Fourth quarter proved to be too little, too late for Sun Devils as they fall to Houston

The Houston Cougars proceeded with their quality performance this season with a 2416 road win over the Arizona State Sun Devils at the Mountain America Stadium. Although ASU made a late fourth-quarter push, it was too late. With Houston having gotten on top of the game and its defense disciplining him.

First Half: Houston Makes the first mark

Houston wasted no time establishing control on both sides of the ball. The Cougars struck first with a 26-yard field goal by Ethan Sanchez. Capping an efficient drive orchestrated by quarterback Conner Weigman.

Weigman then led another drive that resulted in a 1-yard running touchdown to give Houston a 10-point advantage, only a few moments later. The offense of Arizona State did not react, as it did not play well with timing and ball handling. They only had one good run of the half that resulted in an expensive fumble in midfield, and at break time, the Sun Devils were still without any points.

Houston dominated possession with 10 first-half goals, 10-0 at the half-hour point (4-of-7 third downs), and Arizona State could not make the chains move (0-of-3third downs).

Third Quarter: Houston widens the lead

Cougars reappeared out of halftime as sharp. Weigman would have a 7-yard passing touchdown to Tanner Koziol, increasing the score to 17-0. Houston committed offense that was balanced with short passes and effective scrambles by Weigman.

Conner Weigman would later strike again in the quarter, again with another 1-yard rushing score, dominating Houston by 24 goals to zero. The Sun Devil defense appeared tired because Houston had overpowered it with its offensive line.

Fourth Quarter: The late fight by ASU was too late

Being down by 24, Arizona State eventually found life in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Sam Leavitt fired off a long drive and then made a short goal line formation, which resulted in a short run of touchdown, and kicker Carter Brown chipped in with a 47-yard field goal to make the score 2410.

ASU made another late score on a fast strike to reduce the gap to 24–16, but Houston's defense stiffened on the last drive, and the game ended in a turnover on downs to secure the victory.

Key Performers

• Conner Weigman (Houston): 201 passing yds, 111 rushing yds, 2 rushing TDs, 1 passing TD.
• Tanner Koziol (Houston): 7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD.
• Sam Leavitt (ASU): 270 passing yards, 1 rushing TD.
• Ethan Sanchez (Houston): 1-1 field goals, 3-3 PATs.

What this win means

Their season is still characterized by smooth performance and the ability to act under pressure (Houston). This victory advances the Cougars in the national rankings as they demonstrate their ability to succeed on the road against Power Five teams.

This defeat underlines the ASU's ongoing offensive setbacks, and failure to convert important possessions. The Sun Devils need an immediate recovery from this failure in upcoming matches, as fans show aggression and hatred due to bizarre gameplay.