TEMPE — The Arizona State Sun Devils are seeking to secure their 6th victory of the season later on today, as they welcome the Houston Cougars to Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.

The Sun Devils are coming off of the emotional high of defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders last Saturday, while Houston has emerged as an unexpected conference contender after starting the season with a 6-1 mark.

Arizona State on SI writers predict the game that is to be below.

ASU finishes up their Texas run with a matchup against Houston. This game could be close, but ASU has the offensive players to pull away in the second half. Jordyn Tyson’s injury does sting, but Quarterback Sam Leavitt is coming off of a Heisman-like game, receiver Jaren Hamilton has stepped up, and ASU’s running game is still very strong. Houston’s defense is good, but the lack of pass rush should give Leavitt time to make the clutch plays needed. Add in a tough ASU defense by Brian Ward, and ASU wins against Houston and wins every game in the Texas gauntlet (Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and Houston.)

Arizona State and Houston Square off in a battle that could swing either way. Houston’s defense makes this game anything but easy. The Cougars’ ability to play disciplined zone coverage and limit big plays will be a challenge to quarterback Sam Leavitt, especially considering the absence of ASU star receiver Jordyn Tyson. For the Sun Devils, the key will be leaning on running back Raleek Brown, who has an explosive run style that could open up the offense and keep Houston’s defense on edge.

On the other side of the ball, Houston’s quarterback Conner Weigman will face a struggling ASU pass rush; Houston’s offensive line remains one of the weakest in the conference. If Arizona State can contain Dean Connors in the run game and put pressure on Wiegman on third downs, then the Sun Devils can gain control. 

Make no mistake – the Houston Cougars are a challenging team and a win will not be seamless, especially with Tyson’s confirmed absence in mind. 

However, Arizona State still has a slew of factors working in their favor, including home-field advantage, a talent gap that is still conspicuous, and one of the very best coaching staff setups in all of college football. Expect this to be a big game for RB Raleek Brown, WR Jaren Hamilton, and Brian Ward’s defense – also expect a game in which Arizona State pulls away in the second half for one of the more comfortable victories of the season to this point.

Read more on why the Arizona State men’s basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on three major takeaways from the win over Texas Tech here.

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