Houston Cougars vs. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks: Week 1 Preview

After posting a 59-18 record and two postseason wins in six seasons at the helm of Division II Texas A&M-Commerce, Carthel took on his first coaching stint in Division I to head an SFA program then facing an NCAA-sanctioned postseason ban. After opening his tenure with a 3-9 campaign in 2019, the Lumberjacks since then went 30-26 across the next five seasons, which included clinching an FCS playoff appearance in 2021 as the runner-up in the Western Athletic Conference.

In 2022, Carthel, in a 6-5 campaign, helped secure SFA's first conference title as a member of the WAC and his first conference title as a Division I head coach. The string of recent success in the program is largely attributed to the winning and competitive mindset he established in his players, which even led to the 2023 NFL Draft selection of Lumberjacks linebacker and eventual Super Bowl LVIII champion B.J. Thompson in the fifth round.

What's new for both teams?

While Houston is entering its third season as a member of the Big 12 and second under Fritz, SFA will enter its second season back as a member of the Southland Conference since 2020 and its fourth in the conference under Carthel. Both coaches also head new starting quarterbacks with junior Conner Weigman, who transferred after three seasons at Texas A&M, and freshman JT Kitna, respectively.

For Houston in particular, paired with a largely overhauled offensive line for coach Eman Naghavi is a complete change in coordinators for Fritz on both sides of the ball.

After mutually parting ways with offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay prior to the 2024 season finale at BYU, Fritz called for a reunion and hired offensive coordinator Slade Nagle, who previously served as the tight ends coach at LSU under coach Brian Kelly. Prior to that stint, Nagle served as a tight ends coach from 2016 to 2021 and was upgraded as an associate head coach in 2022 and offensive coordinator in 2023 under Fritz all at Tulane.

What came to be considered as a significant blow for Houston was the departure of defensive coordinator Shiel Wood for Texas Tech, as his defense left the Cougars ranked 47th in FBS in scoring defense and 26th in total defense in 2024.

In response, Fritz hired who he considered a rising star in the industry in defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, who spent two seasons at Florida under coach Billy Napier. Armstrong's first season saw the Gators finish in the top 11 in defense in both first downs and fourth down conversion. The following season saw him split duties with Ron Roberts even though they finished top 25 in multiple defensive categories, but it was ultimately Fritz who saw independent growth for Armstrong at his post moving forward.