Cougars Honor Late Coach Kurt Hester With Emotional Win Over No. 24 Arizona State

Conner Weigman ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Houston Cougars beat No. 24 Arizona State 24–16 on Saturday night, earning their first road win over a ranked opponent since 2017.

Tight end Tanner Koziol led the Cougars with 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. “Conner Weigman is an absolute dog,” Koziol told ESPN. “He’s one of the best in the country.”

After the win, head coach Willie Fritz said his team’s focus remains forward-looking despite the milestone. “It’s all good,” Fritz said. “But our deal is the next game. We’ll review this game on Monday, flush it down the toilet, and move on to our next opponent” (ESPN).

The victory moved Houston to 7–1 overall and 4–1 in Big 12 play, propelling the Cougars back into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2022.

But the celebration was tempered by the loss of beloved strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester, who passed away the morning of Oct. 25 after an eight-month battle with stage IV melanoma.

“It’s a bittersweet win, without question,” Fritz said. “Kurt Hester was an unbelievably important person in our football program. He’s the best strength and conditioning coach I’ve ever been around, but more importantly, a really, really fantastic role model for our student-athletes” (Houston Chronicle).

Houston players wore wristbands and shirts reading “Unbreakable,” Hester’s longtime motto, as a tribute during the game (Houston Chronicle).

The Cougars will return home to face West Virginia next week.