TEMPE, Ariz. — Hours after learning of the passing of strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester, the Houston Cougars played with emotion and precision, stunning No. 24 Arizona State 24-16 on Saturday night at Mountain America Stadium.
The Cougars (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) dedicated the victory to Hester, who passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 61. The team learned the news during an afternoon meeting and responded with one of the most inspired performances of the Willie Fritz era.
“It hurt. It’s a bittersweet win without question,” Fritz said. “Kurt Hester was an unbelievably important person in our football program. He was the best strength and conditioning coach I’ve ever been around, but more importantly, a fantastic role model for our student-athletes.”
Houston quarterback Conner Weigman delivered a career night, throwing for 201 yards and a touchdown while rushing for a career-high 111 yards and two more scores. It was the former Texas A&M signal-caller’s most complete performance since transferring to Houston.
“The whole game was for him,” Weigman said, referring to Hester.
The Cougars controlled the first three quarters, building a 24-0 lead before Arizona State mounted a late surge in the fourth. Houston tight end Tanner Koziol continued his breakout season with seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, while Houston’s defense overwhelmed the Sun Devils’ offensive line. Eddie Walls III notched three sacks, and the unit held ASU to just 5-of-15 on third down.
“We knew he didn’t want us to blink,” Koziol said. “He would want us to go out there and fight hard as hell, and that’s what we did.”
Arizona State (5-3, 3-2) endured a frustrating night marked by 12 penalties, two missed field goals and multiple injuries. Starting quarterback Sam Leavitt exited the game twice with a lingering foot injury and did not return after the third quarter. The Sun Devils also played without star receiver Jordyn Tyson, the Big 12’s leading receiver, who missed the game with a hamstring strain.
“Not having Tyson is 100 percent going to affect the game,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said. “But that’s not an excuse as to why we lost that football game.”
In Tyson’s absence, senior Malik McClain stepped up with a career-best 159 yards receiving on seven catches. “With JT going down, we had to change some things around,” McClain said. “It feels good to make some plays for the team.”
After trailing 24-0, ASU cut the deficit to eight points behind touchdowns from tight ends Cameron Harpole and Chamon Metayer and a field goal from Jesus Gomez, but Houston’s defense held firm. The Cougars stopped a final Sun Devil drive in the closing minutes.
The win snapped Arizona State’s 10-game home winning streak, handing ASU its first home loss in nearly two years. It also marked Houston’s first road victory over a ranked opponent since 2017.
“That’s what we want to do each and every week — jump out and get ahead like that,” Weigman said. “When we turn that film on, we want to be the hardest playing team out there, and I felt like we did that tonight.”
Houston will host West Virginia next Saturday, while Arizona State travels to Iowa State.
