2021 Houston Cougars football team

The 2021 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cougars played their home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas, competing in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Dana Holgorsen.

2021 Houston Cougars football
Birmingham Bowl champion
AAC Championship Game, L 20–35 vs. Cincinnati
Birmingham Bowl, W 17–13 vs. Auburn
Conference	American Athletic Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 17
AP	No. 17
Record	12–2 (8–0 American)
Head coach	Dana Holgorsen (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Shannon Dawson (2nd, 3rd overall season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Brandon Jones (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Doug Belk (1st, 3rd overall season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	TDECU Stadium
Seasons ← 2020 2022 →

2021 American Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Cincinnati y$^		8	–	0					13	–	1
No. 17 Houston y		8	–	0					12	–	2
UCF		5	–	3					9	–	4
East Carolina		5	–	3					7	–	5
Tulsa		5	–	3					7	–	6
SMU		4	–	4					8	–	4
Memphis		3	–	5					6	–	6
Navy		3	–	5					4	–	8
Tulane		1	–	7					2	–	10
South Florida		1	–	7					2	–	10
Temple		1	–	7					3	–	9
Championship: Cincinnati 35, Houston 20
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

Preseason

American Athletic Conference preseason media poll

The American Athletic Conference preseason media poll was released at the virtual media day held August 4, 2021.^[1] Cincinnati, who finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the 2021 preseason media poll.

Media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Cincinnati	262 (22)
2	UCF	241 (2)
3	SMU	188
4	Houston	181
5	Memphis	168
6	Tulsa	153
7	Tulane	132
T-8	East Carolina	85
T-8	Navy	85
10	Temple	46
11	South Florida	43

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:00 p.m.	vs. Texas Tech*		NRG Stadium Houston, TX (Texas Kickoff / rivalry)	ESPN	L 21–38	43,478
September 11	5:30 p.m.	at Rice*		Rice Stadium Houston, TX (rivalry)	CBSSN	W 44–7	26,253
September 18	6:00 p.m.	Grambling State*		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	W 45–0	22,998
September 25	6:00 p.m.	Navy		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPNU	W 28–20	25,054
October 1	6:30 p.m.	at Tulsa		H.A. Chapman Stadium Tulsa, OK	ESPN	W 45–10	15,890
October 7	6:30 p.m.	at Tulane		Yulman Stadium New Orleans, LA	ESPN	W 40–22	15,026
October 23	8:20 p.m.	East Carolina		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPNews α	W 31–24 OT	22,925
October 30	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 SMU		TDECU Stadium Houston, TX (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 44–37	25,676
November 6	6:30 p.m.	at South Florida		Raymond James Stadium Tampa, FL	ESPNU	W 54–42	28,667
November 13	11:00 a.m.	at Temple		Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA	ESPN+	W 37–8	18,440
November 19	8:00 p.m.	Memphis	No. 24	TDECU Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN2	W 31–13	28,712
November 27	11:00 a.m.	at UConn*	No. 24	Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT	CBSSN	W 45–17	12,685
December 4	3:00 p.m.	at No. 4 Cincinnati	No. 21	Nippert Stadium Cincinnati, OH (AAC Championship Game)	ABC	L 20–35	37,978
December 28	11:00 a.m.	vs. Auburn*	No. 20	Protective Stadium Birmingham, AL (Birmingham Bowl)	ESPN	W 17–13	47,100
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to game All times are in Central time

^[2]

Notes

^α This game was initially scheduled for ESPNU at 3:00 p.m. CT, but was moved to 8:20 p.m. CT on ESPNews because of a rain delay.^[3]

Game summaries

Vs. Texas Tech (Texas Kickoff)

Texas Tech vs. Houston

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Red Raiders	0	7	17	14	38
Cougars	14	7	0	0	21

• Date: September 4, 2021
• Location: NRG Stadium
  Houston, TX
• Game start: 6:11 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 35 minutes
• Game attendance: 43,478
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Indoor (N/A)
• Referee: David Alvarez
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play–by–play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporter)

     

