LSU Tigers at Houston Cougars

Weigman throws 4 touchdown passes as Houston beats LSU 38-35 in Texas Bowl

Weigman finished 27-of-36 passing and rushed for 56 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 8 and 4 yards to Amare Thomas and 7 yards to Tanner Koziol to end the first half as Houston climbed out of a 14-0 hole to take a 21-14 lead into the break.

Ethan Sanchez made a 25-yard field goal to give the Cougars a 31-28 lead with 7:42 remaining. LSU (7-6) went three-and-out, and Dean Connors rushed for a 20-yard touchdown with 2:23 left to give Houston (10-3) a 10-point lead.

Zavion Thomas cut the deficit to three with a 3-yard rushing touchdown with 1:15 to go, but Houston recovered the onside kick to ice it.

Koziol caught nine passes for 76 yards and a TD. Thomas had seven catches for 66 yards and two scores, and Connors ran for 126 yards for Houston. The Cougars outgained LSU 437-344.

LSU opened a 14-0 lead in the first 4:12 on a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Barion Brown to start the game and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Michael Van Buren Jr. to Trey’Dez Green.

Van Buren finished 16 of 26 for 267 yards and three touchdowns. He threw scoring passes of 4 yards to Green and 6 yards to Kyle Parker, sandwiched around a 2-yard TD pass from Weigman to Traville Frederick Jr., to tie it 28-all early in the fourth quarter.

Green had 80 yards receiving, and Parker had 68 yards receiving.

The takeaway LSU: After starting the season 4-0, the Tigers lost six of their final nine games.

Houston: The Cougars, who finished No. 21 in the CFP rankings, had a six-win improvement from coach Willie Fritz’s first season to his second.

Up next LSU: Hosts Clemson on Sept. 5 next year in the first game of the Lane Kiffin era.

Houston: Hosts Oregon State on Sept. 5 to start next season.