Houston Cougars Cruise Past Rice Owls in Bayou Bucket Classic

Connors started his collegiate football career at Riverside Community College, where he led the Tigers to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) title game. After one season, he would find himself in Houston wearing gray and blue. 

With Rice, he would accumulate over 1,679 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. On top of his prowess in the ground game, Connors recorded 912 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns in his three years with the Owls. Once then-coach Mike Bloomgren departed, Connors entered his name in the transfer portal. 

“It was almost like I was trained not to like the Houston Cougars because we were crosstown rivals,” Connors told the Houston Chronicle after he transferred. “This was the first visit I took, and when I was done, I was like this is where I’m going.”

With 40 seconds left in a first half that left much to be desired from both teams, Connors started exacting his revenge on his former team. He recorded a 54-yard touchdown run which sparked Houston’s scoring landslide and gave it a 7-3 lead going into halftime. 

With a newfound offensive confidence, the Cougars’ offense found their rhythm and quarterback Conner Weigman led the team on a 15-play, 76-yard scoring drive. 

To start the fourth quarter, defensive back Will James picked off Rice quarterback Chase Jenkins and took it 37 yards to the endzone, giving the Coogs a 21-3 lead. 

While Jenkins was able to find the endzone to cut the Houston lead to 12, Weigman found wide receiver Stephon Johnson for a 74-yard touchdown to extend the margin. 

With 3:40 left to go, Connors put the final dagger in his former team with a 42-yard rushing touchdown to salt away the Bayou Bucket for Houston. 

Weigman finished with an impressive 68 percent completion percentage, 188 passing yards, a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and a 155 passer rating. 

Connors had an absolutely monster game against the Owls, and finished with 132 rushing yards on 13 carries with two rushing touchdowns. 

The Bayou Bucket will remain on Houston’s campus through at least 2031. 

The Cougars are set to return home in Week 3 to open Big 12 play against Colorado at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.