him more than what we will [for Mestemaker].”
Weigman has emerged as a more efficient passer, too. He never threw for more than 1,000 yards in any of his three seasons at Texas A&M, where he was considered a five-star quarterback coming out of Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas. With the Cougars last year, he impressed everyone with 2,705 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
In six games this season he’s completing more passes and making fewer mistakes. He’s thrown for 1,428 yards, 15 touchdowns and one interception. He’s only been sacked five times. His 168.6 QB rating is 21 points higher than last year.
It leads Morris to one conclusion about Weigman’s future.
“He's a full package guy and a guy I think that will play on Sunday someday,” Morris said.
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