Houston Brings in Trio of Big 12 Weekly Honors After Arizona State Win
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The Houston Cougars may have been the most disrespected 6-1 team in the country heading into their game against the then No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils.
Now at 7-1, the Houston Cougars have fought their way into their much-deserved No. 22 spot on the AP Poll.
For their performances against the Arizona State Sun Devils, Houston quarterback Conner Weigman, defensive end Eddie Walls III and the Cougars’ defensive line all took home Big 12 Conference weekly honors.
Houston’s Big 12 Standouts
Weigman has been elite for the Houston Cougars. He has been one of the major reasons for the team’s success and can have an argument for the most impactful transfer portal addition in all of college football. Against Arizona State, Weigman completed 17 of his 22 passing attempts for 201 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Saturday was Weigman’s third-straight game with at least one rushing touchdown. Weigman’s performance was enough to earn his second consecutive Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week accolade.
On the defensive side of the ball, Walls has been the heart and soul of the Cougars’ defense. Against the Sun Devils, Walls recorded five tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks, which earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.
Both stars came to Houston through the transfer portal, with Weigman coming by way of Texas A&M and Walls from Florida International.
"You know we really did a good job of finding not only good players, but also really good people," Houston head coach Willie Fritz said ahead of the team’s matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers. "It makes it so much easier as a head coach, position coach, coordinator, strength coaches, nutritionists, everybody involved in the program when you've got good people...that's one of the reasons why we were able to handle something as tough as last Saturday.”
Walls’ performance contributed to the quality of Houston’s defensive line as a whole, with the unit being voted as the best in the conference for their performance over Arizona State. The Cougars’ defense held the Sun Devils to just 98 rushing yards.
No. 22 now sets its sights on the 2-6 West Virginia Mountaineers, one of just two teams that remain winless in Big 12 play. The Coogs return to TDECU Stadium for the second-to-last time this season. Houston will honor strength coach Kurt Hester with a blackout game following his untimely death, his favorite color.
