Arizona State Head Coach Kenny Dillingham Postgame Press Conference:
Saturday, October 25, 2025
On losing their first home game since his first season at Arizona State:
“It sucks. It was a good run. Ten games in a row here– great environments. We've really built a great environment here and unfortunately we couldn't get it done tonight. We didn't play well enough in the first half– first three quarters really– of the football game. It's unfortunate, but great environments. It's been a good run. Hopefully we can start another run here in the next home game.”

On struggling to move the ball in the first half of the game:
“The first half and first drive was productive. We were getting into good range. Sam (QB Sam Leavitt) went out, Jeff (QB Jeff Sims) went in and did a nice job getting us in range to get points, but we didn’t get it done. The next drive they got us on a big tackle for loss. They're a big twist team, so I think the TFLs early were getting us behind the chains. Then they were doing a nice job on 3rd down with 3rd and longs you're not going to be productive. The first down twist games up front were getting us behind the chains. Then on the 3rd drive, we had a turnover when we were moving the ball and got near the 40. So it was a combination of not capitalizing and getting points when we moved the ball down there. Also, turning the ball over near the 50, and a couple of the other drives we had some TFLs in our run game with their twist games. We couldn't stay in a good enough rhythm and then we weren't efficient when we actually were moving the ball. We didn't get points, which is the goal of the game.”

On the illegal motion call:
“We have to get set. That's on us as a staff, not making sure guys know where they're supposed to be, getting set, and before the motion getting guys set. We just switched our feet. It wasn't a matter of being on or off, which is the part that kind of sucks. It was a small detail switch and he recognized it halfway through. It was in an illegal motion. It didn’t have any effect on the play, but it was a penalty 100 percent. It was unfortunate. We can't have it, and that's on myself to not let those things happen because there's easily 10 points in that game just off that play alone. Some other things in that game were way closer than (the score) was most of the night. We didn't play well enough. It was fortunate.”

On the special teams’ performance tonight:
“We have to play better all across the board. We have to be better as a football team. We didn’t play well enough as a football team tonight. That was one of the phases that didn't play well enough, but all the phases have to play better. They ran the ball efficiently with their quarterback — 21 carries, most of them direct runs, for 124 yards. Running backs, 24 carries for 70-something, so that's pretty good defense— 3 yards carry. But the quarterback, direct plus one, you have to give it to that kid. You have to give it to (QB) Conner (Weigman). That dude was a warrior for them tonight to take the snap and run quarterback around 20 times. You have to give him a lot of credit because he did a nice job. They did a good job up front, and that's a good football team. This league is filled with good football teams. That's a good football team. And, when you don't play well enough and you face a good football team, they get a takeaway and you don't get any takeaways. You’re not going to win many of those games versus good teams.”

On pass catchers stepping up during WR Jordan Tyson’s absence:
“It was awesome to see (WR) Malik (McClain) really flash tonight. That’s a positive when you have seven catches and 160 yards. That was his spring and fall camp showing up. Getting that back could be big for us as we progress towards the end of the season. Who knows where the other guy’s statuses are but those guys stepped up pretty well. Specifically Malik.”

Arizona State Wide Receiver Malik McClain
On Stepping up with Jordan Tyson being out:
“I was blessed to just be in the game and contribute. With JT [Tyson]  going down, we had to change some things around. So, I just had to play my part and just meet the players when they came.”

On using today’s game to continue to contribute:
“I think I definitely earned some trust within my teammates. It feels good to make plays for the team. When you don't make plays, you just wanna do good for the guys. It's a team sport, and I want to contribute any way I can.”

Arizona State Linebacker Keyshaun Elliott
On struggling against QB draws:
“I mean it's a tough run. I mean you’ve got to have your free safety or one of your extra fitters to come down and fit the hole. They're good at doing their job and they want to have a tough offensive line, do well getting up to the second level, so you know they're collecting people that's tough to stop.”

On Houston’s physicality:
“They're solid. I said they did a good job collecting blocks. I know we're the more physical team, but at times that wasn't what we were putting on the field. They were getting up to us and driving the blocks. But like I said, they’re just a good football team. They're overlooked and a good solid football team that's going to win a lot of games.”

Houston Head Coach Willie Fritz 
Opening Statement:
“Tough day. An unbelievably important person in our program unfortunately passed away this morning…He wanted to do everything he could to try… We met with the kids and told them what was going on and it hurt. It’s a bittersweet win. Without question, Kurt Hester was an unbelievably important person in our football program. Best strength and conditioning coach I've ever been around. Most importantly, a fantastic role model for our student athletes. He came up on Thursday…he knew it was the last time he was going to see the guys. He delivered a heck of a speech. Our thoughts and prayers are with their family. (It was a) Big win. I thought when we needed to score offensively, we did a super good job with it. A good drive there at the end of the first half. On our defense, we did a good job on some of their conversion downs to stop them, getting some big plays. We also did a pretty good job with field position. They had some penalties on some returns that helped us at that last punt when they had to go 96 yards. A lot of good plays for our guys. 

On what this victory means for the program as the first-ranked road win since 2017:
“They’re a good football team. It was a big victory to come on the road and beat the defending Big 12 Champions. It’s all good. I probably gave the wrong answer, but our deal is the next game…We’re going to move on to our next opponent. That’s how you got to do it if you’re going to be as good as you want to be. We’re proud of all those things that occur, but we have a lot of football left to play.” 

On the big performances from his players:
“(Tanner Koziol) is a stud. He made two or three good difficult catches. Conner Weigman is not scared to throw it up to him because he knows he’s going to come down with it. A bunch of guys made big plays. DJ Butler came in there and there were three yards to go and he was getting five or six each time that he ran the ball… The guys did a good job of competing for the ball. 

Houston QB Conner Weigman
On getting the offense going early:
“That was the game plan. That's what we want to do each and every week. We'd love to be able to jump out and get ahead like that. It’s just all about playing hard. Effort and energy. That’s our focal point. That's what coaches preach to us and to just go out there and give it all we got. When we turn that film on, we want to be the hardest playing team out there, and I feel like we did that tonight.”

On what a win like this says about the direction the team wants to go:
“It says a lot. We just want to keep getting better. Just keep playing good, clean football and we're going to have a shot in each and every game.”

Houston TE Tanner Koziol 
On what he saw from QB Conner Weigman:
“I saw a dog. I saw an absolute dog. He's doing it both ways. He's getting banged up. He's putting his shoulder down. He's getting yards after contact. He's one of the best in the country and there's no doubt. The things that he's doing for this team, the advantages that it gives us being able to run our quarterback like that, and he does it like a dog and does not blink. He gets back in the huddle and he's riled up after it. You can't beat that. That's the guy you want to play for, a guy you wanna play next to, and a guy you want on your team leading it.”

On the prospect of being ranked for the first time since 2021:
“Making history is always cool. It’s really cool, but it's the next game. Who's next? What's next? That's the only thing we're focused on.”

Houston DL Eddie Walls
On his three sack performance:
“It was the best I've felt in a while, honestly. As the season goes on, your body starts to get banged up, but I feel totally opposite. I start feeling better.”

On the team making big plays to close out the game:
“One thing we preach is finishing and how we respond to everything. We did let him score twice, and we know that's not us, so now it’s up to us responding to the situation. We know we have to finish the game. We have no other choice but to finish.”