STWF Sports| HOUSTON, Texas| September 12, 2026 — Southern University faced its toughest test of the young season Saturday night, and No. 22 Houston wasted little time taking control.
Challenges Faced by Southern in the Game
The Cougars scored touchdowns on each of their first 10 possessions and rolled to a 77-6 victory over the Jaguars at TDECU Stadium, using a dominant rushing attack, short fields created by turnovers and near-perfect efficiency on third down.
Southern struggled to generate any rhythm offensively, finishing with 121 total yards and minus-6 rushing yards on 22 carries. The Jaguars converted only 1 of 13 third-down attempts, while Houston went a perfect 8-for-8.
The Cougars also capitalized on Southern miscues.
Quarterback Christian Johnson was sacked and lost a fumble at the Southern 22-yard line, and Houston turned the turnover into a touchdown two plays later. On the Jaguars’ next possession, another fumble again gave the Cougars possession at the Southern 22.
Houston converted the turnovers into 14 points and quickly widened the gap.
The Cougars finished with 591 yards of total offense, averaging 9.2 yards per play. Their ground game was especially effective, producing 388 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Houston’s quarterbacks were also highly efficient, combining to complete 15 of 19 passes for 203 yards and five touchdowns without an interception.
Southern, meanwhile, used three quarterbacks but found limited success through most of the night.
Johnson completed 5 of 12 passes for 29 yards. Ashton Strother went 3 of 5 for 13 yards and threw an interception.
The Jaguars’ lone scoring play came from Wyatt McCauley, who provided the offense’s biggest moment late in the third quarter.
With 4:38 remaining in the period, McCauley connected with Wydell Clark Jr. for a 79-yard touchdown strike. The one-play drive lasted just 14 seconds and prevented the shutout, although the extra-point attempt was blocked.
McCauley finished 2 of 3 for 85 yards and a touchdown.
Clark’s touchdown accounted for more than half of Southern’s 127 passing yards. His only reception of the game went for 79 yards, making him the Jaguars’ leading receiver.
The difference in possession and sustained offense was significant.
Houston held the ball for 38 minutes, 18 seconds compared with Southern’s 21:42. The Cougars recorded 34 first downs while the Jaguars managed only four.
Houston also reached the red zone nine times and scored on every trip.
Southern punted six times, committed three turnovers and never established a rushing attack. The Jaguars gained 23 yards on the ground but lost 29, resulting in the negative rushing total.
Defensively, Cody Morris and Justin Lawton led Southern with five tackles each. Jeremiah Coleman added four solo tackles and a pass breakup.
The loss underscored the margin Southern faced against a nationally ranked FBS opponent with superior depth and explosiveness. Houston consistently controlled field position, tempo and possession while preventing the Jaguars from extending drives.
For Southern, the challenge now becomes turning the page quickly.
The Jaguars leave Houston with valuable game film from a difficult matchup, particularly in areas such as ball security, third-down execution and run-game production.
While the final margin was severe, Southern did find one explosive offensive connection in the McCauley-to-Clark touchdown. The Jaguars will now look to regroup and use the experience as they move deeper into their schedule and toward conference play.
