Sean Paul

Houston football’s stunning 2025 season kept on rolling in Tempe, Ariz., with a 24-16 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday night. Despite the Sun Devils trying to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, the Cougars held strong for their first-ranked win of the season and their first-ranked win on the road since 2017. Houston kicked off the scoring in the first quarter with a nearly 11-minute drive that ended with a 26-yard field goal from senior kicker Ethan Sanchez.

Despite the win against No. 24 Arizona State on Saturday, the moment for Houston football was a bittersweet one, as early that morning, the team’s director of strength and performance Kurt Hester passed away after a battle against stage IV melanoma cancer. He was 61. His death was publicly announced after the team’s win. “Very difficult,” coach Willie Fritz said. “It’s a bittersweet win without question.

Houston volleyball has lost back-to-back matches for the second time this season, getting swept by Colorado 3-0. The Cougars have had a rough start in Big 12 play, dropping three of their first four matches, with all three losses being sweeps. In their first matchup against the No. 24 Buffaloes at Boulder since 1991, despite once again leading the match in blocks with eight compared to Colorado’s six, UH could not fully contain the Buffaloes’ offensive firepower.