Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Houston Cougars Have Already Been Preparing for Deion Sanders, Colorado

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 2:00 PM ET

For the first time since 2018, the Houston Cougars are off to a 2-0 start, and boy does it feel good.

A 27-0 home win over Stephen F. Austin in last week's season opener was nice, but Saturday's 35-9 road win over Rice was even better. Sure, the Cougars didn't start the game in the best way, as they didn't get on the scoreboard until the final minute of the first half, but once they got going, they couldn't be stopped. The offense rolled behind a fantastic game from running back Dean Connors, who ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns against his former team, while the defense put the clamps on the Owls.

A 26-point win over a rival is always worth celebrating, but not for too long, considering what's on the horizon.

Houston Cougars Turn Attention to Big 12 Play

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On Friday night, the Cougars will open Big 12 play at home against the Colorado Buffaloes and head coach Deion Sanders. While they're still riding the high of beating the Owls, they know they have to change their focus quickly.

"I told the guys in the room, we just got to put this game to bed," head coach Willie Fritz told reporters after the game. "Short week - we play on Friday night, not Saturday - so we're all going to get in there early as coaches. We've already worked in the summer, somewhat on Colorado - game plan, offense, defense kicking game.

"We've got to accelerate, you know, dropping this one and moving on to the next one. That's how you can win games ... you never want to sit back and dwell on past successes. Some people think, 'oh that's good, just to keep momentum.' I've seen guys have a great game and the next game they suck because they don't put the same amount of work into it."

The Buffaloes are 1-1 after losing to Georgia Tech in the season opener and defeating Delaware on Saturday. Their quarterback situation will be very interesting to watch, though, as Kaidon Salter, Julian Lewis and Ryan Staub each saw playing time against Delaware.

Staub, the third-stringer, looked the best of the trio, completing seven of 10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in two drives, but Sanders has yet to name a starter for Friday's matchup.

Both teams still have things to figure out, and that definitely adds a layer of intrigue to this matchup.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: