LSU finally scored not only 25 points — but more than 30 — against an FBS opponent on a Kinder’s Texas Bowl night of undeniably memorable moments and exciting flashes.
But the Tigers (7-6) couldn’t come up match Houston (10-4) enough late — on either side of the ball — to scrap out a positive ending note for a rollercoaster 2025 season, as the Cougars opened a 10-point lead and held on, 38-35.
LSU knotted a back-and-forth contest, 28-28, on the the first play of the fourth quarter as Michael Van Buren Jr. found a wide-open Kyle Parker in the back of the end zone.
But Houston scored on its next two possessions — a 25-yard Ethan Sanchez field goal and 20-yard Dean Connors run — and ate more than 11 1/2 minutes of the final quarter in the process.
And quick three-and-out by the Tigers in between and the trouble ending either of the Cougars’ long drives put interim coach Frank Wilson III’s squad too far behind the eight-ball to overcome despite continued fight down the stretch.
Van Buren found senior Chris Hilton Jr. (Zachary) for a pair of big plays down the field in the final minutes to set up a 3-yard run by Zavion Thomas (John Ehret) with an assist from sophomore tight end Trey’Dez Green (East Feliciana, Zachary) to power across the goal line.
But sophomore safety Tamarcus Cooley and Parker couldn’t quite corral a recoverable onside kick by sophomore Aeron Burrell (Parkway) before Houston defensive back Latrell McCutchin Jr. could safely pounce on the ball to set up the Cougars’ final kneel-downs.
Van Buren finished 16-for-26 (61.5%) for 267 yards and three touchdowns and rushed 11 times for 24 yards.
Green caught four passes for 80 yards and two scores, the first two-touchdown night of his season and second of his career.
Parker caught seven passes for 68 yards and the touchdown, and Hilton had 67 yards on three receptions.
Freshman running back Harlem Berry (St. Martin’s Episcopal) racked up 45 yards on three early carries —some of the few highlights of a 77-yard team rushing total — before a second-quarter fumble.
Sophomore linebacker Davhon Keys and Cooley led the defense with 14 and 11 tackles, respectively, with Keys getting behind the line for a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry and deflecting a pass.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Tylen Singleton (Many) and sophomore safety Dashawn Spears (Denham Springs) had nine and eight tackles, respectively, including one each for loss.
LSU couldn’t have asked for a much better start.
The Tigers led, 14-0, within five touches and just over four minutes.
Senior wide receiver Barion Brown housed the opening kickoff 99 yards for the program’s third-ever game-opening kick-return touchdown and its first since Hokie Gajan against Wyoming in 1978.
LSU forced a quick punt after a lone Houston first down and then doubled its lead even more quickly on a 23-yard touchdown from Van Buren to Green.
The rest of the half was far less easy or pretty.
After the four-play, 60-yard touchdown drive, the Tigers could only muster 54 yards on 20 plays on its next three possessions, which ended with a missed field goal attempt, a fumble and a punt.
LSU allowed three sacks and another two tackles for loss and racked up 70 penalty yards on seven flags the rest of the half.
The Cougars meanwhile scored 21 unanswered points with three of their next four possessions going at least nine plays and at least 73 yards.
Quarterback Conner Weigman found fellow junior Amare Thomas for 8- and 4-yard touchdown passes, then senior tight end Tanner Koziol for a 7-yarder in the final seconds of the half.
The Tigers started the third quarter with a quick stop and a long drive capped by Van Buren and Green’s second scoring connection, an acrobatic leaping and falling grab in the back corner of the end zone.
And when Weigman found sophomore tight end Traville Frederick Jr. (Jeanerette) for the Louisiana native’s first college touchdown and a 28-21 lead, LSU was able to draw back even on the Van Buren-Parker score two possessions later.
But the Cougars came away with more plays late to survive the Tigers and their continued fight.
Houston outgained LSU, 437-344, with a balanced performance while largely shutting down the Tigers’ ground game aside from an early 36-yard run by Berry.
The Cougars secured the game’s lone takeaway and ran 82 plays to just 50 allowed to dominated the time of possession, 38:32 to 21:28.
Weigman finished 27-for-36 for 236 yards and four scores and rushed 13 times for another 56 yards.
Koziol and Thomas led his targets with nine catches for 76 yards and seven catches for 66 yards, respectively, and their combined three scores.
And Connors racked up 126 yards and his late breakaway score on 16 carries.
A handful of Cougars finished with between four and six tackles, and LSU transfer Jordan Allen (Lafayette Christian) added three stops, including one behind the line.