Cougars looking to play the spoiler at UCF

ORLANDO, Fla. — Out of the postseason picture, Houston will look to play spoiler in the season finale Saturday against UCF.

Houston (4-7, 2-6 Big 12) was eliminated from bowl consideration last week and have lost two straight and four of the last five games overall. UCF (5-6, 2-6 Big 12) needs one win to secure its eighth straight trip to a bowl game.

“They need one more win for bowl eligibility and it's our job to go down there and make sure they don't get it,” UH coach Dana Holgorsen said.

Barring a BYU upset of Oklahoma State, UH is in position to finish the season with the most wins against Big 12 legacy programs (West Virginia and Baylor) than the other three newcomers.

One other key storyline: Could Saturday be the final game for Holgorsen as head coach? Holgorsen, who has four years remaining on his contract and a nearly $15 million buyout, will meet with school officials at the end of the season to discuss the direction of the program.

Here are five things to watch Saturday:

Protecting Smith

Donovan Smith's first season as Houston's quarterback has been inconsistent. It will end with one more tough challenge as the Knights' feature the Big 12's top pass defense and two of the league's best pass rushers in Tre'mon Morris-brash and Malachi Lawrence.

Smith has thrown seven of his 12 interceptions in the last three games, losses to Cincinnati and No. 23 Oklahoma State and overtime win against Baylor. The Texas Tech transfer is second in the Big 12 in passing yards (2,640) and third in touchdowns (21). He's also a threat in the running game with 404 yards and a team-high six rushing touchdowns. Last week against OSU,

Smith became just the seventh Big 12 quarterback in history to record the touchdown trifecta with a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown.

Seeing double

A week after getting torched by Oklahoma State wide receiver Brennan Presley, who had 15 catches for 189 yards, the Cougars' secondary will have to contend with the Big 12's top receiving duo.

UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee has two favorite targets in Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson. Baker enters the final weekend of the regular season with a league-best 907 yards, and Hudson is fifth with 755 yards. Baker and Hudson have combined for 13 touchdowns.

Houston ranks next-tolast in passing yards allowed, surrendering an average 255.5 per game.

Another 1,000-yards?

Next up, R.J. Harvey. Harvey, fourth in the Big 12 in rushing with 1,160 yards, becomes the fifth 1,000-yard rusher the Cougars will face this season. Harvey was held to 78 yards in last week's loss to Texas Tech, snapping a streak of five straight games with at least 100 yards. To quote Holgorsen, “Life in the Big 12 is hard.” Of the group of 1,000-yard running backs to play the Cougars, four rushed for at least 100 yards (Texas' Jonathon Brooks came one yard short). Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II, the Big 12's leading rusher, had 164 yards and three touchdowns in last week's win over UH.

Look to the future

Saturday will mark the final game for 18 players, most notable three-time captain and linebacker Hasaan Hypolite, left tackle Patrick Paul, center Jack Freeman, edge rusher Nelson Ceaser and punter Laine Wilkins.

Looking ahead to the 2024 season, the Cougars will return the bulk of its offense with Smith at quarterback, Parker Jenkins, Tony Mathis Jr. and Stacy Sneed in the backfield, and a talented receiving corps that includes Sam Brown, Matthew Golden, Joseph Manjack IV, Stephon Johnson, Joshua Cobbs, Dalton Carnes, Jonah Wilson and Mikal Harrison-pilot. Houston will need to fill holes on the offensive line with the loss of three starters. Left guard Tyler Johnson is back, and the school has submitted a waiver for a seventh year for right guard Tank Jenkins.

Space encounters

While newcomers to the Big 12, Houston and UCF have long staked claims to another territory — space exploration.

UCF calls itself “Space U.” UH is in “Space City.” Kennedy Space is about 35 miles east of the UCF campus in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Houston is home to NASA'S Johnson Space Center and Mission Control.

“I thought we were Space City,” coach Dana Holgorsen said recently on his weekly radio show. “They don't say, Orlando, we've got a problem.”