Scoring summary

1	6:37	HOU	Clayton Tune 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (16 plays, 75 yards, 8:23)	HOU 7–0
	2:13	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 23-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 54 yards, 4:24)	HOU 14–0
2	11:47	TTU	Tahj Brooks 41-yard run (Jonathan Garibay kick) (1 play, 41 yards, 0:10)	HOU 14–7
	0:23	HOU	Seth Green 9-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (13 plays, 75 yards, 4:52)	HOU 21–7
3	8:08	TTU	Tyler Shough 8-yard run (Jonathan Garibay kick) (6 plays, 60 yards, 3:06)	HOU 21–14
	7:20	TTU	Riko Jeffers 13-yard interception return (Jonathan Garibay kick) (2 plays, -7 yards, 0:48)	TIE 21–21
	0:36	TTU	Jonathan Garibay 34-yard field goal (4 plays, 6 yards, 1:15)	TTU 24–21
4	2:05	TTU	Xavier White 3-yard pass from Tyler Shough (Jonathan Garibay kick) (8 plays, 71 yards, 2:52)	TTU 31–21
	1:00	TTU	Tahj Brooks 44-yard run (Jonathan Garibay kick) (2 plays, 48 yards, 0:15)	TTU 38–21

See also: 2021 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team and Texas Kickoff

Line	Over/under
HOU –2.5	63

Statistics	Texas Tech	Houston
First downs	15	15
Total yards	376	251
Rushing yards	145	77
Passing yards	231	174
Turnovers	1	4
Time of possession	23:23	36:37

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Texas Tech	Passing	Tyler Shough	17/24, 231 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tahj Brooks	15 rushes, 134 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Erik Ezukanma	7 receptions, 179 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	27/38, 174 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs
	Rushing	Mulbah Car	13 rushes, 37 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD

At Rice (Bayou Bucket Classic)

Houston at Rice

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cougars	17	0	14	13	44
Owls	0	7	0	0	7

• Date: September 11, 2021
• Location: Rice Stadium
  Houston, TX
• Game start: 5:30 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time:  
• Game attendance: 26,253
• Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBD
• Referee: Charles Lamertina
• TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst), and Desmond Purnell (sideline)

    

Scoring summary

1	10:08	HOU	Alton McCaskill 35-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 84 yards, 3:30)	HOU 7–0
	5:37	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 38-yard field goal (7 plays, 56 yards, 3:18)	HOU 10–0
	2:19	HOU	Jake Herslow 11-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 48 yards, 2:37)	HOU 17–0
2	0:13	RICE	Jordan Myers 5-yard pass from Luke McCaffrey (Collin Riccitelli kick) (11 plays, 81 yards, 5:01)	HOU 17–7
3	7:18	HOU	Alton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (17 plays, 75 yards, 7:42)	HOU 24–7
	0:01	HOU	Alton McCaskill 2-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (10 plays, 85 yards, 4:29)	HOU 31–7
4	4:51	HOU	Chandler Smith 14-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (2 plays, 20 yards, 0:49)	HOU 38–7
	0:00	HOU	Alex Hogan 91-yard interception return (9 plays, 60 yards, 4:51)	HOU 44–7

See also: 2021 Rice Owls football team and Houston–Rice rivalry

Line	Over/under
HOU –7.5	51

Statistics	Houston	Rice
First downs	23	15
Total yards	393	212
Rushing yards	144	126
Passing yards	249	86
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	32:01	27:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	22/30, 236 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Clayton Tune	9 rushes, 49 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	7 receptions, 87 yards
Rice	Passing	Luke McCaffrey	9/19, 86 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Khalan Griffin	19 rushes, 86 yards
	Receiving	Jorden Myers	5 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD

Grambling State

Grambling State at Houston

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0
• Cougars	7	14	21	3	45

• Date: September 18, 2021
• Location: TDECU Stadium
  Houston, TX
• Game start: 6:06 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 6 minutes
• Game attendance: 22,998
• Game weather: Sunny
• Referee: Nate Black
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Alex Del Barrio (play–by–play) and Stanford Routt (analyst)

   

