Houston Comes Back to Defeat Oregon State 27-24 in Overtime

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — The University of Houston football team rallied from a late fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Oregon State 27-24 in overtime on Friday night at Reser Stadium.

The Cougars improved their record to 4-0, marking their best start since 2016. Houston trailed 24-10 in the fourth quarter but scored 17 unanswered points.

Quarterback Conner Weigman threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, including a crucial 50-yard pass to Tanner Koziol that tied the game at 24-24 with just 3:40 remaining.

Oregon State appeared to be in control, initially leading 24-10 after a touchdown run by Cornell Hatcher Jr. with 12:34 left in the game. They had a chance to win in regulation, but a blocked field goal attempt by the Cougars sent the match into overtime.

“We didn’t play very well in the first half, but we put it together when it counted,” said Houston coach Willie Fritz. “This was a hard-fought win.”

In the overtime period, Oregon State went for it on fourth-and-1 but failed to convert, giving Houston the ball. After moving into position, Ethan Sanchez kicked a 24-yard field goal to secure the victory.

Oregon State now sits at 0-5 for the season. Their quarterback, Maalik Murphy, threw for 201 yards and a touchdown. Hatcher Jr. led the Beavers with 93 rushing yards.

Next week, Houston will host No. 12 Texas Tech, while Oregon State will travel to face Appalachian State.