HOUSTON - Saturday night’s Texas Bowl was a microcosm of the 2025 LSU football season: It started with a bang but ended in a whimper and a 38-35 loss to Houston.

LSU scored the first 14 points of the game right away. Barion Brown returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. A few minutes later, Michael Van Buren connected with tight end Trey’Dez Green for a 23-yard score. After that, however, Houston would score 21 straight points to take a 21-14 lead at the half, and the Cougars would never fall behind again.

WHAT. A. START. @BarionBrown Opening Kickoff pic.twitter.com/VYNl49a9hR

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) December 28, 2025

The LSU offense would score two second-half touchdowns to tie the game in both the third and fourth quarters, but the Tiger defense could not stop Connor Weigman and the Houston offense.

Weigman was 27-of-36 for 236 yards and four touchdowns, and drove the Cougars down for the go-ahead field goal with 7:42 left in the fourth quarter to make it a 31-28 Houston lead. The Cougars then put the game away with Dean Connors 20-yard touchdown run with 2:23 left in the game.

Michael Van Buren was 16-for-26 for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Trey’Dez Green, who caught two touchdowns in the Texas Bowl last season, had four catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns in this year’s edition. It was the first time LSU scored more than 25 points against an FBS opponent this season.

LSU finishes the 2025 season 7-6. It’s the most losses in a season since 2021 for the Tigers.

Houston, led by former Tulane head coach Willie Fritz, ends the year 10-3.