Willie Fritz returned to Statesboro, Georgia to face the team he once coached. He left with a closer-than-expected win.
The Good: The Cougar offense was unstoppable. They scored touchdowns on six of their seven full possessions and amassed 441 yards of total offense. In addition to throwing four touchdown passes, QB Conner Weigman rushed for a pair of scores. Re'Shaun Sanford II led all rushers with 120 yards, and the Coogs did not turn the ball over.
The UH defense forced a turnover and held Georgia Southern to 66 total rushing yards. But the Eagles really didn't need to run the ball because...
The Bad: The Houston pass defense was abysmal, surrendering 289 yards to the Eagles. Georgia Southern QB Max Johnson completed 26 of 38 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while Eagle WR Alex Taylor ripped through Houston's secondary with 119 receiving yards and two scores. UH's pass defense, or lack thereof, is quickly becoming the most concerning story of the season.
The Ugly: Houston's special teams was caught flat-footed and allowed Georgia Tech to recover an onside kick after their first touchdown. The Eagles would go on to convert that recovery into another score and tie things up. All of a sudden a game that looked like an easy Cougar win became something of a nail-biter.
What It Means: This game was always going to present a challenge for the Coogs. They were playing the second of back-to-back games on the road, while Georgia Southern was hosting a Power Four team at its stadium for the first time ever and Eagles Coach Clay Helton was facing his alma mater. It stands to reason that they would be hyped up for this game and pull out all the stops (i.e. the onside kick) to try to win; in fact, this game might have been even closer had Georgia Southern not been flagged nine times for 64 yards. So I can't be too upset that Houston beat a Sun Belt program by "only" two touchdowns.
That being said, if the secondary doesn't improve - and quickly - the Cougars are going to be at a huge disadvantage against Big XII opponents. That includes Central Florida, who comes to TDECU Stadium this Saturday.
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