Friday night’s slate features two Big 12 football games that won’t go in the standings as a Big 12 football game. Those two are Arizona vs. Kansas State and Houston vs. Colorado. This piece focuses on the ladder, with the Cougars playing host to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes. Houston is coming off a 35-9 win over Rice last week, while Colorado recorded a similar outing against Delaware, 31-7.
The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday on ESPN from Houston, Texas. The Cougars are favored by 5.5, and the over/under is set at 44.5 points. Here are two key players to watch in this game, followed by the top storylines for each team, and a prediction from Heartland College Sports.
Two Key Players to Watch
Dean Connors, Houston Running Back
Houston’s rushing attack was in a bit of a gray area coming into the 2025 season, but things have seemed to shift with senior Dean Connors in the backfield. Through two games this year, the blank native is averaging 6.5 yards per carry on 28 attempts for 182 yards and two scores. Colorado’s run defense appears to be fairly stout this season, so corraling Connors will be a massive storyline to watch.
Ryan Staub, Colorado Quarterback
There’s a new man under center in Boulder, and that is sophomore signal caller Ryan Staub, who earned the starting job after a sharp outing against Delaware. In his first action of the season, Staub went 7-10 for 157 yards and two scores.
Top Storylines
The First Test is Here
Houston has been incredibly impressive through their first two games; however, the drawback comes when discussing its opponents. Willie Fritz’s team has beaten up on the likes of Rice and SF Austin, and has outscored opponents 62-9. Coach Prime’s Buffaloes, on paper, will be by far the best opponent the Cougars have faced, which brings forth a new wave of challenges.
Will A New QB Fix Offensive Woes?
Simply put: Is Ryan Staub the guy, or just the guy *for now?* If you asked the majority of Colorado fans which player should be starting under center prior to the start of the season, very, very few of them would even bring up Staub. The conversation surrounding Julian Lewis and Kaidon Salter, but now, thanks to his solid play in Week 2, Staub is the guy.
Prediction: Houston 31, Colorado 27
This game is an awfully hard one to predict. Colorado enters the game with a new signal caller under center, while Houston has played basically no one to this point. In judging the two squads, Houston should have an advantage in the trenches, but it’ll be a toss-up due to Coach Prime’s always streaky offense. My gut says to go with the better team on paper, and to me, that is the Cougars for now.
