2021 Houston Cougars football team

2021 Houston Cougars football
Birmingham Bowl champion
AAC Championship Game, L 20–35 vs. Cincinnati
Birmingham Bowl, W 17–13 vs. Auburn
Conference	American Athletic Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 17
AP	No. 17
Record	12–2 (8–0 American)
Head coach	Dana Holgorsen (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Shannon Dawson (2nd, 3rd overall season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Brandon Jones (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Doug Belk (1st, 3rd overall season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	TDECU Stadium
Seasons ←  2020 2022  →

2021 American Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Cincinnati y$^		8	–	0					13	–	1
No. 17 Houston y		8	–	0					12	–	2
UCF		5	–	3					9	–	4
East Carolina		5	–	3					7	–	5
Tulsa		5	–	3					7	–	6
SMU		4	–	4					8	–	4
Memphis		3	–	5					6	–	6
Navy		3	–	5					4	–	8
Tulane		1	–	7					2	–	10
South Florida		1	–	7					2	–	10
Temple		1	–	7					3	–	9
Championship: Cincinnati 35, Houston 20
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, competing in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Dana Holgorsen.

Preseason

American Athletic Conference preseason media poll

The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021. ^[1] Cincinnati, who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.

Media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Cincinnati	262 (22)
2	UCF	241 (2)
3	SMU	188
4	Houston	181
5	Memphis	168
6	Tulsa	153
7	Tulane	132
T-8	East Carolina	85
T-8	Navy	85
10	Temple	46
11	South Florida	43

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:00 p.m.	vs. Texas Tech *		NRG Stadium Houston, TX (Texas Kickoff, rivalry)	ESPN	L 21–38	43,478
September 11	5:30 p.m.	at Rice *		Rice Stadium Houston, TX (rivalry)	CBSSN	W 44–7	26,253
September 18	6:00 p.m.	Grambling State *		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 45–0	22,998
September 25	6:00 p.m.	Navy		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPNU	W 28–20	25,054
October 1	6:30 p.m.	at Tulsa		H.A. Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK (rivalry)	ESPN	W 45–10	15,890
October 7	6:30 p.m.	at Tulane		Yulman Stadium New Orleans, LA	ESPN	W 40–22	15,026
October 23	8:20 p.m.	East Carolina		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPNews α	W 31–24 OT	22,925
October 30	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 SMU		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN2	W 44–37	25,676
November 6	6:30 p.m.	at South Florida		Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL	ESPNU	W 54–42	28,667
November 13	11:00 a.m.	at Temple		Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ESPN+	W 37–8	18,440
November 19	8:00 p.m.	Memphis	No. 24	TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN2	W 31–13	28,712
November 27	11:00 a.m.	at UConn *	No. 24	Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT	CBSSN	W 45–17	12,685
December 4	3:00 p.m.	at No. 4 Cincinnati	No. 21	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH (AAC Championship Game)	ABC	L 20–35	37,978
December 28	11:00 a.m.	vs. Auburn *	No. 20	Protective Stadium Birmingham, AL (Birmingham Bowl)	ESPN	W 17–13	47,100
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to game All times are in Central time

^[2]

Notes

^α This game was initially scheduled for ESPNU at 3:00 p.m. CT, but was moved to 8:20 p.m. CT on ESPNews because of a rain delay. ^[3]

Game summaries

Vs. Texas Tech (Texas Kickoff)

Texas Tech vs. Houston

1 2 3 4 Total •Red Raiders 0 7 17 14 38 Cougars 14 7 0 0 21 Date: September 4, 2021 Location: NRG Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:11 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 35 minutes Game attendance: 43,478 Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Indoor (N/A) Referee: David Alvarez TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play–by–play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporter)