Scoring summary

1	0:15	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 47 yards, 2:06)	HOU 7–0
2	10:40	HOU	Marcus Jones 48-yard punt return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 3 yards, 1:57)	HOU 14–0
	5:23	HOU	Alton McCaskill 17-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 3:03)	HOU 21–0
3	11:54	HOU	Alton McCaskill 34-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (4 plays, 48 yards, 0:59)	HOU 28–0
	7:01	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 10-yard pass from Ike Ogbogu (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 56 yards, 3:32)	HOU 35–0
	2:03	HOU	Ta'Zhawn Henry 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 58 yards, 3:06)	HOU 42–0
4	6:10	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 22-yard field goal (15 plays, 62 yards, 8:38)	HOU 45–0

See also: 2021 Grambling State Tigers football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –41.0	52

Statistics	Grambling State	Houston
First downs	3	24
Total yards	102	422
Rushing yards	53	164
Passing yards	49	258
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	25:02	34:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Grambling State	Passing	Aldon Clark	5/12, 49 yards
	Rushing	Darqueze Brutton	9 rushes, 18 yards
	Receiving	Greg White	1 reception, 37 yards
Houston	Passing	Ike Ogbogu	14/22, 196 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	16 rushes, 114 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	8 receptions, 134 yards, 2 TDs

Navy

Navy at Houston

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Midshipmen	7	10	0	3	20
• Cougars	7	0	7	14	28

• Date: September 25, 2021
• Location: TDECU Stadium
  Houston, TX
• Game start: 6:02 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 8 minutes
• Game attendance: 25,054
• Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: E 6 MPH
• Referee: Hank Johns
• TV announcers (ESPNU): Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)

    

Scoring summary

1	13:57	NAVY	Xavier Arline 40-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick) (3 plays, 76 yards, 0:58)	NAVY 7–0
	1:35	HOU	Marcus Jones 73-yard punt return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 4 yards, 2:03)	TIE 7–7
2	7:53	NAVY	Bijan Nichols 30-yard field goal (15 plays, 62 yards, 8:42)	NAVY 10–7
	0:52	NAVY	Isaac Ruoss 1-yard run (Bijan Nichols kick) (11 plays, 89 yards, 5:28)	NAVY 17–7
3	3:16	HOU	Ta'Zhawn Henry 2-yard run (Kyle Ramsey kick) (7 plays, 43 yards, 4:23)	NAVY 17–14
4	14:53	HOU	Marcus Jones 47-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Kyle Ramsey kick) (7 plays, 81 yards, 1:55)	HOU 21–17
	12:08	HOU	Ta'Zhawn Henry 1-yard run (Kyle Ramsey kick) (5 plays, 26 yards, 2:39)	HOU 28–17
	6:12	NAVY	Bijan Nichols 36-yard field goal (13 plays, 56 yards, 5:56)	HOU 28–20

See also: 2021 Navy Midshipmen football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –20.0	47

Statistics	Navy	Houston
First downs	16	20
Total yards	300	384
Rushing yards	202	127
Passing yards	98	257
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	33:21	26:39

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Navy	Passing	Xavier Arline	3/6, 83 yards
	Rushing	Xavier Arline	19 rushes, 64 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Mychal Cooper	3 receptions, 83 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	22/30, 257 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	17 rushes, 74 yards
	Receiving	Christian Trahan	4 receptions, 65 yards

At Tulsa

Houston at Tulsa

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cougars	14	14	7	10	45
Golden Hurricane	0	3	0	7	10

• Date: October 1, 2021
• Location: Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium
  Tulsa, OK
• Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 32 minutes
• Game attendance: 15,890
• Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: W 2 MPH
• Referee: Luke Richmond
• TV announcers (ESPN): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)

     

Scoring summary

1	4:23	HOU	Alton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 81 yards, 4:29)	HOU 7–0
	1:14	HOU	Jeremy Singleton 47-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (4 plays, 85 yards, 1:21)	HOU 14–0
2	13:01	HOU	Alton McCaskill 27-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 56 yards, 1:10)	HOU 21–0
	9:33	HOU	Alton McCaskill 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 32 yards, 2:01)	HOU 28–0
	1:22	TLSA	Zack Long 33-yard field goal (11 plays, 65 yards, 2:58)	HOU 28–3
3	14:06	HOU	Gervarrius Owens 45-yard interception return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 10 yards, 0:54)	HOU 35–3
4	14:55	HOU	Seth Green 8-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (9 plays, 57 yards, 4:32)	HOU 42–3
	9:26	TLSA	Ezra Naylor II 41-yard pass from Davis Brin (Zack Long kick) (6 plays, 72 yards, 1:46)	HOU 42–10
	4:19	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 48-yard field goal (9 plays, 44 yards, 5:07)	HOU 45–10

