The opportunity was there for the Houston Cougars.
With 6:46 remaining in the third quarter, No. 14 Houston held a 10-0 lead over No. 10 Utah in the hostile environment of a sold-out Rice-Eccles Stadium. With roughly 65 percent of game in the books, the Cougars were in position to deliver a statement victory on the national stage.
A win would have snapped the nation’s longest winning streak, strengthened Houston’s College Football Playoff résumé, and potentially propelled the Cougars into the AP Top 10 for the first time since 2016. With no other ranked opponents remaining on the schedule, Houston had a golden opportunity to catapult itself into the playoff conversation.
Instead, the opportunity slipped away. Utah scored the final three touchdowns of the night to secure a 21-13 comeback victory and extend its winning streak to 13 games. After the dust settled in Salt Lake City, Houston head coach Willie Fritz and his players reflected on three factors that contributed to the Cougars’ missed opportunity.
Missed tackles
Houston held Utah scoreless in the first half. But a perfect showing on the scoreboard through 30 minutes didn’t tell the whole story of the Cougars’ defensive performance. Houston regularly missed tackles from the onset, particularly when Utah quarterback Devon Dampier took off as a runner. Some runs were designed, others were improvised, but there was one constant — Dampier evaded Cougar defenders and extended plays nearly every time he carried the ball. He rushed for 80 yards in the first half alone, finishing with 150 yards and two touchdowns for the entire game.
“He’s a big time running threat and also throws the ball extremely well,” Fritz said of Dampier. “He did a good job. He played really well.”
Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle reported that Houston missed 18 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. The Cougars’ tackling issues helped Utah establish a commanding advantage on the ground, outgaining Houston 226-86 in the rushing department.
“We missed way too many tackles,” Fritz said. “There were times we had an opportunity to vice tackle where we had an outside guy, an inside guy. We didn’t make the tackle. We had a couple times to get them down and we didn’t. It was uncharacteristic of us.”
Overmyer injury
On the opening drive of the game, Houston tight end Patrick Overmyer suffered an upper-body injury and never returned. Overmyer was a significant piece of the Cougars’ offense, entering Week 8 ranked second nationally among FBS tight ends in receptions and receiving yards and first in touchdowns. He was particularly effective near the goal line, with all seven of his touchdown receptions coming from within 10 yards of the end zone.
His absence was particularly notable in the red zone Saturday. Houston possessed the ball within six yards of the end zone twice in the first half but managed just three points across those drives. On the first trip, Utah cornerback James Chenault Jr. deflected a pass in the end zone to force a turnover on downs. On the second, Houston settled for a chip shot field goal.
“(Overmyer has) been a great weapon in the red zone, and obviously we weren’t able to have him out there, but we still need to score,” Fritz said. “We needed some points out of it, and we didn’t take advantage of great field position. We had done a pretty good job of that this season.”
Fritz did not provide an update on Overmyer’s status following the game. With Overmyer sidelined, Luke McGary served as Houston’s primary tight end, finishing with three receptions for 37 yards — all in the first half.
“It was a big loss for us. I mean, it’s Patrick. He’s one of the best tight ends in the country,” wide receiver Amare Thomas said. “Losing him was definitely a big loss, but I thought Luke stepped up and he played real well.”
Utah’s blitzing
Houston’s offense gained momentum through the first three quarters, recording 91 yards in the first, 97 in the second, and 121 in the third. But in the final frame, the Cougars’ offense tailed off, only accumulating 54 yards across four possessions. Utah dialed up more pressure in the fourth quarter, and Houston’s typically stout pass protection had no answer. The Utes generated three sacks, matching Texas Tech for the most any opponent had registered against Houston this season.
“They were very aggressive in the second half with their front blitz and man coverage,” Fritz said. “We could have played a lot better, but (Utah) did a great job.”
Houston trailed 14-13 with 2:15 remaining when the Utes’ defense delivered its most pivotal play of the night. Free safety Jackson Bennee flew in on a blitz unblocked and rocked Houston quarterback Conner Weigman with a seismic hit, jarring the ball loose for a Utah recovery.
“A few times they brought one more than we had in protection, and I got to get the ball out quicker,” Weigman said.
Then on Houston’s final series, down 21-13, the Cougars had 1st-and-10 at the Utah 23-yard line. With over a minute remaining and a timeout still available, the clock wasn’t exactly a factor. But Houston aired it out four times and threw four consecutive incompletions — taking several shots to the end zone in that sequence. Weigman commented postgame that Utah’s aggressive blitzing left little time to hold onto the ball and allow those plays to develop.
“They were bringing some Cover 0 at the end,” Weigman said. “They had one more than we had in protection, so the ball has got to come out, so yeah, I had to take those shots. Just gotta hit.”
After missing an opportunity at Utah, Houston fell to No. 18 in the AP Poll. The Cougars now prepare for their bye week before returning to action against Cincinnati at home on Nov. 7.