Southern Jaguars Prepare For Away Game Against Houston Cougars

The Southern University Jaguars are preparing to hit the road for one of their biggest early season challenges as they travel to Houston to face the University of Houston Cougars on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central at TDECU Stadium in Houston, with the game available on ESPN+. Southern enters the matchup with a 1 and 1 record after picking up its first victory of the season Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

Southern will make the trip to Texas coming off a convincing 34 to 15 victory over Kentucky State at A.W. Mumford Stadium. The Jaguars opened the season with a 30 to 17 loss to Alabama State in Birmingham before responding with a much stronger performance in their home opener. Against Kentucky State, Southern overcame a scoreless first quarter and began taking control before halftime, eventually scoring 27 points across the second and third quarters. Quarterback Christian Johnson completed 15 of 28 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception, while Trey Holly added two rushing touchdowns.

Southern Jaguars Face Major Test In Houston

Southern’s defense also played a major role in Saturday’s victory, giving the Jaguars momentum as they prepare for a significant increase in competition. Houston competes in the Big 12 and opened its 2026 season with a 33 to 20 victory over Oregon State. The Cougars will be playing at home for the second consecutive week and will look to remain undefeated before beginning a difficult stretch of their schedule that includes a road game against Texas Tech.

For Southern, Saturday represents an opportunity to see how the Jaguars measure up against an FBS opponent after splitting their first two games of the season. The Jaguars showed against Kentucky State that they can generate offense through both the passing and running games while also creating momentum on defense. Johnson’s ability to protect the football will be especially important against Houston. His two touchdown passes against Kentucky State went to Isaiah Pina and Champ Davis, while Southern’s running game provided additional scoring production through Holly.

Houston enters the matchup under head coach Willie Fritz with expectations of building on its opening victory. The Cougars defeated Oregon State 33 to 20 despite Fritz acknowledging areas where his team still needs improvement, including turnovers and penalties. Houston also received a boost this week with wide receiver Stephon Johnson being cleared to play against Southern after an eligibility dispute.

The matchup will also renew a series that has been dormant for more than a decade. Southern and Houston have met twice previously, with Houston winning both games. The Cougars defeated Southern 55 to 3 in 2008 and 62 to 13 in 2013. Saturday will mark the first meeting between the programs since that 2013 game in Houston.

Those previous results will have little bearing on the players taking the field Saturday, but they illustrate the challenge Southern faces when traveling to Houston. The Jaguars will be entering a Big 12 stadium against a Houston program with the advantages that come with competing at the FBS level. Southern will need to avoid giving the Cougars additional opportunities through turnovers and penalties while finding ways to sustain drives and keep Houston’s offense off the field.

Jaguars Looking To Build On First Win

The timing of the game also makes Saturday important for Southern beyond the challenge of facing Houston. After beginning the year with a loss, the Jaguars were able to get back to .500 with the victory over Kentucky State. A strong showing in Houston would give Southern additional momentum before returning to Baton Rouge to face Louisiana Christian on September 19 and then traveling to Jackson State on September 26. Conference play will become increasingly important as the season progresses, making the early portion of the schedule an opportunity for Southern to establish its identity.

Saturday’s game is also designated as First Responders Night by the University of Houston. The matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central at TDECU Stadium and will be streamed on ESPN+.

Southern heads into Houston as the smaller program on paper, but the Jaguars will arrive with confidence following their first win of the season and their most complete performance so far. The challenge now is carrying that production away from A.W. Mumford Stadium and into a much different environment against a Big 12 opponent.

For the Jaguars, Saturday night is an opportunity to compete on a larger stage, continue developing before the heart of the SWAC schedule and potentially make an early season statement. Southern and Houston kick off Saturday, September 12, at 6 p.m. Central in Houston.