BYU vs Arizona - Now We Find Out

Credit: Getty Images Creator: Christian Petersen

We’re getting into conference play early this year. After both teams opened against FCS opponents, this week should give us a much better idea of what we actually have.

Last Matchup

Last year’s trip to Tucson was considerably more stressful than I would like to see repeated this week.

BYU jumped out to a 14–0 lead with a 28-yard touchdown run from LJ Martin and a 75-yard touchdown catch from Parker Kingston. It looked like the Cougars might take control early. Instead, Arizona scored 24 unanswered points, a lightning delay made an already long night even longer, and BYU found themselves down 10 in the fourth quarter.

The Cougars eventually worked their way back. Will Ferrin hit a field goal to bring BYU within seven, the defense got a stop, and Bear Bachmeier finished the tying drive with a two-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left. Two overtimes later, Bear scored again and the defense finally ended the game. BYU escaped with a 33–27 win.

Looking back at my preview before that game, I expected Arizona’s defensive front to make running the ball difficult. That didn’t turn out to be the problem. BYU rushed for 258 yards, with Martin accounting for 162 and a touchdown. The passing game was another story. Bachmeier threw for just 172 yards and two interceptions, which we can give credit to both the Arizona secondary and the rain, and he made up for some of that with his legs when it mattered most.

BYU converted eight of sixteen third downs, kept finding yards on the ground, and got enough late stops to survive. It wasn’t pretty, but winning a conference game on the road doesn’t require pretty. Both quarterbacks are back this year, though lot of their key targets aren’t.

Game Details

When: Saturday, September 12, 1:30 p.m. MDT

Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium

TV: FOX

Arizona

Arizona was a much better team last season than they were in coach Brent Brennan’s first year. They went from 4–8 in 2024 to 9–4 in 2025, finishing the regular season with five straight wins after losing back-to-back games to BYU and Houston, before ultimately losing the Holiday Bowl to SMU.

The biggest reason to take them seriously is still Noah Fifita. He threw for 3,228 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions last season. Offensive coordinator Seth Doege is also back, so we’re facing an experienced quarterback who is comfortable in the offense. I don’t expect Fifita to be bothered much by playing on the road, especially with expected 90 degree weather potentially keeping the crowd atmosphere in check.

He does have a different group around him. Arizona lost last year’s leading rusher and their top two receivers. Tre Spivey returns, and Giovanni Richardson looks ready for a much bigger role after catching eight passes for 96 yards against Northern Arizona. Fifita finished that game 22-of-29 for 262 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a good opening night regardless of the opponent.

Their defense has more to replace, particularly in the secondary. Arizona lost five defensive backs from last year’s team. That's likely good news for the Cougars because that secondary finished 2025 allowing just 165 passing yards per game and helped the Wildcats finish plus-18 in turnovers. I wouldn't expect the new group will immediately play at that level.

The opener showed some of struggles that come from such a large personnel adjustment. Arizona beat NAU 35–7, held them to -7 rushing yards, and recorded 5 sacks. Their defense didn’t give up a single point; NAU scored their only points on a pick-six after Arizona put in backup quarterback Sawyer Anderson. On the other hand, Arizona Sports noted problems with tackling and blown coverages, especially from the new safeties. The front played well enough that those mistakes didn’t cost them much. Against BYU, hopefully they will.

The BYU Side

There were plenty of things to like about the 63–7 win over Utah Tech. There were also very few things we should use to declare how good this team is going to be. Even for an FCS opponent, Utah Tech wasn't a competitive match.

Bear looked comfortable, completing sixteen of twenty passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. We ran for 308 yards, didn’t turn the ball over, and got a long look at players who will need to contribute as the season goes on.

Legend Glasker certainly made an introduction and lived up to the fall camp hype. 3 catches, 65 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, and another touchdown on the ground is a heck of a way to make an entrance to your college career. Devaughn Eka also looked good, rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. I’m excited about both of them. I’d also like to see them against Arizona before getting too far ahead of ourselves. Unfortunately, Sione Moa left the game with a non-specified injury and isn't expected to play this week, so we will likely see more of the back-ups at running back than we would have hoped this early in the season. LJ will still get the lion's share of carries, but expect to see Preston Rex and Devaughn Eka get a couple of carries each against the Wildcats.

The receiving group was one of my biggest questions coming into the season. Kingston, Chase Roberts, and Carsen Ryan accounted for a lot of last year’s production, and replacing all three was never going to be a small task. In addition to Glasker, Kyler Kasper caught four passes, and transfer tight ends Roger Saleapaga II and Walker Lyons combined for four more. There are options here. This week we find out how well they get open when the defenders are faster and Bear has less time to throw.

