The Houston Cougars are headed to the Texas Bowl later this month to take on the LSU Tigers, according to On3’s Brett McMurphy.
The game is set for Saturday, December 27th, at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Houston is coming off a 9-3 season under Willie Fritz, in the midst of an incredible turnaround. In his first season with the program, Fritz led the Cougars to a 4-8 overall record. Flash forward to today, and the program has not only re-established itself on the football field, but it’s also undergone a complete makeover on the recruiting scene, leading to the program signing the nation’s top-ranked quarterback, Keisean Henderson. The Cougars took down Colorado, Oklahoma State, No. 17 Arizona, Arizona State, UCF, and Baylor in conference play to earn the opportunity to face the Tigers.
Meantime, LSU is fresh off a 10th-place finish in the SEC with an overall record of 7-5. The Tigers entered the season with veteran head coach Brian Kelly at the helm, but due to another year of underwhelming results, they cut ties with him and lured Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss in dramatic fashion. The trip to the Texas Bowl is the 24th-straight bowl game appearance for LSU, with the streak dating back to the 2000 season.
Houston has played in 30 bowl games and has an overall record of 13-16-1. The Cougars earned their first trip to a bowl game since 2022, where they took down the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the Independence Bowl.
While the season may not have ended the way Fritz and company may have wanted, the opportunity to give the Big 12 a key win over the SEC and finish the season off strong is a massive deal for Houston and the entirety of the Big 12.