See also: 2021 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team

Line	Over/under
TLSA –3.5	54

Statistics	Houston	Tulsa
First downs	22	14
Total yards	405	289
Rushing yards	144	31
Passing yards	261	258
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	32:26	27:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	17/24, 241 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	17 rushes, 77 yards, 3 TDs
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	6 receptions, 82 yards
Tulsa	Passing	Davis Brin	20/39, 258 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs
	Rushing	Anthony Watkins	8 rushes, 39 yards
	Receiving	Sam Crawford Jr.	5 receptions, 101 yards

At Tulane

Houston at Tulane

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cougars	14	3	9	14	40
Green Wave	0	15	7	0	22

• Date: October 7, 2021
• Location: Yulman Stadium
  New Orleans, LA
• Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 19 minutes
• Game attendance: 15,026
• Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Mostly Sunny • Wind: NE 4 MPH
• Referee: Tim Rich
• TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Harry Lyles, Jr. (sideline)

      

Scoring summary

1	8:04	HOU	Christian Trahan 11-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (11 plays, 76 yards, 5:14)	HOU 7–0
	0:22	HOU	Jeremy Singleton 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 64 yards, 2:58)	HOU 14–0
2	10:45	TULN	Tyrick James 13-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Christian Daniels Pass to Michael Pratt for two-point conversion) (5 plays, 73 yards, 1:53)	HOU 14–8
	3:33	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal (7 plays, 20 yards, 2:26)	HOU 17–8
	2:11	TULN	Tyjae Spears 39-yard run (Merek Glover kick) (6 plays, 75 yards, 1:22)	HOU 17–15
3	13:18	TULN	Will Wallace 29-yard pass from Michael Pratt (Merek Glover kick) (1 play, 29 yards, 0:08)	TULN 22–17
	8:16	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 24-yard field goal (5 plays, 28 yards, 1:17)	TULN 22–20
	1:20	HOU	Jeremy Singleton 29-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Two-point pass conversion failed) (11 plays, 80 yards, 4:40)	HOU 26–22
4	9:28	HOU	Ta'Zhawn Henry 8-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 39 yards, 3:20)	HOU 33–22
	1:03	HOU	Alton McCaskill 35-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 53 yards, 1:59)	HOU 40–22

See also: 2021 Tulane Green Wave football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –6.5	60

Statistics	Houston	Tulane
First downs	18	17
Total yards	435	308
Rushing yards	147	94
Passing yards	288	214
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	31:34	28:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	23/36, 288 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	18 rushes, 93 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	KeSean Carter	6 receptions, 69 yards
Tulane	Passing	Michael Pratt	20/30, 214 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Cameron Carroll	13 rushes, 68 yards
	Receiving	Will Wallace	2 receptions, 54 yards, 1 TD

East Carolina

East Carolina at Houston

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Pirates	10	0	0	14	0	24
• Cougars	17	7	0	0	7	31

• Date: October 23, 2021
• Location: TDECU Stadium
  Houston, TX
• Game start: 3:00 p.m. CDT (Kicked at 8:20 p.m. – delayed 5 hours and 20 minutes to kickoff due to lightning)
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 27 minutes
• Game attendance: 22,925
• Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 9 MPH
• Referee: Edwin Lee
• TV announcers (ESPNews): Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (analyst)

     

