Houston coach Willie Fritz dropped a direct challenge to Cougars fans on Saturday: “We need to get as many Coogs out there as humanly possible.” It wasn’t just a casual remark, either. This was a coach practically begging for a crowd ahead of a huge rivalry game.
The Battle for TDECU Stadium and What’s At Stake
Fritz’s plea came right after the No. 22 Cougars stomped Kansas State 35-16, and he wasted no time shifting focus to next Saturday’s showdown against No. 20 Oklahoma State. This isn’t just any game. It’s a legitimate top-20 matchup, a clash that hasn’t happened at TDECU Stadium since December 5, 2015, when No. 17 UH faced No. 20 Temple in the American Athletic Conference championship. That’s a long time to wait for a game of this magnitude!
The coach is pulling out all the stops trying to get fans hyped. He’s talking up the talent, saying both teams have “two fantastic quarterbacks,” Conner Weigman for UH and Drew Mestemaker for Oklahoma State, calling them “probably two of the better quarterbacks in the nation, seriously.” He’s also highlighting the night kickoff at 6:30 p.m., a prime-time slot. And get this: he even threw in a weather forecast, promising it “won’t be hot. It will be nice and cool,” with temps around 75 degrees. You know it’s getting real when the coach is selling the weather!
Houston’s Home Field Mystery: Where Are the Fans?
So, why the hard sell from Fritz? Well, attendance at TDECU Stadium this season has been, let’s just say, a bit of a head-scratcher. Early 11 a.m. kickoffs in the September heat definitely seemed to be a factor. The season opener against Oregon State pulled in 28,742 fans, and a game against UCF saw only 25,593. The best crowd so far? A night game against FCS-level Southern, which drew 28,937. You read that right: the highest attendance was for an FCS opponent. That’s a rough look for a team now ranked in the Top 25.
Athletic director Eddie Nuñez gets it, too. He’s reportedly planning to drop details early this week about some cool in-game features, including a drone show. It sounds like they’re trying everything to get those seats filled for a huge game that deserves a packed house.
The Cougars and Oklahoma State kick off next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at TDECU Stadium. With two ranked teams and a coach making a personal appeal, you gotta wonder if Houston fans will finally show up and make some noise for what promises to be an epic game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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