Most of the national talk surrounding the No. 18 Houston Cougars has been the high-powered and balanced offense, and rightfully so. That group led by senior quarterback Conner Weigman, a great one-two punch at running back, a veteran offensive line and multiple receiving weapons has been one of the best in the country.

The Houston defense didn't get off to the best start this season, but has greatly improved over the past couple of weeks. Against Utah, it was the defense that kept the Cougars in the game and was the unit that ultimately put together a better performance.

The Utes offense that had come in averaging over 40 points a game was held to 21. Houston forced a first-half shutout and gave up 14 total points for the majority of the game, aside from the late touchdown at the end that was likely allowed on purpose by Houston.

It has been a build-up for the defense throughout the year for defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong's group. However, the level of opponent must be considered when taking a look at the defense's overall numbers.

Houston's Defense Still Makes Plays

The Cougars faced Oregon State in the season opener and Oklahoma State in Week 6, both have one of the top offenses in the country. Additionally, Houston gave up 28 points to Texas Tech on the road and 17 total to UCF. The Knights were held to just seven points in the second half, and Oklahoma State only scored three points in the first half.

Besides that, Houston has missed its top linebacker in senior Jaden Yates, and has been without its best defensive tackle in senior De'Marion Thomas over the past few weeks.

Houston's defense was a solid unit last season when Armstrong came in and it kept up the momentum from 2024 in coach Willie Fritz's first year. The Cougars' defense two years ago was one of the better units in all of college football under coordinator Shiel Wood, who's now at Texas Tech in the same role.

Armstrong is one of the youngest coordinators in the sport, and the defense features a lot of different looks as well as aggressive blitzing. It has paid off as of late as Houston has started forcing turnovers.

The Cougars had two interceptions against Utah and also had an interception against Drew Mestemaker. While they may give up a lot of yards through the air, part of that is because of how good they are against the run. UH has now moved to 20th in the FBS with 100.5 yards per game, but was ranked in the top five for most of the year.

Houston allowed 226 rushing yards against Utah, and a lot of that had to do with poor tackling. That's been the biggest issue for the Cougars' defense this year, besides the dropped interceptions, which they've now started to catch.

Houston has been a bend but not break at times this year, and has made multiple big fourth-down stops throughout the year. Senior JACK linebacker Latreveon McCutchin has been a key player for Houston with two interceptions and 1.5 sacks, while fifth-year cornerback Jalen Mayo has been rated the best at his position in the Big 12.

The Cougars' defense has been a contributor to the wins, and will need to continue to do so for this team to get to 10 wins.