Houston quarterback Zeon Chriss (2) runs the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Houston, Texas. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar

The Cougars take on the TCU Horned Frogs this Friday in Fort Worth.

Houston seeks to break a nine-game losing streak against TCU dating back to Oct. 30, 1993.

They will also attempt to put their first point on the board in two weeks after suffering two straight shutouts at the hands of Cincinnati and then-No. 18 Iowa State.

History of the matchup

These two teams have matched up against each other 26 times and are tied with 13 wins a piece.

The Cougars dominated the early going, when the rivalry was first established, winning their first eight matchups against TCU.

However, the tides have turned over the past three decades, with UH’s last victory against the Horned Frogs occurring during the 1992 season.

The opponent

TCU made a name for themselves in 2022, when they finished the regular season undefeated.

Despite a heartbreaking overtime loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship, TCU’s undefeated regular season earned them a spot in the College Football Playoff.

TCU defeated Michigan in a shootout 51-45. The Horned Frogs fell short of their national title hopes as they suffered a 65-7 blowout loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

Currently, TCU holds a 3-2 record this season and is coming off an 11-point upset victory against Kansas on the road.

The Horned Frogs are led by sophomore quarterback Josh Hoover, who has passed for almost 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

TCU does not rely on the run as heavily as the Cougars do. TCU’s leading rusher, sophomore running back Cam Cook has only totaled 259 yards on the season.

Instead, the Horned Frogs are led by their air raid offense with most of their scoring coming by the pass.

Senior wide receiver Jack Beck is the main threat for the UH secondary as he has totaled 647 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Identity crisis for Houston

On the other side, the Houston Cougars have been working hard to establish their identity as a team as penalties have plagued the Cougars this season.

Through five games, UH has managed 37 penalties for 353 yards.

After a challenging 1-4 start to the season, the Cougars are determined to turn things around and translate what they do in practice to the games.

Houston, led by head coach Willie Fritz, will focus on translating their practice plan to the game and minimizing unforced errors.

“I just think we can play a lot better than we are playing”, Fritz said. “We just got to go out on the field and execute it.”

UH has been searching for answers on the offensive side of the ball all season.

The team has not scored in two weeks and only narrowly escaped a shutout in week one.

Last week the team alternated between both senior quarterback Donovan Smith and sophomore Zeon Chriss, neither excelled in the passing game.

This will be a crucial game for the Cougars to show out on offense against a weak Horned Frog defense, as TCU ranks 51 in total defense in the nation and has allowed a whopping 31 points per game.

Defensively, Houston needs to step up to the challenge with TCU’s explosive offense, which has tallied almost 39 points per game this season.

The Cougars have been solid in their defensive performances this season, and this game will be yet another test.

Rising to the moment

As the Cougars prepare for the game this weekend, they are aware of the significance of this game.

Snagging a win against the Frogs and breaking the long-term losing streak against TCU would give the Cougars confidence and much-needed momentum to carry through the coming weeks.

Whether it’s the Cougars breaking through to reclaim the series lead or the Horned Frogs continuing their recent success, this matchup has all the ingredients for a competitive game.

Houston will attempt to get their first Big 12 points of the season when they meet TCU in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Week six preview: Houston looks to break historic losing streak against TCU” was originally posted on The Cougar