Amid Colorado’s Downfall and Texas Tech’s Power Flex, Conner Weigman’s Annoyed Disappointment At 27-0 Gives Willie Fritz’s UH Team a Real Chance

Conner Weigman did not seem all that happy after his three touchdown pass debut with the University of Houston. If anything, he sounded a little annoyed. Weigman lamented the deep pass misconnections with speedy wide receiver Koby Young. He talked about feeling like the UH offense “beat ourselves” — in a game the Cougars actually won 27-0. After a Week One in Big 12 college football that displayed Colorado’s downfall (especially at quarterback), Utah’s thunderous return and Texas Tech’s potential newfound (and partly purchased) dominance, Weigman’s disappointment is the best thing that could have happened to Houston.

Willie Fritz’s team appears to have a Guy at quarterback in the coach’s second season at the school in this Texas A&M transfer, one who knows he must push himself and his teammates to be better, to reach for more. Beating an overmatched Stephen F. Austin team thoroughly cannot be satisfying. Not with so much opportunity — prime chances to do more, to score more — left out there on the field. Not if Houston is going to efficiently take care of business against Rice’s triple-option attack this upcoming Saturday night, turn the already buzzy Colorado Friday night home game into a real H-Town party and give itself a real chance to go 4-0 (with a road win at an Oregon State team blown out by Cal in its own opener) heading into its Week 6 matchup with Texas Tech. The schedule appears to be breaking right for this rebuilt UH team to get off to a good start.

There is no sweet dream without a fierce grind though. Weigman’s understanding of this will serve these Cougars well. It’s been a little while since this program with such a storied quarterback tradition has had a man under center who is pushing for more after a win. Conner Weigman doesn’t do satisfaction. That’s leadership too. Maybe, just what this team needs.

“He wants every route to be right,” Koby Young tells PaperCity of Weigman. “He always gives you a new goal to go for.”

UH coach Willie Fritz finds himself reminding the team after the opening win over Stephen F. Austin that every win should be celebrated, sensing that a number of his players come away from this one almost “disappointed.” Weigman wants that disappointment. He plans to use his annoyance as fuel.

“I feel like it was a lot of up and down,” Weigman says of the UH offense’s showing. “I feel like we beat ourselves. We made plays when we needed to.”

One of those plays shows off the arm strength that should give this Houston offense the license to dream and scheme big. Weigman unleashes a speeding dart to transfer receiver Amare Thomas on a third-and-12, turning a tight window into a touchdown. This is what real arm talent can do for you.

“That’s the hardest I’ve ever seen him throw a football,” Fritz says. “He really threw a fastball in there. It had to be a fastball or it would have been picked.”

When I ask Weigman about the play, the quarterback sounds much less impressed. He talks about being off on his protection call on the play, which forces him to gun it to make the connection. He feels he should have given himself more time, seen Thomas break open sooner.

It’s nice to have a quarterback who doesn’t need or want anyone to make excuses for him. University of Texas fans would like to have that right now with Arch Manning. Weigman’s attitude, his annoyance, is the most promising thing to come out of UH’s opener in many ways.

“We beat ourselves offensively. We won the game, but we shot ourselves in the foot a few times. We’ve got to get back in here and get it corrected. And get better this week.” — UH quarterback Conner Weigman

Inside the Conner Weigman Comeback

This opener is the first college football game Weigman’s started since he got pulled in the second half by Texas A&M coach Mike Elko on October 26 of last season. The rust in his game is easy to see. But so is the potential that made him a five star SEC quarterback prospect in the first place.

“Having not played for a while, I thought Conner did a really nice job,” Fritz says.

Fritz and offensive coordinator Slade Nagle do not run any special packages for backup quarterback Zeon Chriss or true freshman Austin Carlisle in UH’s first game. Weigman gets every snap that matters. This is their Guy.

The most encouraging sign is how healthy Weigman looks, how well he moves around. Injuries crippled Weigman’s chance at sustained success at Texas A&M, but he shows off his wheels when the pocket breaks down (a much-too-often occurrence in Houston’s opener against this level of opponent). His 27-yard escape and run sets up the Cougars’ 95-yard touchdown drive.

“He runs a lot better than people give him credit for,” Fritz notes.

The room for improvement being so vast is what makes this UH opener encouraging. Weigman and beast-mode tight end transfer Tanner Koziol, who catches all seven balls thrown his way, including a touchdown when SFA completely loses sight of the biggest offensive weapon on the field, are already locked in. But Weigman and Young cannot connect on any of the four targets the young wideout gets. For this offense to be effective against better teams that must change.

No one understands that more than Conner Weigman.

“We beat ourselves offensively,” he says. “We won the game, but we shot ourselves in the foot a few times. We’ve got to get back in here and get it corrected. And get better this week.”

No one wins or loses games in the postgame press conference. (Though former University of Houston coach Dana Holgorsen proved you can hurt your chances of keeping your job in them.) But as he sits there answering questions in a UH trucker hat, Weigman’s drive, his push towards being better, certainly come through. David Raffield, Weigman’s coach at Bridgeland High School, sees it. He also understands how Conner Weigman can get people to come around to his way of thinking.

Raffield’s family always has been huge University of Texas fans. But since Weigman’s arrived at his UH, his grandkids have insisted on wearing UH gear. Conner Weigman’s turned an entire generation into Cougars.

“My grandkids love him,” Raffield tells PaperCity. “.  . . They’re all wearing red now. And they’re diehard Longhorns. If you know my family, it’s a big deal.”

Raffield laughs. The old coach knows. Conner Weigman just might have everyone on board before this season’s over.