As the Houston Cougars gear up for their upcoming Big 12 clash against Oklahoma State, head coach Willie Fritz addressed the media early in the week to share his insights on the Cowboys and highlight areas his team is focused on improving, most notably, tackling.
After suffering their first loss of the season to Texas Tech, the Cougars are looking to regroup and correct key issues on the defensive side of the ball. Fritz's comments offered a clear sense of urgency as Houston prepares to face an unpredictable Oklahoma State squad.
Preparing for an Unpredictable Oklahoma State Team
Fritz made it clear that despite the turbulence around the Oklahoma State program, including personnel turnover and the presence of an interim defensive coordinator, the Cowboys remain a dangerous and talented opponent.
"“They’ve got a lot of talent, no question about it,” Fritz said. “They’re showing a wide variety of looks on offense — different formations, some misdirection, and what you might even call trick plays. You have to be ready for everything.”"HC Willie Fritz
With the Cowboys continuing to experiment and adjust, Houston’s coaching staff faces the challenge of preparing for a wide array of possibilities.
"“They’ve got an interim defensive coordinator, a new guy that I’m sure is working through some things as well,” Fritz added. “You take away a few of the big plays they gave up last week, and it’s a much tighter game.”"Houston HC Willie Fritz
In short, Fritz expects Oklahoma State to be aggressive and versatile — and he knows his team must be ready to respond. Saying all the right things keepong his team focused and not looking at this game as a cake walk. Especially after last weeks lost, he is trying to keep his team hungry and not become complacent. Fritz has been around the game for a long time and knows anything can happen any given Saturday so stay humbled through the highs along with the lows.
Tackling at the Center of Defensive Adjustments
One of the most glaring issues in Houston’s recent loss to Texas Tech was tackling or the lack of it. Through their first four games (all wins), the Cougars averaged around nine missed tackles per game. That number ballooned to 15 in Lubbock which could've been a big reason the outcome was what it was.
That drop-off in execution was not lost on Fritz, who made it a focal point of his press conference. While he gave credit to Texas Tech’s playmakers, he emphasized that the bulk of the issue was technical and fixable.
"“Some of it’s just that you’re going up against talented guys,” Fritz said. “But more than that, it’s the way we were approaching the tackle. We were throwing too early — leading with the head or hands, and that’s just not going to get it done.”"Houston HC Willie Fritz
Fritz detailed the mechanics the coaching staff is drilling into players this week, from footwork to leverage. Staying consistent with this will be important since of how much of an issue this has been for them thus far. They have been lucky enough to get away with this up to this point, being 4-1, but won't get that lucky once they continue getting into conference play.
With Big 12 competition heating up, Fritz knows these fundamentals have to improve quickly — not just to keep games competitive, but to stay in the fight for conference relevance.
Looking Ahead
Between the challenge of preparing for a fluid Oklahoma State team and the need to shore up key areas like tackling, Houston enters this weekend’s matchup with clear objectives and no room for complacency.
Fritz’s messaging has been consistent: the Cougars have the talent to compete in the Big 12, but it will take discipline, focus, and sharp execution, especially on defense, to bounce back and keep pace in a crowded conference race.