Scoring summary

1	11:39	ECU	Owen Daffer 33-yard field goal (9 plays, 60 yards, 3:21)	ECU 3–0
	6:56	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 21-yard field goal (11 plays, 70 yards, 4:43)	TIE 3–3
	5:46	ECU	Jsi Hatfield 40-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Owen Daffer kick) (3 plays, 78 yards, 1:10)	ECU 10–3
	5:34	HOU	Marcus Jones 98-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12)	TIE 10–10
	1:38	HOU	Christian Trahan 2-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 32 yards, 2:47)	HOU 17–10
2	3:12	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 14-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (2 plays, 13 yards, 0:22)	HOU 24–10
4	6:59	ECU	Holton Ahlers 1-yard run (Owen Daffer kick) (6 plays, 71 yards, 2:40)	HOU 24–17
	5:43	ECU	Audie Omotosho 13-yard pass from Holton Ahlers (Owen Daffer kick) (2 plays, 16 yards, 1:01)	TIE 24–24
OT		HOU	Alton McCaskill 25-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (1 play, 25 yards)	HOU 31–24

See also: 2021 East Carolina Pirates football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –13.5	57

Statistics	East Carolina	Houston
First downs	20	16
Total yards	360	256
Rushing yards	82	87
Passing yards	278	169
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	29:13	30:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Carolina	Passing	Holton Ahlers	23/37, 278 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Keaton Mitchell	11 rushes, 38 yards
	Receiving	Tyler Snead	7 receptions, 114 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	19/29, 169 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	12 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Christian Trahan	6 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

No. 19 SMU

SMU at Houston

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Mustangs	7	13	14	3	37
• Cougars	17	6	7	14	44

• Date: October 30, 2021
• Location: TDECU Stadium
  Houston, TX
• Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 37 minutes
• Game attendance: 25,676
• Game weather: Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: NW 6 MPH
• Referee: Charles Lamertina
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst), and Alyssa Lang (sideline)

          

Scoring summary

1	11:20	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 3:40)	HOU 7–0
	9:26	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 48-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (2 plays, 56 yards, 0:33)	HOU 14–0
	2:20	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 50-yard field goal (9 plays, 55 yards, 4:32)	HOU 17–0
	0:00	SMU	Jordan Kerley 43-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick) (7 plays, 75 yards, 2:20	HOU 17–7
2	11:41	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal (7 plays, 69 yards, 3:19)	HOU 20–7
	7:28	SMU	Tre Siggers 50-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza kick) (1 play, 50 yards, 0:09)	HOU 20–14
	2:45	SMU	Rashee Rice 6-yard pass from Tanner Mordecai (Blake Mazza PAT blocked) (7 plays, 35 yards, 3:07)	TIE 20–20
	0:00	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 30-yard field goal (12 plays, 62 yards, 2:45)	HOU 23–20
3	14:45	SMU	Bryan Massey 100-yard kickoff return (Blake Mazza kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:15)	SMU 27–23
	9:22	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 17-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (11 plays, 72 yards, 5:23)	HOU 30–27
	5:46	SMU	Tre Siggers 2-yard run (Blake Mazza kick) (8 plays, 75 yards, 3:36)	SMU 34–30
4	13:36	HOU	KeSean Carter 4-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (14 plays, 75 yards, 7:10)	HOU 37–34
	0:30	SMU	Blake Mazza 45-yard field goal (10 plays, 58 yards, 1:34)	TIE 37–37
	0:17	HOU	Marcus Jones 100-yard kickoff return (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13)	HOU 44–37

See also: 2021 SMU Mustangs football team

Line	Over/under
SMU –1.0	62

Statistics	SMU	Houston
First downs	18	23
Total yards	355	489
Rushing yards	50	77
Passing yards	305	412
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	24:37	35:23

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
SMU	Passing	Tanner Mordecai	24/37, 305 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Tre Siggers	13 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Danny Gray	5 receptions, 73 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	27/37, 412 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Ta'Zhawn Henry	21 rushes, 49 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	9 receptions, 165 yards, 3 TDs

At South Florida

Houston at South Florida

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cougars	9	17	21	7	54
Bulls	14	14	7	7	42

• Date: November 6, 2021
• Location: Raymond James Stadium
  Tampa, FL
• Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time:  
• Game attendance: 28,667
• Game weather: • Weather: TBD • Wind: TBD
• Referee: Tim Rich
• TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)

           

