For the second week in a row, Houston is taking on a program from the Big 12 Conference. After facing Texas Tech in a road game last week, the Cougars are playing host to the Kansas Jayhawks this Saturday inside TDECU Stadium.

While Houston and KU will be in the same conference next season, the two have only met three times before. The last time the Coogs and Jayhawks played football against one another was in the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl, and that one went to KU, 42-13. It was nearly 20 years ago. What's the relevance? There is none. The stadium they're playing in this weekend wasn't even built when these two last met. But people like trivia; let other people enjoy things. Maybe, and perhaps the best part, neither Mark Mangino or Art Briles have any relevance to this game.

Who does? Dana Holgorsen; his Houston team suffered its first loss of the season last week, falling to the Red Raiders in double OT. The week before that, UH escaped San Antonio with a triple OT victory against UTSA. Maybe with the Coogs finally getting back inside TDECU Stadium for the 2022 home opener, things can get handled within four quarters of play, one overtime tops

Houston is good in home openers too, having won seven consecutive dating to 2015. The Cougars’ seven straight home-opening victories is the longest streak in program history. During that stretch, Houston has averaged 44.0 points per game and outscored opponents 308-93. But that was then, and this is now.

There is plenty of consistency on both sidelines when it comes to coaches this season too. Houston's coaching staff remains almost entirely intact from 2021. Nine of Houston's 10 assistant coaches return with the lone new face being Assistant Head Coach and RB Coach Mike Jinks, who brings 25-plus years of coaching experience, including 20 in the state of Texas. Jinks spent the last three seasons as USC's running backs coach.

That veteran UH staff will need to scheme on how to slow down Kansas RB Devin Neal, who as a true freshman rushed for 707 yards on 158 carries – an average of 4.5 yards per carry. The Lawrence native is back, eager to improve on his impressive rookie season, and has done so thus far. He recorded 108-yards in the season opener and had two touchdowns on just four carries. Neal followed that with 42 yards and two touchdowns at West Virginia, while adding his first receiving touchdown of the season against WVU. See, not every Neal in Morgantown was bad last week.

Let's take a quick look at the visiting Jayhawks and hosting Coogs:

Kansas Jayhawks (2-0) | Big 12
Head Coach: Lance Liepold: 4-10 in Year 2 | 41-43 Overall in 8 Seasons
The number one scoring team in the country (not a typo) at 55.5 points per game, the Kansas Jayhawks have gotten off to a convincing start to open the 2022 season. The Jayhawks rank fourth in the country in scoring offense at 52.5 points per game, which accounts for offensive touchdowns only. Kansas has of course added two Cobee Bryant touchdowns to their total this year, via a field goal block return for a touchdown and an interception return for a score. Not only does Kansas rank fourth in scoring offense, the Jayhawks are first in the country in third down conversion percentage at 73.9, 12th in rushing offense at 248.5 yards per game, tied for first nationally in sacks allowed at zero and seventh in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed at 2.50.

Kansas is also averaging 9.2 yards per touch, which ranks sixth in the country. Sophomore running back Devin Neal is tied for first in the country with five total touchdowns in two games this season. Neal has four rushing scores and one receiving touchdown. He’s the first Jayhawk since Jake Sharp in 2009 to have five total touchdowns in the first two games of the season and first Kansas player since Jon Cornish in 2005 to have four rushing touchdowns in the first two games of the year. Neal has 10 total touchdowns over his last four games played.

QB Jalon Daniels threw for 219 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday’s win over West Virginia. It marked the second time in his career that Daniels threw for 200 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. In the overtime win over Texas last year, Daniels threw for 202 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. Daniels has now thrown at least one touchdown pass in six straight games. The Kansas offense has 10 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for third nationally on the season. The Jayhawks are also averaging 7.5 yards per carry, which ranks third behind Alabama and Air Force. Linebacker Rich Miller led Kansas with 12 total tackles on Saturday, recording the second double-digit tackle game of his Kansas career. He had 14 stops last year at Duke. Safety Kenny Logan Jr., also recorded a double-digit tackle game with 10 against the Mountaineers, registering the seventh of his career. Linebacker Craig Young, who transferred to Kansas in January from Ohio State, had the first two pass breakups of his Kansas career against West Virginia and also totaled seven tackles. Through two games, Kansas has a 20-0 advantage in points off turnovers.

Houston Cougars (1-1) | AAC
Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen: 20-16 in Year 4 | 81-57 Overall in 12 Seasons
Houston saw its 12-game regular season win streak snapped during last Saturday’s 33-30 double overtime victory at Texas Tech. The 12-game regular season win streak was Houston’s longest since winning as many from Sept. 3-Nov. 25, 2011. The Cougars had also won seven straight regular season road games, the longest for the program since winning nine consecutive from Nov. 14, 1987 to Sept. 23, 1989.

The Cougars opened their season with a three-overtime win at UTSA and a double-overtime loss at Texas Tech. It marked the first time in program history that Houston had played back-to-back overtime games. It is also the most overtime games the Cougars have played in a single season since 2000. Houston and UTSA are the only schools nationally to have played multiple overtime games this season. Houston has scored 10-plus points in 100 consecutive games (Sept. 2014-present). The Cougars have scored 21-plus points in 42 consecutive regular season home games (Sept. 2014-present).

Houston is the preseason favorite to win The American Athletic Conference for the first time since 2016. The Cougars are in search of their second American Athletic Conference title and first since 2015. A season ago, the Cougars posted an 8-0 record in league play, marking just the second undefeated conference season in program history. The Cougars are coming off a 12-2 season, appearance in The American title game and victory in the Birmingham Bowl against Auburn. After losing to Texas Tech during Week 1 a season ago, the Cougars ran off 11 consecutive victories. Houston is looking to make some history in 2022. The Cougars have never won 10-plus games in consecutive years.

TV and Kickoff Information
Kansas and Houston are slated to kickoff on Saturday, September 17th at 3 p.m. CT, 4 p.m. ET inside TDECU Stadium, with the game airing nationally on ESPNU.