Scoring summary 1 6:37 HOU Clayton Tune 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (16 plays, 75 yards, 8:23) HOU 7–0 2:13 HOU Nathaniel Dell 23-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 54 yards, 4:24) HOU 14–0 2 11:47 TTU Tahj Brooks 41-yard run (Jonaathan Garibay kick) (1 play, 41 yards, 0:10) HOU 14–7 0:23 HOU Seth Green 9-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (13 plays, 75 yards, 4:52) HOU 21–7 3 8:08 TTU Tyler Shough 8-yard run (Jonathan Garibay kick) (6 plays, 60 yards, 3:06) HOU 21–14 7:20 TTU Riko Jeffers 13-yard interception return (Jonathan Garibay kick) (2 plays, -7 yards, 0:48) TIE 21–21 0:36 TTU Jonathan Garibay 34-yard field goal (4 plays, 6 yards, 1:15) TTU 24–21 4 2:05 TTU Xavier White 3-yard pass from Tyler Shough (Jonathan Garibay kick) (8 plays, 71 yards, 2:52) TTU 31–21 1:00 TTU Tahj Brooks 44-yard run (Jonathan Garibay kick) (2 plays, 48 yards, 0:15) TTU 38–21

See also: 2021 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team and Texas Kickoff

Line	Over/under
HOU –2.5	63

Statistics	Texas Tech	Houston
First downs	15	15
Total yards	376	251
Rushing yards	145	77
Passing yards	231	174
Turnovers	1	4
Time of possession	23:23	36:37

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Texas Tech	Passing	Tyler Shough	17/24, 231 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tahj Brooks	15 rushes, 134 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Erik Ezukanma	7 receptions, 179 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	27/38, 174 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs
	Rushing	Mulbah Car	13 rushes, 37 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD

At Rice (Bayou Bucket Classic)

Houston at Rice

1 2 3 4 Total •Cougars 17 0 14 13 44 Owls 0 7 0 0 7 Date: September 11, 2021 Location: Rice Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 5:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  Game attendance: 26,253 Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBD Referee: Charles Lamertina TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), and Desmond Purnell (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 10:08 HOU Alton McCaskill 35-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 84 yards, 3:30) HOU 7–0 5:37 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 38-yard field goal (7 plays, 56 yards, 3:18) HOU 10–0 2:19 HOU Jake Herslow 11-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 48 yards, 2:37) HOU 17–0 2 0:13 RICE Jordan Myers 5-yard pass from Luke McCaffrey (Collin Riccitelli kick) (11 plays, 81 yards, 5:01) HOU 17–7 3 7:18 HOU Alton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (17 plays, 75 yards, 7:42) HOU 24–7 0:01 HOU Alton McCaskill 2-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (10 plays, 85 yards, 4:29) HOU 31–7 4 4:51 HOU Chandler Smith 14-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (2 plays, 20 yards, 0:49) HOU 38–7 0:00 HOU Alex Hogan 91-yard interception return (9 plays, 60 yards, 4:51) HOU 44–7

See also: 2021 Rice Owls football team and Houston–Rice rivalry

Line	Over/under
HOU –7.5	51

Statistics	Houston	Rice
First downs	23	15
Total yards	393	212
Rushing yards	144	126
Passing yards	249	86
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	32:01	27:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	22/30, 236 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Clayton Tune	9 rushes, 49 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	7 receptions, 87 yards
Rice	Passing	Luke McCaffrey	9/19, 86 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Khalan Griffin	19 rushes, 86 yards
	Receiving	Jorden Myers	5 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD

Grambling State

Grambling State at Houston

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 0 0 0 0 0 •Cougars 7 14 21 3 45 Date: September 18, 2021 Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:06 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 6 minutes Game attendance: 22,998 Game weather: Sunny Referee: Nate Black TV announcers (ESPN+): Alex Del Barrio (play–by–play) and Stanford Routt (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 0:15 HOU Nathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 47 yards, 2:06) HOU 7–0 2 10:40 HOU Marcus Jones 48-yard punt return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 3 yards, 1:57) HOU 14–0 5:23 HOU Alton McCaskill 17-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 3:03) HOU 21–0 3 11:54 HOU Alton McCaskill 34-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (4 plays, 48 yards, 0:59) HOU 28–0 7:01 HOU Nathaniel Dell 10-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 56 yards, 3:32) HOU 35–0 2:03 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 58 yards, 3:06) HOU 42–0 4 6:10 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 22-yard field goal (15 plays, 62 yards, 8:38) HOU 45–0

See also: 2021 Grambling State Tigers football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –41.0	52

Statistics	Grambling State	Houston
First downs	3	24
Total yards	102	422
Rushing yards	53	164
Passing yards	49	258
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	25:02	34:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Grambling State	Passing	Aldon Clark	5/12, 49 yards
	Rushing	Darqueze Brutton	9 rushes, 18 yards
	Receiving	Greg White	1 reception, 37 yards
Houston	Passing	Ike Ogbogu	14/22, 196 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	16 rushes, 114 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	8 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TDs