The other bad news from the opener was losing Raider Damuni to a knee injury in the first half. The news on Damuni is better than it initially looked, and he is expected to return this season, but we will be without him for now. Tommy Prassas is listed to start alongside Faletau Satuala at safety.

I’m optimistic about our depth but I would still rather have our veteran safety available against Fifita. This is also Kelly Poppinga’s first real test as defensive coordinator, and the secondary will have plenty to do.

What to Look For

I’m skipping the usual season-to-date charts this week. Both teams have played one FCS opponent, and comparing national rankings based on those games doesn’t tell us much. There are a few numbers from last season worth keeping in mind, but I’m more interested in the players and matchups right now.

Can we run the ball like we did last year?

Martin returns after rushing for 1,305 yards and twelve touchdowns last season. Bear added 527 yards and eleven touchdowns on the ground. We have two proven players who can move the ball, and both gave Arizona problems in Tucson.

Over the full 2025 season, BYU had a 47.2% rushing success rate, while Arizona allowed a 43.7% rushing success rate. That measures how often a run gains enough yards for the down and distance, rather than letting one long run make an otherwise poor day look good. Those numbers, along with what happened head-to-head, give me reason to believe we should have success running again.

Arizona’s front looked strong against NAU, but Martin is a different assignment. I want to see us make them stop him before we get away from the run. If they need an extra defender to do it, that should give Bear opportunities to attack their new secondary.

Can the receivers take advantage?

This is probably the matchup I’m most interested in watching. Arizona has new defensive backs working through coverage and tackling issues. BYU has new receivers who looked good against Utah Tech but still have plenty to prove. There should be opportunities here, but we have to protect Bear long enough to find them.

I don’t need Glasker to score three touchdowns every week. I want to see him, Kasper, and Jojo Phillips get open consistently, catch the ball, and make the first defender work for the tackle. A couple of missed tackles or a safety taking a bad angle could turn a simple slant route into a big play. The new tight-end duo of Lyons and Saleapaga looked good last week, though Lyons did have a drop that hit him right in the hands. I'd look for them to get more targets this week, with lots of two tight end sets to block for Martin or get out on play-action.

Last year, BYU managed to win this game with twelve completed passes. I expect we will need a little more help from the passing game this time around.

Can we keep Fifita from getting comfortable?

Fifita will complete passes. My concern is what happens after the catch and whether we let him put together long stretches of easy throws.

Richardson caught eight passes last week, and Spivey gives him another dependable target. With Damuni out, our safeties need to communicate well and avoid giving Arizona free yards because someone is in the wrong spot.

Up front, I want to see BYU make Arizona work for its rushing yards and force Fifita into longer third downs. We don’t have to sack him repeatedly, but we can’t let him stand back there and wait for someone to get open either. I’m curious how much pressure Poppinga brings and how often he trusts the defensive backs to hold up behind it.

Don’t read too much into 63–7 versus 35–7.

BYU gained 521 yards last week. Arizona gained 520.

We finished plus-four in turnovers and got a 100-yard kickoff-return touchdown from Cannon DeVries. Arizona turned the ball over three times, including the interception returned for NAU’s only touchdown. There is a lot more going on in those scores than one offense being substantially better than the other.

The return game looks like it could be a strength for BYU, despite losing Parker Kingston in the offseason. DeVries also returned two punts for 73 yards. A good return and a short field would be welcome this week, but protecting the ball comes first. Arizona was very good at taking it away last season. We survived losing the turnover battle in Tucson; that isn't a recipe for consistent success and I would bet against a similar outcome if it happens this week.

Measuring stick, gut check, litmus test.

JTHOM Analytics places Arizona right in the middle of the conference. Call it what you will, but if BYU has really put the pieces in place to be in the playoffs, this is the sort of game they should control from start to finish - not that they should necessarily be able dominate the scoreboard, but that they should clearly be the better team.

Keys to the Game

1. Run the ball effectively. Martin and Bear are our most established weapons. Keep us out of third-and-long and make Arizona commit defenders to stopping them.

2. Tackle in the secondary. Fifita doesn’t need our help turning short completions into big gains.

3. Protect the football. No careless throws, no dropped returns, and no handing Arizona a short field.

Prediction

Arizona has a good quarterback, a defensive front that should make us work, and plenty of motivation after how last year ended. I still like BYU at home. We have the running game to sustain drives, and I think there will be opportunities for our receivers against Arizona’s new secondary. My biggest concern is how well we hold up against Fifita without Damuni. If we tackle well and avoid coverage mistakes, I think we get enough stops.

I'll take BYU to cover the spread with Martin and Bear doing a lot of the work.

BYU 34, Arizona 24