3 Takeaways From Houston Cougars' Comeback Victory vs. Oregon State

The Cougars needed to unlock their passing offense as they head deeper into the season, and through the first three quarters of Friday's game, Houston was not able to move the ball efficiently through the air. As quarterback Conner Weigman was just 11 of 24 passing for 116 yards without a touchdown pass and an interception.

However, Weigman and the Cougars' offense was able to turn it around late in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdown drives that willed the Cougars back to a tie ball game. Through the two scoring drives in the fourth quarter of the game, Weigman was 8 for 10 passing while throwing for 136 yards and two touchdown passes.

Getting involved in the passing offense were wide receiver Amare Thomas and tight end Tanner Kozol, both of whom finished the game with six catches, with Thomas going over 100 yards receiving with 104 yards while Kozol finished with 86 yards receiving and a touchdown. Wide receiver Stephon Johnson also had a big-time touchdown reception to cut into the Beavers' lead in the fourth quarter.

Cougars' Rushing Attack Gets Slowed Down

The majority of the Cougars' scoring had come from the ground game, as through the first three games of the season, six of their 10 offensive touchdowns have been on the ground, three from Weigman and three from running back Dean Connors. The Cougars had also rushed for over 100 yards as a team in their previous three games.

All of that was different for the Cougars against the Beavers, as Oregon State did a solid job in stopping Houston's rushing attack. The Cougars were not able to rush for over 100 yards combined, breaking their three-game streak, and Connors, who's had a great start to the season, was held for just 53 yards on 17 carries and kept out of the end zone.

Houston's Defense Breaks Down

Houston's defense had been the strong point of the Cougars' squad after having allowed just 29 points through the first three games of the season, a mark that has not been seen since the 1980s. However, on Friday's game, the defense struggled at times for Houston after giving up nearly the same amount of points in one game to the Beavers as they had given up all season.

In particular, the Cougars' rush defense became a liability for Houston after not being able to stop the run on a consistent basis. The Beavers managed to run for a combined 189 yards as a team, and running back Cornell Hatcher Jr. led the way with 93 yards on 17 attempts and a touchdown on the ground.