Navy

Navy at Houston

1 2 3 4 Total Midshipmen 7 10 0 3 20 •Cougars 7 0 7 14 28 Date: September 25, 2021 Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:02 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 8 minutes Game attendance: 25,054 Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 6 MPH Referee: Hank Johns TV announcers (ESPNU): Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 13:57 NAVY Xavier Arline 40-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick) (3 plays, 76 yards, 0:58) NAVY 7–0 1:35 HOU Marcus Jones 73-yard punt return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 4 yards, 2:03) TIE 7–7 2 7:53 NAVY Bijan Nichols 30-yard field goal (15 plays, 62 yards, 8:42) NAVY 10–7 0:52 NAVY Isaac Ruoss 1-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick) (11 plays, 89 yards, 5:28) NAVY 17–7 3 3:16 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 2-yard run (Kyle Ramsey kick) (7 plays, 43 yards, 4:23) NAVY 17–14 4 14:53 HOU Marcus Jones 47-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Kyle Ramsey kick) (7 plays, 81 yards, 1:55) HOU 21–17 12:08 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 1-yard run (Kyle Ramsey kick) (5 plays, 26 yards, 2:39) HOU 28–17 6:12 NAVY Bijan Nichols 36-yard field goal (13 plays, 56 yards, 5:56) HOU 28–20

See also: 2021 Navy Midshipmen football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –20.0	47

Statistics	Navy	Houston
First downs	16	20
Total yards	300	384
Rushing yards	202	127
Passing yards	98	257
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	33:21	26:39

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Navy	Passing	Xavier Arline	3/6, 83 yards
	Rushing	Xavier Arline	19 rushes, 64 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Mychal Cooper	3 receptions, 83 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	22/30, 257 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	17 rushes, 74 yards
	Receiving	Christian Trahan	4 receptions, 65 yards

At Tulsa

Houston at Tulsa

1 2 3 4 Total •Cougars 14 14 7 10 45 Golden Hurricane 0 3 0 7 10 Date: October 1, 2021 Location: Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 32 minutes Game attendance: 15,890 Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: W 2 MPH Referee: Luke Richmond TV announcers (ESPN): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 4:23 HOU Alton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 81 yards, 4:29) HOU 7–0 1:14 HOU Jeremy Singleton 47-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (4 plays, 85 yards, 1:21) HOU 14–0 2 13:01 HOU Alton McCaskill 27-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 56 yards, 1:10) HOU 21–0 9:33 HOU Alton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 32 yards, 2:01) HOU 28–0 1:22 TLSA Zack Long 33-yard field goal (11 plays, 65 yards, 2:58) HOU 28–3 3 14:06 HOU Gervarrius Owens 45-yard interception return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 10 yards, 0:54) HOU 35–3 4 14:55 HOU Seth Green 8-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (9 plays, 57 yards, 4:32) HOU 42–3 9:26 TLSA Ezra Naylor II 41-yard pass from Davis Brin (Zack Long kick) (6 plays, 72 yards, 1:46) HOU 42–10 4:19 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 48-yard field goal (9 plays, 44 yards, 5:07) HOU 45–10

See also: 2021 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team and Houston–Tulsa football rivalry

Line	Over/under
TLSA –3.5	54

Statistics	Houston	Tulsa
First downs	22	14
Total yards	405	289
Rushing yards	144	31
Passing yards	261	258
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	32:26	27:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	17/24, 241 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	17 rushes, 77 yards, 3 TDs
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	6 receptions, 82 yards
Tulsa	Passing	Davis Brin	20/39, 258 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Anthony Watkins	8 rushes, 39 yards
	Receiving	Sam Crawford Jr.	5 receptions, 101 yards

