The Houston Cougars came away with a thrilling win over the Cincinnati Bearcats, fueled by another great offensive performance.

The leading wide receiver, Amare Thomas, has been such a problem that he is even matching some of Tank Dell's remarkable feats.

Amare Thomas's Two First Quarters Touchdown Matches Tank Dell Feat

The Cougars got off to a fast start against the Bearcats, as quarterback Conner Weigman threw a pass to Thomas, who ran it in for a touchdown. On the next drive, the Cougars scored another touchdown when Weigman again threw a pass to Thomas.

Thomas showed an amazing ability to run between the tackles and scored his second touchdown of the first quarter. That was the first time that a Cougars receiver had scored two touchdowns in the first quarter since Tank Dell did against the Navy Midshipmen in 2022.

Dell, currently a star WR for the Houston Texans, was amazing for the Cougars during his time there. Dell finished with over 2,600 receiving yards in two seasons with the Cougars. And frankly, Thomas isn't far off, especially given how well he's played for the Cougars lately. Thomas finished with six receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

Thomas has been a different kind of player lately than he was at the start of this season. He may even finish with over 1,000 receiving yards in 2026. He will need to average more than 100 yards a game, or about that, as he has 698, but that's not impossible.

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Thomas, along with tight end Patrick Overmyer and wide receiver Trent Walker, has been a special trio for Houston in 2026. A trio that now many teams have been unable to defend.

Thomas's Breakout Has Been Special to Watch

Thomas struggled to stay consistent in the season's first few weeks. In Week 1, he actually had a great game against the Oregon State Beavers, finishing with 133 receiving yards on eight receptions and a touchdown.

After that game, Thomas didn't perform well, getting only 43 receiving yards against the UCF Knights and 31 against the Kansas State Wildcats. Then came a massive breakout that has been special to watch.

He totaled seven receptions for 126 passing yards and two touchdowns to help the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys win 35-32 just a few weeks ago. Then, Thomas put together another great game against the Utah Utes, finishing with five receptions for 133 yards.

This last game against the Bearcats proves that Thomas is back. I knew Thomas had enormous potential; I just wasn't seeing the results. Lately, though, he's been getting open and has been a major issue for defenses in terms of yards after the catch.

Simply put, Thomas has been fantastic. It'll be interesting to see if he continues this one in the remaining three games.