Houston football went into Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday night and stunned the Arizona State Sun Devils in a 24-16 victory to remain undefeated on the road this season.
Junior quarterback Conner Weigman and senior tight end Tanner Koziol stepped up big to lead the Cougars to an upset victory.
Houston is now 7-1 on the season, and this is their best start since the 2015 season, when the Cougars finished 13-1 in the American Athletic Conference.
Houston Cougars defensive lineman Eddie Walls III (90) celebrates his defensive stop against the ASU Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 25, 2025. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Weigman showed out in the late-night spotlight against Arizona State, and he made a statement with his performance tonight.
The veteran quarterback passed for 201 yards and he continues to show why he is one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference.
He was most successful in the ground game, where he rushed 21 times for 111 yards and scored two touchdowns with his legs.
Weigman has been elite in the red zone this year and has yet to throw an interception or take a sack inside the opponent’s 20-yard line all season.
After starting the game 1-for-3 on passing attempts, Weigman completed his next ten passes, and his tenth pass resulted in a 7-yard touchdown to Koziol to put the Cougars up 17-0.
Koziol had a monster day for the Cougars and ended with seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown grab.
Houston’s defense also took advantage of the Sun Devils’ star receiver Jordyn Tyson being ruled out with a hamstring injury, and forced Arizona State to beat them through the air.
With sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt also dealing with an injury throughout the game, the Cougars’ defense took advantage.
Houston shut out Arizona in the first half, which is the first time head coach Kenny Dillingham had been shut out that long since his Sun Devil debut in 2023.
This is also the first time the Cougars have shut out an opponent through the first three quarters in over 20 seasons.
Although the defense was solid for most of the game, Arizona State stormed back in the fourth quarter, led by Leavitt and senior quarterback Jeff Sims.
The Sun Devils had the ball down 24-16 on their own 11-yard line on 4th down and four yards to go.
Houston’s junior defensive back won the game for the Cougars by landing a big hit on Arizona State’s sophomore receiver Derek Eusebio and forcing an incompletion.
With the win, Houston now improves to 7-1 and 4-1 in conference play. Next up, the Cougars will return home to play West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 1, at TDECU Stadium.