At Tulane

Houston at Tulane

1 2 3 4 Total •Cougars 14 3 9 14 40 Green Wave 0 15 7 0 22 Date: October 7, 2021 Location: Yulman Stadium New Orleans, LA Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes Game attendance: 15,026 Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Mostly Sunny • Wind: NE 4 MPH Referee: Tim Rich TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 8:04 HOU Christian Trahan 11-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (11 plays, 76 yards, 5:14) HOU 7–0 0:22 HOU Jeremy Singleton 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 64 yards, 2:58) HOU 14–0 2 10:45 TULN Tyrick James 13-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Christian Daniels Pass to Michael Pratt for two-point conversion) (5 plays, 73 yards, 1:53) HOU 14–8 3:33 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal (7 plays, 20 yards, 2:26) HOU 17–8 2:11 TULN Tyjae Spears 39-yard run (Merek Glover kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 1:22) HOU 17–15 3 13:18 TULN Will Wallace 29-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Merek Glover kick) (1 play, 29 yards, 0:08) TULN 22–17 8:16 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 24-yard field goal (5 plays, 28 yards, 1:17) TULN 22–20 1:20 HOU Jeremy Singleton 29-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Two-point pass conversion failed) (11 plays, 80 yards, 4:40) HOU 26–22 4 9:28 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 8-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 39 yards, 3:20) HOU 33–22 1:03 HOU Alton McCaskill 35-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 53 yards, 1:59) HOU 40–22

See also: 2021 Tulane Green Wave football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –6.5	60

Statistics	Houston	Tulane
First downs	18	17
Total yards	435	308
Rushing yards	147	94
Passing yards	288	214
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	31:34	28:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	23/36, 288 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	18 rushes, 93 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	KeSean Carter	6 receptions, 69 yards
Tulane	Passing	Michael Pratt	20/30, 214 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Cameron Carroll	13 rushes, 68 yards
	Receiving	Will Wallace	2 receptions, 54 yards, 1 TD

East Carolina

East Carolina at Houston

1 2 3 4 OT Total Pirates 10 0 0 14 0 24 •Cougars 17 7 0 0 7 31 Date: October 23, 2021 Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 3:00 p.m. CDT (Kicked at 8:20 p.m. – delayed 5 hours and 20 minutes to kickoff due to lightning) Elapsed time: 3 hours and 27 minutes Game attendance: 22,925 Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 9 MPH Referee: Edwin Lee TV announcers (ESPNews): Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 11:39 ECU Owen Daffer 33-yard field goal (9 plays, 60 yards, 3:21) ECU 3–0 6:56 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 21-yard field goal (11 plays, 70 yards, 4:43) TIE 3–3 5:46 ECU Jsi Hatfield 40-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Owen Daffer kick) (3 plays, 78 yards, 1:10) ECU 10–3 5:34 HOU Marcus Jones 98-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12) TIE 10–10 1:38 HOU Christian Trahan 2-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 32 yards, 2:47) HOU 17–10 2 3:12 HOU Nathaniel Dell 14-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (2 plays, 13 yards, 0:22) HOU 24–10 4 6:59 ECU Holton Ahlers 1-yard run (Owen Daffer kick) (6 plays, 71 yards, 2:40) HOU 24–17 5:43 ECU Audie Omotosho 13-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Owen Daffer kick) (2 plays, 16 yards, 1:01) TIE 24–24 OT HOU Alton McCaskill 25-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (1 play, 25 yards) HOU 31–24

See also: 2021 East Carolina Pirates football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –13.5	57

Statistics	East Carolina	Houston
First downs	20	16
Total yards	360	256
Rushing yards	82	87
Passing yards	278	169
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	29:13	30:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Carolina	Passing	Holton Ahlers	23/37, 278 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Keaton Mitchell	11 rushes, 38 yards
	Receiving	Tyler Snead	7 receptions, 114 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	19/29, 169 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	12 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Christian Trahan	6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

