2023 Baylor Football Opponent Quick-Hitter: Houston

Opponent: Houston

Nickname: Cougars

Kickoff: November 4th

Location: McLane Stadium (Waco, TX)

Conference: Big 12

Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen (entering 4th season)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5

Notable Outcomes: Lost to Texas Tech in overtime, 33-30; lost to Kansas, 48-30; beat Memphis, 33-32

Key Losses: Clayton Tune, QB; Nathaniel Dell, WR; Donovan Mutin, LB

Key Returners: Alton McCaskill IV, RB; Patrick Paul, LT; Chidozie Nwankwo, DL

Strength: Running back. Houston gets Alton McCaskill IV back after missing last season with an ACL tear. He is projected to be one of the better running backs in the Big 12. Add on to that the return of Stacy Sneed, who put up 501 yards and 5 touchdowns last season, and the Cougars should be well stocked for running the ball.

Weakness: Linebacker. Houston has to replace eight of its defensive starters from a year ago, including all of their linebackers. The defensive line should be good for Houston, but beyond that... It could be a rough season for a defensive squad that had already vastly underperformed last season.

Way Too Early Prediction: Houston has a lot of holes to fill. Similar to Cincinnati, the cupboards are pretty bare for the Cougars. However, Houston has the luxury of a returning coach navigating the helm in Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen’s ability to lead a fairly fresh roster could ultimately make or break his career at Houston. I see that breaking at least in this road game at Baylor.

27-21 Baylor