Scoring summary

1	14:47	USF	Brian Battie 100-yard kickoff return (Spencer Shrader kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13)	USF 7–0
	8:35	HOU	Jake Herslow 18-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 56 yards, 2:51)	TIE 7–7
	6:44	USF	Brian Battie 29-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 1:51)	USF 14–7
	3:34	HOU	Atlias Bell safety (3 plays, -1 yard, 0:44)	USF 14–9
2	14:52	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 19-yard field goal (8 plays, 56 yards, 3:42)	USF 14–12
	10:19	USF	Mitchell Brinkman 33-yard pass from Timmy McClain (Spencer Shrader kick) (10 plays, 75 yards, 4:33)	USF 21–12
	8:19	HOU	Alton McCaskill 6-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 54 yards, 2:00)	USF 21–19
	2:30	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 55-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 87 yards, 0:40)	HOU 26–21
	2:16	USF	Brian Battie 100-yard kickoff return (Spencer Shrader kick) (0 plays, 0 yards, 0:14)	USF 28–26
3	12:50	HOU	Alton McCaskill 2-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 67 yards, 2:10)	HOU 33–28
	10:04	HOU	Ta'Zhawn Henry 97-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (1 play, 97 yards, 0:14)	HOU 40–28
	6:58	USF	Chris Carter 14-yard pass from Timmy McClain (Spencer Shrader kick) (11 plays, 65 yards, 3:06)	HOU 40–35
	4:44	HOU	Jeremy Singleton 27-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 75 yards, 2:14)	HOU 47–35
4	3:59	USF	Timmy McClain 11-yard run (Spencer Shrader kick) (9 plays, 60 yards, 2:34)	HOU 47–42
	2:27	HOU	Alton McCaskill 16-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 44 yards, 1:32)	HOU 54–42

See also: 2021 South Florida Bulls football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –13.5	53

Statistics	Houston	South Florida
First downs	30	23
Total yards	646	399
Rushing yards	261	110
Passing yards	385	289
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	33:07	26:53

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	21/26, 385 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Ta'Zhawn Henry	10 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	8 receptions, 164 yards, 1 TD
South Florida	Passing	Timmy McClain	22/46, 289 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Timmy McClain	11 rushes, 46 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Xavier Weaver	6 receptions, 105 yards

At Temple

Houston at Temple

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Cougars	7	3	14	13	37
Owls	0	0	0	8	8

• Date: November 13, 2021
• Location: Lincoln Financial Field
  Philadelphia, PA
• Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 16 minutes
• Game attendance: 18,440
• Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: S 13 MPH
• Referee: Edwin Lee
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Leger Douzable (analyst)

   

Scoring summary

1	8:47	HOU	Alton McCaskill 3-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (7 plays, 47 yards, 3:30)	HOU 7–0
2	7:46	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 39-yard field goal (13 plays, 58 yards, 7:09)	HOU 10–0
3	11:29	HOU	Ta'Zhawn Henry 6-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 65 yards, 3:31)	HOU 17–0
	4:00	HOU	Alton McCaskill 34-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (5 plays, 52 yards, 2:05)	HOU 24–0
4	14:22	TEM	Edward Saydee 1-yard run (Justin Lynch pass to Darius Pittman for two-point conversion) (4 plays, 45 yards, 0:56)	HOU 24–8
	10:57	HOU	Jaylen Erwin 35-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon PAT blocked) (7 plays, 77 yards, 3:23)	HOU 30–8
	6:13	HOU	Seth Green 6-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 42 yards, 2:28)	HOU 37–8

See also: 2021 Temple Owls football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –25.0	53

Statistics	Houston	Temple
First downs	24	10
Total yards	446	218
Rushing yards	217	99
Passing yards	229	119
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	39:22	20:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	21/34, 224 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	21 rushes, 129 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Seth Green	7 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD
Temple	Passing	Justin Lynch	11/24, 119 yards, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Justin Lynch	14 rushes, 78 yards
	Receiving	Randle Jones	5 receptions, 36 yards

Memphis

Memphis at Houston

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	3	7	3	13
• No. 24 Cougars	0	21	0	10	31