No. 19 SMU

SMU at Houston

1 2 3 4 Total No. 19 Mustangs 7 13 14 3 37 •Cougars 17 6 7 14 44 Date: October 30, 2021 Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3 hours and 37 minutes Game attendance: 25,676 Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 6 MPH Referee: Charles Lamertina TV announcers (ESPN2): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), Alyssa Lang (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 11:20 HOU Nathaniel Dell 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 3:40) HOU 7–0 9:26 HOU Nathaniel Dell 48-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (2 plays, 56 yards, 0:33) HOU 14–0 2:20 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 50-yard field goal (9 plays, 55 yards, 4:32) HOU 17–0 0:00 SMU Jordan Kerley 43-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 2:20 HOU 17–7 2 11:41 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal (7 plays, 69 yards, 3:19) HOU 20–7 7:28 SMU Tre Siggers 50-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick) (1 play, 50 yards, 0:09) HOU 20–14 2:45 SMU Rashee Rice 6-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza PAT blocked) (7 plays, 35 yards, 3:07) TIE 20–20 0:00 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 30-yard field goal (12 plays, 62 yards, 2:45) HOU 23–20 3 14:45 SMU Bryan Massey 100-yard kickoff return (Blake Mazza kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15) SMU 27–23 9:22 HOU Nathaniel Dell 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (11 plays, 72 yards, 5:23) HOU 30–27 5:46 SMU Tre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 3:36) SMU 34–30 4 13:36 HOU KeSean Carter 4-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (14 plays, 75 yards, 7:10) HOU 37–34 0:30 SMU Blake Mazza 45-yard field goal (10 plays, 58 yards, 1:34) TIE 37–37 0:17 HOU Marcus Jones 100-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13) HOU 44–37

See also: 2021 SMU Mustangs football team

Line	Over/under
SMU –1.0	62

Statistics	SMU	Houston
First downs	18	23
Total yards	355	489
Rushing yards	50	77
Passing yards	305	412
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	24:37	35:23

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
SMU	Passing	Tanner Mordecai	24/37, 305 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Tre Siggers	13 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Danny Gray	5 receptions, 73 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	27/37, 412 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Ta'Zhawn Henry	21 rushes, 49 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	9 receptions, 165 yards, 3 TDs

At South Florida

Houston at South Florida

1 2 3 4 Total •Cougars 9 17 21 7 54 Bulls 14 14 7 7 42 Date: November 6, 2021 Location: Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT Elapsed time:  Game attendance: 28,667 Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBD Referee: Tim Rich TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 14:47 USF Brian Battie 100-yard kickoff return (Spencer Shrader kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13) USF 7–0 8:35 HOU Jake Herslow 18-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 56 yards, 2:51) TIE 7–7 6:44 USF Brian Battie 29-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 1:51) USF 14–7 3:34 HOU Atlias Bell safety (3 plays, -1 yard, 0:44) USF 14–9 2 14:52 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 19-yard field goal (8 plays, 56 yards, 3:42) USF 14–12 10:19 USF Mitchell Brinkman 33-yard pass from Timmy McClain (Spencer Shrader kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:33) USF 21–12 8:19 HOU Alton McCaskill 6-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 54 yards, 2:00) USF 21–19 2:30 HOU Nathaniel Dell 55-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 87 yards, 0:40) HOU 26–21 2:16 USF Brian Battie 100-yard kickoff return (Spencer Shrader kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14) USF 28–26 3 12:50 HOU Alton McCaskill 2-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 67 yards, 2:10) HOU 33–28 10:04 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 97-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (1 play, 97 yards, 0:14) HOU 40–28 6:58 USF Chris Carter 14-yard pass from Timmy McClain (Spencer Shrader kick) (11 plays, 65 yards, 3:06) HOU 40–35 4:44 HOU Jeremy Singleton 27-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 2:14) HOU 47–35 4 3:59 USF Timmy McClain 11-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick) (9 plays, 60 yards, 2:34) HOU 47–42 2:27 HOU Alton McCaskill 16-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 44 yards, 1:32) HOU 54–42

See also: 2021 South Florida Bulls football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –13.5	53

Statistics	Houston	South Florida
First downs	30	23
Total yards	646	399
Rushing yards	261	110
Passing yards	385	289
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	33:07	26:53

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	21/26, 385 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Ta'Zhawn Henry	10 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	8 receptions, 164 yards, 1 TD
South Florida	Passing	Timmy McClain	22/46, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Timmy McClain	11 rushes, 46 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Xavier Weaver	6 receptions, 105 yards

At Temple

Houston at Temple

1 2 3 4 Total •Cougars 7 3 14 13 37 Owls 0 0 0 8 8 Date: November 13, 2021 Location: Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutes Game attendance: 18,440 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: S 13 MPH Referee: Edwin Lee TV announcers (ESPN+): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Leger Douzable (analyst)

