Houston Cougars Snap Lengthy Streak With Win Over Arizona State
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Saturday night in Tempe, Arizona marked the signature win for the Houston Cougars in their second season with head coach Willie Fritz at the helm, a shocking 24-16 knock off of the No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils.
Behind quarterback Conner Weigman's dual threat masterclass and another John Mackey Award-worthy performance from Tanner Koziol, it was likely a surprise to most that the Cougars almost lost the game in the fourth quarter, when they allowed all 16 of Arizona State's points, but in the end, Houston had more points, and that's all that matters.
In fact, their huge road win marked the end of a certain drought for the team, one that had plagued them for nearly a decade.
Coogs Secure First Road Win Over Ranked Opponent Since 2017 Season
Saturday night, the now 7-1 Houston Cougars were able to knock off a ranked Sun Devils team on the road, a feat that they have not achieved since the 2017 season, when they defeated a No. 17-ranked South Florida Bulls team in a close 28-24 affair.
In that game exactly eight years ago, quarterback D'Eriq King threw for only 137 yards and a touchdown, while running for two more, and running back Mulbah Car put up the same yardage on the ground in the midst of a 7-5 season that saw them go 5-3 in conference play against the American Athletic Conference, and culminated in a 33-27 loss to Fresno State in the Hawaii Bowl.
Weigman's performance mirrored much of what King produced against the Bulls eight years ago, but with more advanced passing statistics, which saw him complete 17 of 22 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, a seven-yard connection with Koziol, but the truly impressive part of his game was what he himself was able to accomplish with his legs, taking off 21 times for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns, even making running back Dean Connors take a backseat role in the rushing attack.
The Cypress native's ability to run has been hindered by injury in recent years, both with Houston and also during his time at Texas A&M, as an ankle injury in 2023 sidelined him for over half of the year.
Once he returned in 2024, the team was much more cautious with him, and he would later suffer an AC joint injury in his throwing shoulder that saw his snap count decrease entirely, but that has all seemed to find a second wind in 2025.
The Cougars will look to keep their hot streak alive, playing host to the West Virginia Mountaineers this upcoming Saturday.