• Date: November 19, 2021
• Location: TDECU Stadium
  Houston, TX
• Game start: 8:00 p.m. CST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 40 minutes
• Game attendance: 28,712
• Game weather: • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 4 MPH
• Referee: Hank Johns
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), and Paul Carcaterra (sideline)

     

Scoring summary

2	14:03	HOU	Alton McCaskill 36-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (1 play, 36 yards, 0:15)	HOU 7–0
	5:40	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 19-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (11 plays, 93 yards, 4:36)	HOU 14–0
	2:55	MEM	David Kemp 28-yard field goal (9 plays, 65 yards, 2:45)	HOU 14–3
	0:53	HOU	Clayton Tune 20-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 63 yards, 2:02)	HOU 21–3
3	4:31	MEM	Asa Martin 5-yard pass from Seth Henigan (David Kemp kick) (11 plays, 60 yards, 4:16)	HOU 21–10
4	14:52	MEM	David Kemp 22-yard field goal (8 plays, 86 yards, 2:30)	HOU 21–13
	3:24	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 34-yard field goal (5 plays, 29 yards, 2:15)	HOU 24–13
	1:43	HOU	Ta'Zhawn Henry 4-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 18 yards, 0:52)	HOU 31–13

See also: 2021 Memphis Tigers football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –9.5	59

Statistics	Memphis	Houston
First downs	24	25
Total yards	322	461
Rushing yards	106	197
Passing yards	216	264
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	25:34	34:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Memphis	Passing	Seth Henigan	21/45, 208 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Rodrigues Clark	12 rushes, 32 yards
	Receiving	Calvin Austin	5 receptions, 103 yards
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	20/34, 264 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Ta'Zhawn Henry	13 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

At UConn

Houston at UConn

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 24 Cougars	7	14	17	7	45
Huskies	0	10	0	7	17

• Date: November 27, 2021
• Location: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field
  East Hartford, CT
• Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 23 minutes
• Game attendance: 12,685
• Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: TBD
• Referee: Tom O'Mara
• TV announcers (CBSSN): Jason Knapp (play-by-play), Ross Tucker (analyst), and Tina Cervasio (sideline)

      

Scoring summary

1	10:21	HOU	Alton McCaskill 31-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (6 plays, 55 yards, 3:02)	HOU 7–0
2	11:44	HOU	Jake Herslow 49-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 52 yards, 0:50)	HOU 14–0
	6:31	UCONN	Kevens Clercius 34-yard pass from Steven Krajewski (Joe McFadden kick) (3 plays, 25 yards, 1:09)	HOU 14–7
	1:15	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 6-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 52 yards, 0:50)	HOU 21–7
	0:01	UCONN	Joe McFadden 25-yard field goal (7 plays, 52 yards, 1:11)	HOU 21–10
3	11:08	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 13-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (9 plays, 47 yards, 3:45)	HOU 28–10
	6:02	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 23-yard field goal (7 plays, 61 yards, 3:36)	HOU 31–10
	1:26	HOU	Jeremy Singleton 34-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (3 plays, 55 yards, 1:18)	HOU 38–10
4	11:30	UCONN	Malik Dixon 37-yard interception return (Joe McFadden kick) (2 plays, 12 yards, 0:46)	HOU 38–17
	3:03	HOU	Chandler Smith 1-yard run (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (4 plays, 27 yards, 1:50)	HOU 45–17

See also: 2021 UConn Huskies football team

Line	Over/under
HOU –32.0	54.5

Statistics	Houston	UConn
First downs	21	16
Total yards	472	238
Rushing yards	149	82
Passing yards	323	156
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	31:16	28:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	21/30, 301 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	9 rushes, 54 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jake Herslow	5 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD
UConn	Passing	Steven Krajewski	9/19, 79 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Steven Krajewski	8 rushes, 53 yards
	Receiving	Kevens Clercius	2 receptions, 64 yards, 1 TD

At No. 4 Cincinnati (AAC Championship game)

2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 21 Cougars	10	3	0	7	20
• No. 4 Bearcats	14	0	21	0	35