Scoring summary 1 8:47 HOU Alton McCaskill 3-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 47 yards, 3:30) HOU 7–0 2 7:46 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 39-yard field goal (13 plays, 58 yards, 7:09) HOU 10–0 3 11:29 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 6-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 65 yards, 3:31) HOU 17–0 4:00 HOU Alton McCaskill 34-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 52 yards, 2:05) HOU 24–0 4 14:22 TEM Edward Saydee 1-yard run (Justin Lynch pass to Darius Pittman for two-point conversion) (4 plays, 45 yards, 0:56) HOU 24–8 10:57 HOU Jaylen Erwin 35-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon PAT blocked) (7 plays, 77 yards, 3:23) HOU 30–8 6:13 HOU Seth Green 6-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 42 yards, 2:28) HOU 37–8

See also: 2021 Temple Owls football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –25.0	53

Statistics	Houston	Temple
First downs	24	10
Total yards	446	218
Rushing yards	217	99
Passing yards	229	119
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	39:22	20:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	21/34, 224 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	21 rushes, 129 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Seth Green	7 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD
Temple	Passing	Justin Lynch	11/24, 119 yards, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Justin Lynch	14 rushes, 78 yards
	Receiving	Randle Jones	5 receptions, 36 yards

Memphis

Memphis at Houston

1 2 3 4 Total Tigers 0 3 7 3 13 •No. 24 Cougars 0 21 0 10 31 Date: November 19, 2021 Location: TDECU Stadium Houston, TX Game start: 8:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 40 minutes Game attendance: 28,712 Game weather: • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 4 MPH Referee: Hank Johns TV announcers (ESPN2): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst) and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)

Scoring summary 2 14:03 HOU Alton McCaskill 36-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (1 play, 36 yards, 0:15) HOU 7–0 5:40 HOU Nathaniel Dell 19-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (11 plays, 93 yards, 4:36) HOU 14–0 2:55 MEM David Kemp 28-yard field goal (9 plays, 65 yards, 2:45) HOU 14–3 0:53 HOU Clayton Tune 20-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 63 yards, 2:02) HOU 21–3 3 4:31 MEM Asa Martin 5-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (11 plays, 60 yards, 4:16) HOU 21–10 4 14:52 MEM David Kemp 22-yard field goal (8 plays, 86 yards, 2:30) HOU 21–13 3:24 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 34-yard field goal (5 plays, 29 yards, 2:15) HOU 24–13 1:43 HOU Ta'Zhawn Henry 4-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 18 yards, 0:52) HOU 31–13

See also: 2021 Memphis Tigers football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –9.5	59

Statistics	Memphis	Houston
First downs	24	25
Total yards	322	461
Rushing yards	106	197
Passing yards	216	264
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	25:34	34:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Memphis	Passing	Seth Henigan	21/45, 208 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Rodrigues Clark	12 rushes, 32 yards
	Receiving	Calvin Austin	5 receptions, 103 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	20/34, 264 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Ta'Zhawn Henry	13 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

At UConn

Houston at UConn

1 2 3 4 Total •No. 24 Cougars 7 14 17 7 45 Huskies 0 10 0 7 17 Date: November 27, 2021 Location: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 23 minutes Game attendance: 12,685 Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: TBD Referee: Tom O'Mara TV announcers (CBSSN): Jason Knapp (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst) and Tina Cervasio (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 10:21 HOU Alton McCaskill 31-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 55 yards, 3:02) HOU 7–0 2 11:44 HOU Jake Herslow 49-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 52 yards, 0:50) HOU 14–0 6:31 UCONN Kevens Clercius 34-yard pass from Steven Krajewski (Joe McFadden kick) (3 plays, 25 yards, 1:09) HOU 14–7 1:15 HOU Nathaniel Dell 6-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 52 yards, 0:50) HOU 21–7 0:01 UCONN Joe McFadden 25-yard field goal (7 plays, 52 yards, 1:11) HOU 21–10 3 11:08 HOU Nathaniel Dell 13-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (9 plays, 47 yards, 3:45) HOU 28–10 6:02 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal (7 plays, 61 yards, 3:36) HOU 31–10 1:26 HOU Jeremy Singleton 34-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 55 yards, 1:18) HOU 38–10 4 11:30 UCONN Malik Dixon 37-yard interception return (Joe McFadden kick) (2 plays, 12 yards, 0:46) HOU 38–17 3:03 HOU Chandler Smith 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (4 plays, 27 yards, 1:50) HOU 45–17

See also: 2021 UConn Huskies football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –32.0	54.5

