Houston's Donovan Smith to start vs. No. 18 Iowa State
Houston head coach Willie Fritz announced that Donovan Smith will start at quarterback for the Cougars in their upcoming Big 12 matchup against No. 18 Iowa State on Saturday.
However, Fritz remained unsure regarding ththe Cougars offense after replacing Smith with Zeon Chriss early in the second half of their recent game. Following the 34-0 loss to Cincinnati, he acknowledged the need to reassess the workflow, stating, "The whole offense has to play better," Fritz said on Monday. "We haven't had a chance to see Zeon do a whole lot." He went on to add Chriss was limited with five passes.
University of Houston football coach Willie Fritz says quarterback Donovan Smith will start against Iowa State, but both Smith and backup Zeon Chriss will play in the game at his weekly press conference. "Whole offense has to play better," Fritz says. ". . . We haven't had a…
— Chris Baldwin (@ChrisYBaldwin) September 23, 2024
Smith struggled to find consistency in the passing game, finishing 11-of-16 for 73 yards. The bulk of his yardage came from a 52-yard completion to Joseph Manjack IV, but beyond that, the Cougars' aerial attack failed to gain much momentum, with no other completions exceeding eight yards. When Chriss entered the game in the third quarter, Houston shifted to a more run-heavy approach, though Chriss went 2-of-5 for 19 yards in limited passing attempts.
Houston now looks to rebound in their Big 12 home opener against Iowa State. Last season, the Cougars faced a similar situation when Kansas State shut them out, but they responded by defeating Baylor the following week.
Despite the uncertainty at quarterback, the team will focus on finding rhythm and efficiency on offense as they continue conference play. Whether Smith can secure his starting role beyond the Iowa State game will depend on his performance, with Fritz leaving open the possibility of further competition at the position.
JEFF HAUSER