• Date: December 4, 2021
• Location: Nippert Stadium
  Cincinnati, OH
• Game start: 3:00 p.m. CST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 21 minutes
• Game attendance: 37,978
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: N 6 MPH
• Referee: Hank Johns
• TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), and Katie George (sideline)

     

Scoring summary

1	11:55	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 37-yard field goal (7 plays, 50 yards, 2:57)	HOU 3–0
	9:38	CIN	Tyler Scott 25-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (5 plays, 82 yards, 2:11)	CIN 7–3
	4:23	HOU	Nathaniel Dell 16-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (10 plays, 74 yards, 5:07)	HOU 10–7
	4:06	CIN	Jerome Ford 79-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (1 play, 79 yards, 0:11)	CIN 14–10
2	11:40	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 46-yard field goal (13 plays, 44 yards, 7:21)	CIN 14–13
3	12:02	CIN	Leonard Taylor 8-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:58)	CIN 21–13
	11:04	CIN	Alec Pierce 21-yard pass from Desmond Ridder (Christian Lowery kick) (2 plays, 23 yards, 0:41)	CIN 28–13
	7:38	CIN	Jerome Ford 42-yard run (Christian Lowery kick) (3 plays, 62 yards, 1:18)	CIN 35–13
4	6:06	HOU	Jake Herslow 7-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (13 plays, 90 yards, 7:28)	CIN 35–20

See also: 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team and 2021 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

Line	Over/under
CIN –10.5	52.5

Statistics	Houston	Cincinnati
First downs	22	14
Total yards	336	400
Rushing yards	86	210
Passing yards	250	190
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	40:19	19:41

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	17/26, 250 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	13 rushes, 39 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	9 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD
Cincinnati	Passing	Desmond Ridder	11/17, 190 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Jerome Ford	18 rushes, 187 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Alec Pierce	2 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

Vs. Auburn (Birmingham Bowl)

2021 Birmingham Bowl

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 20 Cougars	7	3	0	7	17
Tigers	0	3	10	0	13

• Date: December 28, 2021
• Location: Protective Stadium
  Birmingham, AL
• Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST
• Elapsed time: 3 hours and 25 minutes
• Game attendance: 47,100
• Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind:
• Referee: Michael Mothershed
• TV announcers (ESPN/Bowl Season Radio): Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Eric Mac Lain (analyst), and Taylor Davis (sideline)/Travis Jones (play-by-play), J.D. Byars (analyst), and Tenitra Batiste (sideline)

  

Scoring summary

1	8:46	HOU	Alton McCaskill 5-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (12 plays, 87 yards, 6:14)	HOU 7–0
2	6:58	HOU	Dalton Witherspoon 52-yard field goal (9 plays, 45 yards, 4:10)	HOU 10–0
	3:10	AUB	Ben Patton 27-yard field goal (8 plays, 67 yards, 3:48)	HOU 10–3
3	12:12	AUB	Ben Patton 35-yard field goal (7 plays, 57 yards, 2:48)	HOU 10–6
	3:52	AUB	Kobe Hudson 12-yard pass from T. J. Finley (Ben Patton kick) (11 plays, 78 yards, 6:20)	AUB 13–10
4	3:27	HOU	Jake Herslow 26-yard pass from Clayton Tune (Dalton Witherspoon kick) (8 plays, 80 yards, 3:20)	HOU 17–13

See also: 2021 Auburn Tigers football team and 2021 Birmingham Bowl

Line	Over/under
AUB –2.0	49

Statistics	Houston	Auburn
First downs	19	15
Total yards	398	352
Rushing yards	115	125
Passing yards	283	227
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	29:50	30:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Houston	Passing	Clayton Tune	26/40, 283 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Alton McCaskill	14 rushes, 78 yards
	Receiving	Nathaniel Dell	10 receptions, 150 yards
Auburn	Passing	T. J. Finley	19/37, 227 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tank Bigsby	16 rushes, 96 yards
	Receiving	Tank Bigsby	5 receptions, 68 yards

Rankings

Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	20	17	17	19	16	21	17
Coaches	RV	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	RV	19	17	17	16	16	21	17
CFP	Not released									—	—	24	24	21	20	Not released