The No. 14 Houston Cougars are headed into one of the biggest stages in college football this week, and the setting only adds to the drama: a trip to face No.
10 Utah in Houston’s first top-15 road game in 35 years. ESPN’s College GameDay will be there, too.
For senior linebacker Sione Fotu, the game means more than rankings and spotlight. It sends him back to his hometown of Salt Lake City, where he’ll line up against Utah, the school he played for in 2020 and again from 2023-24.
“It’s gonna be a full-circle moment for me. I loved my time there and, of course, I love home, so just being able to see people that I’ve seen for a little bit, and having them cheer and be on the other side of Rice Eccles is gonna be fun,” Fotu said.
The matchup comes with major stakes for both teams. Houston and Utah have both emerged as Big 12 contenders, and the winner will be positioned well for the College Football Playoff picture and potentially the conference championship game. Fotu said that reality hit him when he spoke with his father.
“I talked to my dad yesterday, and we were just talking not only because I’m going back and I’m playing the team that first played for, but it’s meaningful football. A lot is on the line, a lot’s at stake.
This is the stuff that you dream of. So, I’m really just living the dream, honestly,” Fotu said.
Houston also gets the benefit of having one of its defensive leaders who knows exactly what awaits at Rice Eccles Stadium. The Utes’ home field has a reputation for being one of the toughest environments in the Big 12, especially at night, which is when this game kicks off.
“It’s the same as the hard places we’ve played so far this year. Just don’t let the crowd have an effect on us.
Play our game, whether it’s nighttime,” Fotu said. They like to talk about Rice Eccles at night.
It’s just the same as anywhere else at night.”
The late start also means a long day and a cross-country trip for Houston, something Fotu remembers well from his Pac-12 days. He said the waiting used to make the experience tougher.
“Last year helped us a little bit by going to Oregon State. Now, a lot of kids who came back from last year are ready for that kind of flight,” Fotu said.
For Fotu, the trip back home will also turn into a family event. He expects about 30 relatives in the stands, and he called it a moment he’ll have to sit with until kickoff.
“It’s gonna be a pinch-me moment until that ball’s kicked off, but it’ll be fun and it’ll be pretty weird for my family too. They used to sit in a certain section in the Ute Stadium, and now they’re gonna be in that section that they got for Houston fans,” Fotu said. “My mom said if you wear anything Utah, you can’t get a ticket.”
Houston’s defense has needed more from Fotu over the past few weeks because senior linebacker Jaden Yates has been out with a leg injury. Yates had been one of the team’s best defenders, and Fotu and senior Carmycah Glass have taken on bigger roles as starters.
“Jaden Yates is a hell of a player, and he’s definitely been missed the last few weeks. With me and Carmycah, it’s just trying to pick up the load for what, of course, was our leading tackler for a while, so we’re just trying to make sure that there’s no fall-off with him being out,” Fotu said.
Glass, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior who also played at Houston last season, said the two-man rotation has made the job clear when the ball is snapped.
“We rotate back, so when your name is called, it’s time to step outside. I fill that void,” Glass said.
Through the season, Glass has recorded 18 total tackles, while Fotu has 21 and three passes defended. The travel challenge is more than just the time zone shift, too, and Houston has already been preparing for the altitude and the long flight.
“Our staff, they always have been on hydration, because going on a plane for that duration dehydrates your body. We try to grab as much hydration and fluid as we can going on to the plane,” Glass said.
Yates, who had SEC experience at Ole Miss last year during its run to the CFP semifinals, has still been around the program in a different way while sidelined.
“Jaden comes in and he’s like a sideline coach now. He comes off the field and he gives that feedback,” Glass said.
Willie Fritz said Yates is likely to miss at least one more week and suggested the bye week could be the target for a return. Fritz also pointed to everything Fotu is carrying into this game beyond football.
“He’s (Fotu) just done a great job and this is obviously going to be a big game for him going back home and he’s dealing with a lot. He’s married, and they’re having a baby in a while. He’s got a lot of stuff going on more so than the other players do, but he’s a very mature young man and handles it all in a first-class manner,” Fritz said.
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