The Houston Cougars and LSU Tigers squared off under the bright lights of NRG Stadium on Saturday, December 27, 2025, for the Kinder’s Texas Bowl—a contest that not only marked the end of a tumultuous season for both programs but also signaled the start of new chapters on either side. For Houston, the stakes were sky-high: a shot at their first double-digit win season since 2021 and a chance to cap off what’s been one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent college football memory. For LSU, the game offered a final opportunity to salvage pride and set a tone for the Lane Kiffin era after months of upheaval.
Houston’s journey to this bowl game reads like a script straight out of Hollywood. Just one year ago, the Cougars finished a disappointing 4-8 under first-year head coach Willie Fritz. Fast forward to 2025, and Fritz’s squad stormed to a 9-3 regular season record, stunning just about everyone who had written them off. The secret sauce? A mix of strategic hires—Slade Nagle as offensive coordinator and Austin Armstrong as defensive coordinator—and a locker room culture that’s become the envy of the Big 12.
“When you see a team that was 4-8 last year and had struggles offensively and different things, you’re not sure what to think,” said tight end Tanner Koziol, one of the top transfer portal additions. “You have to talk to the coaches and see what they say and see if you believe them or not.” Koziol’s faith paid off, as he became part of a program that not only found its groove offensively but also built a brotherhood that kept opt-outs to a minimum—even as bowl season saw teams across the country depleted by departures.
Quarterback Conner Weigman, another key transfer from Texas A&M, echoed Koziol’s sentiment about Houston’s resurgence. “I feel like what we did this year is expected now, year in and year out, and that’s how it should be at the University of Houston,” Weigman said. “We’ve got all this talent around us that there’s no reason the University of Houston shouldn’t be up there each and every year.”
Houston’s offense averaged a healthy 28.3 points and 390.9 yards per game in 2025, a marked improvement from the previous year’s struggles. The defense, meanwhile, allowed just 21.8 points and 348.2 yards per game—a testament to Armstrong’s impact and the buy-in from players up and down the roster. The Cougars also boasted a perfect 6-0 road record, staying in the Big 12 title hunt until the final month of the regular season. No wonder the Texas Bowl felt like a homecoming celebration, with NRG Stadium packed with red and white faithful hoping for a historic tenth win.
But the Cougars’ story isn’t just about numbers—it’s about resilience. The team weathered heartbreak, too, with the loss of beloved strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester during the season. “We want to go out with a win for Coach Hester,” nose guard Carlos Allen Jr. shared, reflecting the emotional fuel driving the squad.
On the other side, the LSU Tigers limped into Houston seeking answers after a season that began with playoff dreams and ended in chaos. The Tigers started 2025 with a promising 5-1 record but stumbled down the stretch, dropping key games to Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. The result? The firing of head coach Brian Kelly, a public spat over his buyout involving the Louisiana governor, and the dismissal of athletic director Scott Woodward. Lane Kiffin, fresh from Ole Miss, was tapped as the new head coach on November 30, but it was interim boss Frank Wilson who led the Tigers into the Texas Bowl.
“We wanted to finish what we started,” Wilson said of the team’s decision to play in the bowl despite the coaching change. “To take that (experience) from these young men was something that we never actually put on the table. It’s something that they wanted. It’s something that we as a university wanted to do to complete a season.”
Still, LSU’s roster was depleted. Several high-profile players—including All-American cornerback Mansoor Delane, All-SEC safety A.J. Haulcy, and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, last year’s Texas Bowl MVP—opted out to enter the NFL Draft or transfer portal. The Tigers’ offense, which averaged just 21.8 points and 332.7 yards per game, struggled to find rhythm, while the defense remained a bright spot, allowing only 18.3 points and 319.7 yards per contest. As the Tigers took the field, the focus was as much on the future as the present.
For Houston, the Texas Bowl represented more than just a game—it was a validation of a season’s worth of hard work and a chance to reset expectations for years to come. “That doesn’t happen overnight,” Weigman said. “That takes time. It takes years. One 9-3 season… you have to build off that. That’s cool, but you have to keep going year in and year out, and we plan on doing that.”
Staff predictions ahead of the matchup were overwhelmingly in Houston’s favor, with most analysts citing the Cougars’ defensive edge and LSU’s offensive woes. Scores ranged from 21-13 to 31-20, with many noting that the game, played in Houston’s backyard, felt like an extra home contest for the Cougars. “Houston caps off its best season in years with a bowl game win in front of the hometown crowd,” wrote Aaron Raley, reflecting the local optimism.
While the outcome of the Texas Bowl was still unfolding at press time, what’s clear is that both programs entered the contest at a crossroads. For Houston, a win would mean just their seventh 10-win season since 1990 and a springboard into what could be a golden era in the Big 12. For LSU, the game was a final chapter in a season of upheaval—and the first page of Lane Kiffin’s tenure.
As the lights shone down on NRG Stadium, the Cougars and Tigers battled not just for a trophy, but for momentum, pride, and the promise of better days ahead. One thing’s for sure: this Texas Bowl will be remembered as a turning point for both programs, no matter which side of the scoreboard they end up on when the clock hits zero.
