The No. 17 Houston Cougars got it done in an ugly game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at TDECU Stadium on Saturday evening and won 31-24. The Cougars improved to 7-2 on the season and 4-2 in the Big 12, while Cincinnati fell to 5-4 and 2-4 in the conference.

Houston was up 21-10 at halftime, but allowed Cincinnati to come back into the game in the third quarter. The Cougars found a way to beat the Bearcats for the first time since 2016 and the first time at home since 2015.

Here are five takeaways.

Strong Start

It was as perfect of a start as Houston could have to the game. The Cougars have had to wait almost two weeks after the devastating loss at Utah and came out on a mission offensively. After the first two drives, Houston had already surpassed the point total in Week 8. 

Houston went 72 yards right down the field on the opening drive in 12 plays that took up almost six minutes. The Cougars also went for it on fourth-and-one on their own 39-yard line and picked it up thanks to redshirt junior running back Re’Shaun Sanford II. Weigman threw a perfect eight-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Amare Thomas, who made a nice sliding catch. 

UH’s defense forced a quick three-and-out and gave the ball right back to the offense. Houston scored much quicker on the next drive as Thomas took a quick outlet pass 31 yards all the way to the end zone after a broken tackle. 

Houston was up 14-0 at the end of one. 

Defense Slows in Second Quarter

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Cincinnati got back into the game in the second quarter. Houston’s defense gave up some key conversions on third and fourth down. A holding penalty on second-and-goal bailed the Cougars out from what would’ve been a game-tying touchdown and instead resulted in a 28-yard field goal. 

Bearcats quarterback JC French got loose for a couple of runs, and junior running back Cole Tabb was found in the end zone for a 17-yard reception. 

Overmyer Impact

It was so clear how much Houston missed its top tight end in redshirt junior Patrick Overmyer. He’s one of the best at his position in the country and made a big impact throughout the game. Overmyer was the leading receiver in the first half with four receptions for 66 yards. 

Offense Not Capitalizing

Time of possession actually belonged to Cincinnati, so that gave Houston a limited amount of time on offense. The first two drives of the second half only resulted in three points for the Cougars. Both drives went into Cincinnati territory and Houston also had a first down at the 17-yard line. 

Houston had to settle for a 28-yard field goal and then was forced to punt the ball. 

Big Swing Plays Late

Two critical plays changed the game for Houston. When Cincinnati tied the game at 24 halfway through the fourth quarter, Houston finally got its first possession of the period. It took three plays and redshirt junior running back Re’Shaun Sanford exploded for a 51-yard go-ahead touchdown. 

Additionally, French threw a backwards pass that was recovered by Houston on Cincinnati’s last drive. That basically put it away as Hughes picked up two first downs.