Preview: Cougars looking to make a statement on the road against No. 24 Arizona State

Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) celebrates his touchdown with a teammate during the first half of an NCAA college football game against the Arizona Wildcats, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Lexine Solis/The Cougar

Houston is traveling to Tempe, AZ, this week to face off against a nationally ranked No. 24 Arizona State team that is brimming with confidence after its victory last week against a previously undefeated Texas Tech team.

The Sun Devils will be missing a massive part of their offense this week with junior wide receiver Jordan Tyson, who leads the Big 12 in both TDs and receiving yards and is a projected top-10 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, not playing due to a hamstring injury.

The Cougars are currently sitting at 6-1 and coming off a pivotal homecoming victory against Arizona, where they clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2022 season.

After the performance, many players won weekly honors from the Big 12. Junior quarterback Conner Weigman won offensive player of the week, senior kicker Ethan Sanchez won special teams player of the week, and the Cougar offensive line earned the award of best offensive line for the week.

History

This will be the first matchup between these two schools in 35 years, and their first since both teams joined the Big 12 conference. Their last game was the 1990 Coca-Cola Classic game in Tokyo, Japan, which saw the Cougars winning 62-45.

The Sun Devils lead the overall matchup 5-4, with Houston winning the last two.

Big things to look out for:

Battle of the kickers

The Sun Devils and Cougars are ranked first and second in most made field goals this season in the conference. UH has won two games this season on last-second kicks.

“They’re unsung heroes, you know, they really are,” coach Willie Fritz said. “It all has got to work in unison.”

The special teams battle will definitely be something to look for in a potentially close game on Saturday.

The major playmakers

Both teams have some major players who can leave their mark on this game.

For the Cougars, junior wide receiver Amare Thomas has been one of these players, he has made some crucial big plays this season, including his 52-yard touchdown last week, which saw him break many tackles on his way to the endzone.

Weigman has also made some huge plays in the Cougars’ victories this year, both through the air and on the ground. He has been efficient in extending plays and making a big run whenever his team needs it the most.

He has also been great at throwing the ball and avoiding mistakes, only having two interceptions this season, compared to his 11 total touchdowns.

Arizona State will be looking at other players on their roster to make up for the absence of Tyson

Junior running back Raleek Brown will definitely be one of those guys. Brown is second in the Big 12 in rushing, averaging a whopping 91.7 yards a game on the ground and 5.8 yards a carry.

Getting the ball to these playmakers will be a major focal point for both of these offenses and will be a big job to handle on the defensive end.