MONDAY HUDDLE: How top picks Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud compare going into head-to-head matchup

University of Houston nearly pulls off shocker against Texas, prep team nearly scores 100

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (John Raoux, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.


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C.J. Stroud has been better than Bryce Young so far

Houston’s game at Carolina might not be on the list of top games in the NFL this week, but it will be an interesting matchup between the two top picks in this past spring’s NFL Draft, Bryce Young of the Panthers and C.J. Stroud of the Texans.

Young went No. 1 overall to the Panthers, but at the moment it’s clear that Stroud has not only been No. 1 between the two this year, but also in the race for NFL Rookie of the Year.

Here is how the two compare in stats heading Sunday’s 1 p.m. game at Carolina.

Stroud — 127-of-213 (59.6%), 1,660 yards, 9 touchdowns, 1 interception, 96.4 rating.

Young — 115-of-182 (63.2%), 967 yards, 6 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 78.7 rating.

Of note, Young did miss one game due to injury, while Stroud’s quarterback rating was seventh in the entire NFL going into Sunday’s action.

Regardless, it’s clear Stroud has been the better of the rookies going into their game on Sunday.

Cougars play Longhorns tough

Fans of the Texas Longhorns were certainly way more nervous than they expected to be on Sunday.

Favored by 23.5 points going into a rare matchup against the Houston Cougars, the Longhorns found themselves in a tie game midway through the fourth quarter after jumping out to a 21-0 lead.

But Texas managed to pull out a 31-24 win and keep its hopes for a College Football Playoff berth alive.

A loss to Houston in what was the first meetings between the programs since 2002 would’ve ended that.

It was a great atmosphere at TDECU Stadium, one that likely won’t be seen in a long time.

With Texas moving on to the SEC, the only way it could meet Houston again is in a bowl game or if the teams scheduled a nonconference game against each other.

Prep team wins game 90-0

So, if you’re a coach of a high school football team, what’s your speech in the locker room if you either are up or down 70-0 at halftime?

That was the case on Thursday in a lopsided result that was more of a blowout than usual.

Mansfield Timberview, located in Arlington, recorded a 90-0 victory over Sunset on Thursday.

Timberview held a 70-0 lead at halftime en route to improving to 8-0 on the season.

Sunset, which finished with -22 yards of total offense, is 3-6 on the year.

Last season, Timberview beat Sunset, 80-0.


About the Author

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.

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