Without Jordyn Tyson, No.24 Arizona State squares off with Houston

(Photo: Spencer Barnes/ WCSN)

If there’s one thing that has rung true to this point in Arizona State football’s current season, it’s that there is rarely ever a dull moment. The Sun Devils have now entered the AP Top-25 Poll on three separate occasions after following up a humiliating 42-10 road loss to Utah with a 26-22 upset at home over then-No. 7 Texas Tech this past weekend.

Now that the fans have left the field and a path to returning to the Big 12 title game remains in sight, ASU (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) welcomes in another team vying for the conference crown in the Houston Cougars (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) for a 5:00 p.m. MST showdown on Saturday.

“They’re a phenomenal football team because they’re balanced,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “They play to each other’s strengths. They have an identity and that’s what leads to winning.”

ASU’s recent success under Dillingham has helped set the blueprint for how to turnaround a football program in rapid fashion, and so far, Houston has been following it to a tee.

The Cougars’ entrance into the Big 12 in 2023 thrust the team into its lowest point in recent memory. After going 4-8 in the program’s inaugural season within the conference, Houston hired Tulane head coach Willie Fritz to steer the ship back towards respectability.

The 65-year-old had been at the helm of five different teams over the past 30 years, winning at least one conference title with each one. Since entering Division I in 2014 at Georgia Southern, Fritz has compiled a 218-125 overall record, four bowl wins, and most recently orchestrated Tulane’s 12-2 campaign in 2022 which ended in a AAC title and a Cotton Bowl victory.

Just like ASU, Fritz’s first year at Houston was one to forget as the team finished with a 4-8 record and three in-conference wins. However, the current year has seen the coach work his usual magic by already matching that conference win total seven games in. A walk-off field goal against Arizona at home last Saturday on top of previous wins versus Colorado and Oklahoma State has the team sitting at second place in the conference standings.

Despite the 6-1 start, Houston found itself receiving just 34 votes in the most recent AP poll. The Cougars lost to No. 11 Texas Tech, the only ranked team the team has faced leading up to now, 35-11 in Week 6. Dillingham is no stranger to the need for quality wins to gain recognition, and refuses to take Fritz’s squad lightly regardless of what rankings may say.

“It’s all flash at the end of the day,” Dillingham said. “Their head coach has won a lot of games for a long time at a lot of places, just winning games by playing good defense, complimentary offensive football, possessing the ball, taking care of the football, not hurting themselves. And just because they win with that style, people necessarily don’t flock to it”

One thing that’s remained constant about Fritz’s teams at Houston is a strong defensive presence. The Cougars finished fourth in the Big 12 in points allowed per game and second in total yards allowed last season, and through seven games, they possess the 31st best defense in the entire country. On average, the team allows 19.6 points and 317 yards per game.

After previous defensive coordinator Shiel Wood departed for Texas Tech, Florida defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong filled the vacancy and has kept the train rolling along. His “creeper” scheme includes the use of what ASU offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo calls “UFOs”, meaning that the Sun Devils can expect constant pressure from all angles.

“Kind of a term you use for when you get into third downs and you’ve got pressures coming from everywhere,” Arroyo said. “There’s UFOs all over the place and you’re trying to get a package together for young lineman or young backs for how you’re going to protect that because that’s a hard thing to deal with and they do it really well.”

It comes as no surprise that Houston has four of the top 20 sack leaders in the Big 12. Due to the emphasis on aggression and blitz packages, Houston’s defense has less flashy names and more consistent production throughout the starting lineup.

The defensive line features senior Carlos Allen Jr., the team leader in total tackles, and FIU transfer Eddie Walls III who has contributed five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Perhaps the true secret to the Cougars’ success is one of the conference’s best linebacking corps. Seniors Jalen Garner and Brandon Mack II alongside sophomore Corey Platt Jr. have all combined for 89 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks.

What will make cracking this Houston defense even more difficult for ASU is the recent news that star redshirt junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson will not play due to a hamstring injury. Filling the void of a wideout who has accounted for all but one of the Sun Devils’ receiving touchdowns this season will require expanded roles for the other options on offense.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt’s safety blanket in senior tight end Chamon Metayer has racked up 15 receptions for 171 yards and his lone touchdown grab when playing at Mountain America Stadium. Senior tight end Cameron Harpole could also look to expand upon his performance against Texas Tech where he caught a season-high four passes.

In terms of stretching the field, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaren Hamilton flashed potential as a serious deep threat last Saturday with three receptions for 101 yards. This could also be an opportunity for receivers such as redshirt sophomore Derek Eusebio and redshirt senior Malik McClain to gain momentum as legitimate weapons going forward.

Injuries are nothing new to ASU who will still be without the likes of junior running back Kyson Brown, redshirt senior defensive back Xavion Alford, and most likely redshirt senior defensive lineman Prince Dorbah. However, being without a Bilentnikoff contender against one of the premier defenses of the conference means Dillingham and Arroyo have their work cut out for them before Saturday night.

“I think everyone understands kind of the reality of the sport,” Arroyo said. “We’ve had this happen at multiple positions over the course of the time I’ve been here and it’s something we preach a lot. The next guy’s got to set up, and we’ve got to be able to create a little more value at each position because it’s hard to replace one guy that valuable with one spot..”

What truly differentiates the Cougars from their 2024 counterpart is a much improved offense. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that Houston’s offense the previous season was one of the worst in college football’s recent memory as the unit tied for dead last in total touchdowns nationally and only scored 168 points across the entire year.

As a result, Fritz brought in LSU special teams and tight ends coach Slade Nagle to be the team’s new offensive coordinator. The two coached together for seven years when Nagle worked his way up from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator under Fritz at Tulane.

Nagle’s pro-style offensive scheme has helped junior quarterback and Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman enjoy a breakout campaign. Through the air, the signal caller has 1,380 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only two interceptions.

Junior wide receiver and UAB transfer Amare Thomas has been the main benefactor of the revamped air attack as he’s currently fifth in the Big 12 in receiving yards with 510 on 27 catches. However, the honor of team reception leader goes to senior tight end Tanner Koziol. The No. 3 ranked transfer portal tight end from Ball State has more than lived up to billing with 36 caught passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns.

On the other hand, Weigman’s dual-threat skillset and managing to snag senior running back Dean Connors from cross-town rival Rice gives Houston a top-notch rushing duo. Through seven games, the two have combined for 781 yards and ten touchdowns on the ground.

“They put (Weigman) in positions to where you have to treat him like a triple option quarterback even though he’s not,” Dillingham said. “They’re very good at the quick passing game. So they get the ball out really fast, they take shots, then they add plus one runs with their quarterback. That’s all you need in football.”

A year ago, ASU played the role of the underdog trying to prove itself amongst the best in the country when no one was paying attention.

Fast forward to the present day, Houston is attempting to pull off the exact same trick when the team walks into the home of the defending Big 12 champions on Saturday night. In a conference known for unpredictability and chaotic results, the Tyson–less Sun Devils will need all hands on deck to keep the path for another run at the postseason right in front of them and avoid ending up on the other side of the glass.

“This conference is just so deep across the board,” Dillingham said. “You never know who can win any game. Anybody can beat anybody any week in this league. And that’s the challenge of the league. That’s why every game just has to be so singularly focused on ‘this is the most important game’.