Houston, encouraged by key debuts, renews rivalry with Rice

While Houston coach Willie Fritz opened his second season with the Cougars last Thursday, there was enough change within the program to mimic the feeling of an altogether fresh start.The Cougars’ 27-0 home victory over Stephen F. Austin not only featured a ballyhooed newcomer at quarterback in Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman, but also a pair of coordinators new to the program in Slade Nagle (offensive) and Austin Armstrong (defensive).Houston (1-0) experienced smooth sailing in its coaching mechanics, but the Cougars still expect improvement when they travel to face crosstown rival Rice (1-0) on Saturday.”I thought they both did an excellent job,” Fritz said. “We talked (Sunday) for about 20 minutes about how we could improve our press box to sideline communication, all the communication on the sideline, because we’ve got a new group. We’ve also got a new special teams coordinator with Chris Couch. We wanted to improve our communication, how we do things on the sideline.”I thought all three of them did an excellent job for Game 1. But we’ll get better.”Weigman finished 15-of-24 for 159 yards and three touchdowns in his eagerly anticipated debut. He also rushed for 39 yards.”It was the first game he played in quite a while,” Fritz said. “Last season, he was banged up; he’s healthy now. I think it was good for him to knock some of the rust off.

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Titans vs Texans: Week 18 Primer

Titans vs Texans: Week 18 Primer

The Tennessee Titans (11-5) travel to The Lone Star State to take on the Houston Texans (4-12) in the final week of the 2021 NFL regular season.

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