Statistics	Houston	UConn
First downs	21	16
Total yards	472	238
Rushing yards	149	82
Passing yards	323	156
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	31:16	28:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	21/30, 301 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	9 rushes, 54 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jake Herslow	5 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD
UConn	Passing	Steven Krajewski	9/19, 79 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Steven Krajewski	8 rushes, 53 yards
	Receiving	Kevens Clercius	2 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD

At No. 4 Cincinnati (AAC Championship game)

2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

1 2 3 4 Total No. 21 Cougars 10 3 0 7 20 •No. 4 Bearcats 14 0 21 0 35 Date: December 4, 2021 Location: Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH Game start: 3:00 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 21 minutes Game attendance: 37,978 Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: N 6 MPH Referee: Hank Johns TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst) and Katie George (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 11:55 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 37-yard field goal (7 plays, 50 yards, 2:57) HOU 3–0 9:38 CIN Tyler Scott 25-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (5 plays, 82 yards, 2:11) CIN 7–3 4:23 HOU Nathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (10 plays, 74 yards, 5:07) HOU 10–7 4:06 CIN Jerome Ford 79-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (1 play, 79 yards, 0:11) CIN 14–10 2 11:40 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal (13 plays, 44 yards, 7:21) CIN 14–13 3 12:02 CIN Leonard Taylor 8-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:58) CIN 21–13 11:04 CIN Alec Pierce 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (2 plays, 23 yards, 0:41) CIN 28–13 7:38 CIN Jerome Ford 42-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (3 plays, 62 yards, 1:18) CIN 35–13 4 6:06 HOU Jake Herslow 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (13 plays, 90 yards, 7:28) CIN 35–20

See also: 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team and 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

Line	Over/under
CIN –10.5	52.5

Statistics	Houston	Cincinnati
First downs	22	14
Total yards	336	400
Rushing yards	86	210
Passing yards	250	190
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	40:19	19:41

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	17/26, 250 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	13 rushes, 39 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD
Cincinnati	Passing	Desmond Ridder	11/17, 190 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Jerome Ford	18 rushes, 187 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Alec Pierce	2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

Vs. Auburn (Birmingham Bowl)

2021 Birmingham Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total •No. 20 Cougars 7 3 0 7 17 Tigers 0 3 10 0 13 Date: December 28, 2021 Location: Protective Stadium Birmingham, AL Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST Elapsed time: 3 hours and 25 minutes Game attendance: 47,100 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: Referee: Michael Mothershed TV announcers (ESPN): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Eric Mac Lain (analyst) and Taylor Davis (sideline)

Scoring summary 1 8:46 HOU Alton McCaskill 5-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (12 plays, 87 yards, 6:14) HOU 7–0 2 6:58 HOU Dalton Witherspoon 52-yard field goal (9 plays, 45 yards, 4:10) HOU 10–0 3:10 AUB Ben Patton 27-yard field goal (8 plays, 67 yards, 3:48) HOU 10–3 3 12:12 AUB Ben Patton 35-yard field goal (7 plays, 57 yards, 2:48) HOU 10–6 3:52 AUB Kobe Hudson 12-yard pass from T. J. Finley (Ben Patton kick) (11 plays, 78 yards, 6:20) AUB 13–10 4 3:27 HOU Jake Herslow 26-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 3:20) HOU 17–13

See also: 2021 Auburn Tigers football team and 2021 Birmingham Bowl

Line	Over/under
AUB –2.0	49

Statistics	Houston	Auburn
First downs	19	15
Total yards	398	352
Rushing yards	115	125
Passing yards	283	227
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	29:50	30:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	26/40, 283 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	14 rushes, 78 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	10 receptions, 150 yards
Auburn	Passing	T. J. Finley	19/37, 227 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	16 rushes, 96 yards
	Receiving	Tank Bigsby	5 receptions, 68 yards

Rankings

Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	20	17	17	19	16	21	17
Coaches	RV	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	RV	19	17	17	16	16	21	17
CFP	Not released									—	—	24	24	21	20	Not released

References

1. "Cincinnati Chosen as Favorite in American Preseason Media Poll". theAmerican.org. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
2. "2021 Houston Cougars Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
3. "Houston sits through 5-hour, 18-minute weather delay and OT before toppling East Carolina, 31-24". Underdog Dynasty. SB Nation. October 24, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.