Houston Star Continues to Step Up In Biggest Moments For Cougars

The transfer from Ball State established himself as one of the best tight ends in the country against the Sun Devils

Sep 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars tight end Tanner Koziol (9) runs with the ball as Rice Owls safety Marcus Williams (4) attempts to make a tackle during the third quarter at Rice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In a primetime matchup in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday night, the Houston Cougars knocked off the No.24 Arizona State Sun Devils to move to 7-1 on the season and 4-1 in league play. Not only did the Cougars shock the entire Big 12 with the win, but they also might have put the college football world on notice.

In the past few weeks, wide receiver Amare Thomas and quarterback Conner Weigman have burst onto the scene putting the Houston offense on their back. This week, against the Sun Devils, it was tight end Tanner Koziol who stood out among Houston's other receivers.

With seven receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown, Koziol helped Houston pick up their first road win against a ranked team since 2017. While it didn't end in the prettiest fashion, the Cougars are 7-1 for the first time since 2021.

How Koziol Became Houston's X-Factor Against Arizona State

Sep 26, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Houston Cougars tight end Tanner Koziol (9) celebrates a touchdown reception during the fourth quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

With Thomas having multiple breakout games for the Cougars, Arizona State defensive coordinator Brian Ward likely had the wide receiver pinned as Houston's No.1 method of moving the football. After all, Thomas had four receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona last week.

It's evident that the Arizona State defense was caught off guard by Koziol's speed and agility. On Houston's opening drive, the tight end caught a 16-yard pass to extend an offensive drive on 3rd and 10. Later in the first quarter, Koziol caught another drive-extending pass, this time for 20 yards to put the Cougars inside the Sun Devils' 30-yard line.

In both drives where Koziol came down with a catch, Houston scored points, leading to them taking an early 10-0 lead. It was 10:10 to play in the third quarter that the tight end really made his mark on the game with his second touchdown reception in conference play. On 2nd and 4 from the Arizona State 7-yard line, Weigman found Koziol in the back of the endzone for Houston's second touchdown of the night.

TOE TAP FOR THE SCORE 🎯@ConnerWeigman x @tannerkoziol88 pic.twitter.com/Cz7Vi6ohVX

— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) October 26, 2025

While the Ball State transfer hasn't been a huge target in the redzone recently, his touchdown gave the Cougars a comfortable 17-0 lead against an Arizona State team that excels at comebacks.

Later in the third quarter, it was Koziol once again who helped extend a drive that resulted in a touchdown to extend the Cougars' lead to 24. Near midfield, the tight end caught a 13-yard pass to get the Cougars' offense into Sun Devil territory. Once again, the 3rd down conversion resulted in a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Weigman.

With his performance against the Sun Devils defense, Koziol has officially established himself as one of the best tight ends not only in the Big 12 but in the entire country. In eight games with the Cougars, the Ball State transfer has logged 43 receptions for 450 total receiving yards and four touchdowns.

While Koziol's performance may not result in more targets in the future, Houston's offense remains incredibly dangerous with game-changing players that can step up when needed. Whether it's Weigman, Connors, Thomas, or Koziol, the Cougars will always have an option on offense.