[3] Miami, coached by tenth-year Hurricanes veteran Andy Gustafson, traveled to Rice Stadium to compete against Houston for both of the teams' season opener game.

Miami, an NCAA University Division Independent, was heavily favored to win the game, and were nationally-ranked as #14 in the AP Poll.

Miami responded by taking the ball to Houston's 23-yard line in the second quarter, but ran out of time to complete a successful score.

As a pre-season ranked team, and a win against Villanova the week prior, Baylor entered the game nationally-ranked at #11 in the AP Poll.

For the first time ever, Houston met with Missouri Valley Conference foe Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium in Ohio.

When Houston met with Texas A&M of the Southwest Conference at Kyle Field, it was the sixth time in history that the two teams had competed against each other.

Texas A&M's national ranking improved to the #1 spot later in the season, and the Aggies eventually finished at #9 after a berth in the Gator Bowl.

The team's head coach was third-year Cliff Speegle, and the Cowboys' entered the game with a 3–1 season record and a three-game winning streak.

[13] Although the Cowboys led the game with six points over the Cougars' nil score, a final quarter punt by Oklahoma State's Jim Wiggins was blocked by Houston tackle Hogan Wharton.

For its next game, Houston traveled to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium to compete against the Ole Miss Rebels.

The Rebels were coached by eleventh-year veteran Johnny Vaught, and entered the contest with a 5–1 overall record (having only lost to Arkansas of the Southwest Conference).

Within the first four minutes of gameplay, Ole Miss scored the first touchdown in a rushing play by senior running back Billy Lott.

In the second quarter, Houston's halfback Billy Ray Dickey scored the sole touchdown with a completed pass thrown by quarterback Paul Sweeten.

In the third quarter, Ole Miss defensive end Don Williams recovered a fumble from Houston, and the Rebels gained 48 yards.

After Sweeten fumbled at the Houston six-yard line, Ole Miss backup quarterback Bobby Franklin then scored a final touchdown.

Despite their losing record, the Golden Hurricane were coming off of a three-game winning streak, and the game was designated as Tulsa's homecoming.

[22] The first score of the game came from Houston, when running back Harold Lewis made a 2-yard dive into the Hurricane end zone in the first quarter.

However, the game was decided late in the fourth quarter, when a holding call was made against Tulsa, and they were forced to give up fifteen yards.

This eventually resulted in Houston's senior halfback Gene Ward scoring another touchdown from a pass by quarterback Don Brown.

He was also named to the 1957 All-Missouri Valley Conference Team along with guard Burr Davis, and fullback Harold Lewis.