Houston at Utah Breakdown: Week 8, Oct. 24, 2026

The story

Unbeaten Utah hosts Houston at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Oct. 24 in a Big 12 game with real weight. The No. 10 Utes are 6-0 and have won six straight, most recently a 27-24 win at Colorado on Oct. 17, while the No. 14 Cougars are 6-1 and have won four straight. Both offenses have been scoring freely, so there are fantasy points to chase on each side.

The angle

This sets up as a game with plenty of scoring, which leaves room for ceilings. The friction is on Houston's side. Utah is the 11th-best scoring defense in FBS and grades as a top-20-percent defense against every position. Utah's ground game runs through one back: Wayshawn Parker has 50 percent of the carries over the last three games. He faces a Houston run defense allowing about 60 fewer rushing yards a game than the average FBS defense.

Start 'em

Conner Weigman (Houston) has been one of the steadiest producers at quarterback, averaging 29.1 points a game this season and 32.4 over his last three games, with a season high of 39. His legs have become a bigger part of the floor: he is carrying 10 times a game over his last three, up from 7.3 earlier, and adding 41 rushing yards a game to 275 through the air. Utah is an above-average defense against quarterbacks, so his ceiling may be muted. Still, that dual role is hard to shut down. Safe floor, because his rushing work gives him points even when the passing game stalls.

Patrick Overmyer is Houston's most reliable target. He has caught 31 percent of the team's passes over his last three games, averaging 6.3 catches a game, up from 4.8 before that. His upside is proven. Houston Athletics reported that his four-touchdown game at Kansas State on Oct. 10 tied the NCAA single-game record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end. Utah is above average against tight ends, but he has averaged 22.1 points over his last three games and 17.3 this season. Start, since his rising catch total travels to any matchup.

Braden Pegan has been Utah's top target all season, averaging 19.6 points a game with a season high of 32.2. His catches have ticked up to 5.7 a game over his last three games, from 5 before that. He caught eight passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Colorado on Oct. 17. Houston is about average against receivers, the friendliest pass matchup on either side. Utah receiver Creed Whittemore's catches are climbing too, but Pegan has averaged 17.9 points over the last three games to Whittemore's 8.9. Start, because his steady volume meets the softest coverage in this game.

Risky plays

Re'Shaun Sanford (Houston) has taken on a much bigger workload, carrying 15.7 times a game over his last three games, up from 9.3 before that. It is still a timeshare, though: he has 38 percent of Houston's carries over that span and Makhi Hughes has 34 percent. Sanford's carries are rising while Hughes's share is holding steady, so Sanford gets the edge between them. The bigger hurdle is Utah, an above-average run defense on a per-play basis that allows 89 rushing yards a game. He has averaged 11.2 points this season and 8.6 over his last three games. Risky, because a split backfield against a stout front caps what the extra carries can return.

TL;DR

Lean on Weigman, Overmyer and Pegan, treat Sanford's growing workload as a gamble against Utah's front, and expect Houston's skill players to work harder for points.