Texas Bowl gives Houston a chance for more momentum

HOUSTON – For Tanner Koziol, the Kinder’s Texas Bowl is more than just his first bowl appearance. The showcase against LSU on Saturday is an opportunity to help the  University of Houston Cougars earn their 10th victory of the season.

The 6-foot-7, 250-pound tight end spent the first three seasons of his career at Ball State. After a brief cameo at Wisconsin last spring, Koziol transferred to Houston.

Now he’s focused on securing the Cougars’ 10th victory of the season against LSU at NRG Stadium.

“Not everyone gets to play in a bowl game, and not everyone gets a chance to win 10 games in a season,” Koziol said. “Coming off last year and turning the program into what it is now, it’s really exciting.” 

The University of Houston Cougars return to the Texas Bowl for the first time since 2007. Their resilience showcased more on the road, where the Coogs finished 6-0 this year.

Houston allowed only 18.3 points per game on the road, while the offense averaged 31 points. 

Koziol, who has 65 receptions for 651 yards and five touchdowns, emphasized the culture that head coach Willie Fritz created. The Cougars turned their program around after a 4-8 season.

Building good Houston culture

“Coach Fritz always says, ‘Can you do the same thing day after day after day?’” Koziol said. “Just be consistent and be the same guy every day. Be the same player every day.

“And just taking that approach and even when you don’t feel like it, just being that guy every day that they call you to be here. We created such a good culture here and it’s why we won so many games.”

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For quarterback Conner Weigman, who has 32 total touchdowns, it’s about redemption. Weigman is a dual threat to opposing defenses. The Cypress, Texas, native admitted that the Texas Bowl carried some personal weight during his time at Texas A&M. 

“It’s a huge opportunity for this team, this university, and this community,” Weigman said. “Two days after Christmas, no excuse not to be there. We’re gonna come out and play and give it all we got.

“Two years ago (while at Texas A&M) we were in the Texas Bowl but I was hurt, so it kind of sucked not being able to play.”

Wide receiver Amare Thomas, who finished second in the Big 12 with 906 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, embraces the challenge of facing an SEC opponent.

“You’re going against some of the best guys in the country,” Thomas said. “It’s a big stage, it’s fun, it’s challenging.

“Playing at home makes it even sweeter. It’s basically a home game. Playing at NRG, that’ll be a cool experience.”