Utah and Houston looking to cement themselves as Big 12 title contenders in Top 15 matchup

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Undefeated Utah still has plenty to prove when the Utes battle Houston on Saturday night.

The No. 10 Utes (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) are off to their best start since 2015 but have piled up wins against a weak schedule. None of Utah’s first six opponents have a record above .500 at the season’s midway point. Playing the No. 14 Cougars should offer a more accurate measure of where the Utes stack up against other Big 12 title contenders.

“It’s a good opportunity to show the world what we can do,” Utah safety Rabbit Evans said. “We’re excited. We’re practicing well, so we’ll be ready to go.”

Houston (6-1, 3-1) comes into Salt Lake City more battle-tested after earning victories over then-No. 18 Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Oregon State. Earning a 35-32 win over the Cowboys made the Cougars bowl eligible after seven games for the second straight season. Houston went 4-8 in each of its first two seasons in the Big 12.

“I told my guys after the game, ‘Don’t discredit that. It’s a big deal,’” Houston coach Willie Fritz said.

Houston has no room for error in its pursuit of a Big 12 title. After suffering a two-point loss to Texas Tech in their league opener, a setback to Utah would effectively remove the Cougars from the title chase before November.

Beating a Top 10 team on the road will hinge on what Conner Weigman can do against a stout Utes defense. Weigman will make it tough for Utah to get stops. He passed for 343 yards and five touchdowns against Oklahoma State – both career-highs.

Weigman leads the Big 12 with 20 TD passes.

“We do our homework,” Fritz said. “We don’t want to get a guy in here that: one, doesn’t have the ability to play, and two, isn’t going to fit in with our culture. He does both of those things.”

Utah’s offense will pose an equally stiff challenge for Houston on defense. The Utes rank ninth nationally in total offense, amassing 486.5 yards per game, and sit atop the Big 12 in scoring offense at 40.2 points per game.

Utah was inconsistent at finishing drives in a 27-24 victory over Colorado. The Utes scored three touchdowns in six red zone trips.

Devon Dampier threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns but had two interceptions and completed just 58.5% of his pass attempts against the Buffaloes. Dampier had a completion rate of 66% or better in each of his first five games.

“There’s a lot we left out there and a lot to clean up,” Utah coach Morgan Scalley said. “And if you’re a competitor, that’s exactly how you should feel. Do you celebrate the win? Yes, because those are hard to come by. But we understand that type of performance is probably not going to be good enough going forward.”

Common Ground

Utah and Houston mirror one another in their offensive proficiency this season. A strong running game is a common catalyst for breeding that success.

Both teams boast nearly identical production on the ground. The Cougars average 220.3 rushing yards per game while the Utes are tallying 220.2 per contest.

Wayshawn Parker, Utah’s leading rusher, has become a more dangerous runner against conference opponents. Parker is averaging 147.7 rushing yards in three Big 12 games — the most of any player in the league.

Makhi Hughes and Re’Shaun Sanford II form a productive backfield tandem for Houston. The duo has run for 904 yards and five touchdowns through seven games.

Both teams are equally stingy defending the run. Utah allows just 88.7 rushing yards per game after allowing 181.2 per game last season. Houston gives up 82.8 per game on the ground, second only to Texas Tech in the Big 12.

Big Winners

Losses by Notre Dame and Indiana last weekend mean that Utah now owns the longest active winning streak among FBS teams. The Utes have won 12 straight games dating back to a 24-21 loss to BYU in 2025. Utah has won eight straight Big 12 games, trailing only Texas Tech (9) in the conference.

Late Kickoff Fatigue

Utah has its fourth scheduled 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff in seven games on Saturday. Games against Arkansas and Colorado were also played in this late window. A planned 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff against Kansas got moved up two hours in advance of severe thunderstorms.

Only one game at Rice Eccles Stadium this season has kicked off before 6 p.m. MT.

Being continually selected for ESPN’s latest Saturday broadcast window isn’t sitting well with the Utes, who hoped hosting College Gameday would lead to an earlier kickoff time.

“We’ve talked to (ESPN), we’ve talked to (Big 12 Commissioner) Brett Yormark about spreading this out,” Utah AD Mark Harlan said. “In our last conference, there was rules about that. That’s not the case in this conference. We’re honored to play. We’re honored to play everywhere. But I do know for the fans it’s tough. It’ll be a late night for everybody.”

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