The Friday night lights of Folsom Field welcome a nationally ranked team from the Lone Star State this week.

For the third time this season, a ranked opponent visits Boulder when a reeling Colorado team hosts No. 14 Houston. The Buffs need three wins in three games to reach a bowl game for the second time in four seasons under Deion Sanders .

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It’s the second-straight season CU will face the Cougars, with last year’s game on a Friday night in Houston — a 36-20 defeat for Coach Prime’s squad. This will be the third meeting between the programs, the first coming at the 1971 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, which took place at the old Astrodome.

Last year’s meeting was a sign the 2025 season would not be kind to the Buffs, who started quarterback Ryan Staub in Week 3 amid early season uncertainty surrounding the position while the CU defense struggled to contain the Houston rushing attack.

The 2026 season has already gone off the rails, with the Buffs now sitting at 3-6 after a 20-10 defeat at…