ASU's Kenny Dillingham Gives Credit to Houston's Fast Start
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After their win over Arizona this past weekend, the Houston Cougars moved to 6-1 on the season while reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2022 season.
While some have downplayed Willie Fritz's success due to Houston's No.67 strength of schedule, others — like Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham — have taken notice of the Cougars' early-season success.
Houston ended the 2024 season with a 4-8 overall record and a 3-6 record in league play. Not only did they miss out on bowl eligibility, but they also ended the season with one of the worst offenses that the Big 12 has seen in recent memory.
Less than a year later, the Cougars find themselves tied atop the Big 12 at 3-1, putting themselves firmly in the mix for a spot in the conference championship game. If Houston can find a win in Tempe this Saturday, the race for a Big 12 title could be turned on its head.
Why the Sun Devils are Taking the Cougars Seriously
When asked about Houston's 6-1 start to the season, Coach Dillingham was frank in his response saying, "you don't just get 6-1."
Kenny Dillingham on the challenge that Houston presents:
— Justin LaCertosa (@LaCertosaSports) October 21, 2025
"There's not many teams in college football that are 6-1. We're not 6-1 ... Everybody wants to look at last year to determine success. Nobody gives a crap ... They're one of the teams competing to win this league." pic.twitter.com/q2m9JRjrYJ
"There's not many teams in college football that are 6-1," Dillingham said. "We're not 6-1, so there are a lot of teams that are not 6-1 and this is one of them. Everybody wants to look at last year to try to determine success. Nobody gives a crap about last year, for us, for them, none of it matters. They're one of the teams competing to win this league."
The Arizona State head coach is right on the money. While the Cougars may not have the same quality wins as Alabama or Georgia, it doesn't change the fact that all three teams have only been beaten once in 2025. With increased parity across college football, starting the season 6-1 or better has become increasingly difficult in the last 3-4 years.
When asked about the disrespect that Houston has gotten this season despite the 6-1 start, Coach Dillingham laughed at the idea that people think the Cougars aren't a good team.
"I mean, they're 6-1 and they've lost to a top 15 team in the country," Dillingham said. "I don't know what else you want. They win games. Everybody wants flash nowadays; everybody wants to post on social media on how we're going to kill somebody and destroy them in the game."
Dillingham then added that the Cougars likely don't get the respect they deserve because of Willie Fritz and his style of coaching. While many teams in the top 25 provide a more explosive offense or a more dominant defense, Houston has taken a more balanced approach when facing their opponents this season.
A complementary offense that controls the football and a "bend, don't break" defense have been the keys to success for Houston this season.
"At the end of the day their head coach (Willie Fritz) has won a lot of games for a long time at a lot of places, just winning games by playing good defense, complementary offensive football, possessing the ball, taking care of the football, not hurting themselves, and just because they win with that style, people don't necessarily flock to it."
Houston will look to continue their success on the road this Saturday against No.24 Arizona State. With both the Cougars and the Sun Devils lobbying for a spot in the Big 12 title game, the primetime matchup will be one of the more electric games this weekend.
