FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Zeon Chriss ran 71 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback draw in his first start with Houston coming off back-to-back shutout losses, and the Cougars knocked off TCU 30-19 on Friday night. Chriss started in place of Donovan Smith and ended Houston's eight-quarter streak without points on an 8-yard scoring pass to Devan Williams just shy of 10 minutes into the game. The Cougars (2-4, 1-2 Big 12) ended a nine-game losing streak against the Horned Frogs, who were 16 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM .
Houston's drought started in the Southwest Conference more than 30 years ago, continued in a four-year stint together in Conference USA and finally ended in the second Big 12 meeting between the schools. Smith replaced an apparently injured Chriss for just one play in the third quarter but came back in the fourth after TCU (3-3, 1-2) had pulled within eight. The Texas Tech transfer led a 14-play drive that consumed almost 7 1/2 minutes and ended with Jack Martin's third field goal for a two-score lead with 1:58 remaining.
Chriss' scoring sprint up the middle came after Josh Hoover's 21-yard TD pass to Savion Williams got the Horned Frogs within 17-6 late in the second quarter. The first of A.J.
Haulcy's two interceptions of Hoover set up Re'Shaun Sanford II's 2-yard scoring run for a 14-0 Houston lead. Hoover, who also lost a fumble as TCU had four turnovers without a takeaway, has six picks in three games after throwing 143 passes without one to .