Houston and UCF, conference rivals from the AAC and now Big 12, square off in a Friday night matchup in Orlando. The game is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1.
Houston is still alive for a berth in the Big 12 title game, entering the week in fourth place and 1.5 games behind Texas Tech. The Knights won’t make it to Arlington for the title game, but can play spoiler against the Cougars nonetheless.
UCF has won the last three meetings between these schools and is 5-1 all-time at home vs. the Cougars. The game will feature dual-threat Houston QB Conner Weigman and UCF QB Tayven Jackson.
Below, we'll give you our Houston vs. UCF prediction and Friday CFB picks for PrizePicks, including Weigman and Jackson player picks for PrizePicks' real-money college football game.
Houston vs. UCF Prediction, Preview for Friday, 11/7
Houston and UCF will meet for the 12th time as conference opponents — first in Conference USA, then in the AAC, and now in the Big 12. UCF has won eight of the games, including each of the last three.
The Cougars are looking to improve to 5-2 in conference play and stay in contention for a championship berth, whereas UCF looks to win for the second time in six Big 12 games this season.
Houston Cougars Preview vs. UCF
- Houston enters the week 69th in total offense, averaging 383.3 yards per game. They're 62nd in scoring offense at 29.4 points per game.
- The Cougars have a balanced attack, ranking 79th in passing and 60th in rushing offense.
- One of Houston’s offensive strengths has been its red zone operation, which is 12th in the country, converting on 92.5% of opportunities.
- On the defensive side, Houston slots between 39th and 50th in scoring, rushing yards, passing yards, and total yards allowed.
UCF Knights Preview vs. Houston
- After sweeping their non-conference schedule with three wins, including an upset win over North Carolina, the Knights lost their first three (and four of five) Big 12 games.
- The UCF offense is led by its rushing attack, which enters the week 28th in the nation and fifth in the Big 12 at 191.4 yards per game.
- Defensively, the Knights are 21st (fourth in Big 12) in scoring (19.8 PPG) and 11th in the country in pass defense (161.4 yards per game).
- UCF’s offense has struggled on third down, ranked 123rd out of 136 FBS teams.
Houston vs. UCF Picks for PrizePicks
Here are the top player picks to target in PrizePicks' real-money college football game, including Weigman and Jackson.
Houston QB Conner Weigman Projection: 40.5 Rush Yards
- Weigman has passed for 250+ yards in three games this season, but has also failed to reach 200 yards in four games.
- Over his last four games, Weigman has 10 TD passes after having only 6 through the first five games of the season.
- Weigman is a dual-threat QB, rushing for 35+ yards in four games and scoring 9 rushing TDs, which leads the Cougars and is tied for second in the Big 12.
- Weigman’s 154.2 passer rating is sixth in the Big 12.
Houston RB Dean Connors Projection: 63.5 Rush Yards
- Houston RB Dean Connors has 60+ rushing yards in five of nine games this season and in 15 of his last 29 games dating back to his time at Rice.
- Connors’ 657 rushing yards rank fourth in the Big 12.
- Per Pro Football Focus, Connors averages 2.91 yards after contact per attempt.
- Connors is also a threat as a receiver, catching 2+ passes in eight of nine games this year.
UCF QB Tayven Jackson Projection: 177.5 Pass Yards
- Jackson has thrown for 175+ yards in four of his seven games, completing 20+ passes in just two of them.
- Jackson’s 5 passing TDs is last among all qualified Big 12 QBs.
- The Knights’ QB has a 126.5 passer rating, 15th out of 16 Big 12 QBs and 92nd in the nation.
- According to Game on Paper, Jackson's 41.9% dropback success rate is 94th out of 127 qualified passers.
Make Houston vs. UCF Picks on PrizePicks
Houston and UCF, two schools who have been together in three different conferences, meet up in Orlando on Friday evening.
Houston’s Connor Weigman looks to keep the Cougars in the Big 12 race, while UCF QB Tayven Jackson and the Knights try to ruin the push.
No matter what your take on this matchup is, you can win real money with your Houston vs. UCF predictions on PrizePicks while you watch.
Simply pick your players — from Weigman to Jackson — predict More or Less on their projected stats, and win cash if you're right.
