What to watch for when Arizona football visits No. 15 BYU
Arizona Desert Swarm • • sports
Key Points:
- Arizona faces BYU in Week 2 of the Big 12 season, aiming to break a five-game losing streak against the Cougars and their first win in Provo since 1975; BYU is favored by 7.5 points.
- Arizona's top-ranked run defense will be tested against BYU’s strong rushing attack, which gained 258 yards in last year's matchup, with key players LJ Martin and quarterback Bear Bachmeier expected to lead the ground game.
- Turnover margin could be decisive as Arizona struggled with ball security in their opener, losing the turnover battle for the first time since 2025, while BYU quarterback Bachmeier was intercepted twice last season by Arizona’s defense.
- Quarterback Noah Fifita aims to rebound from a poor 2024 game at BYU, having performed well on the road since then; his chances may improve due to the absence of BYU safety Raider Damuni, who is injured.
- Arizona received a boost as key players Ismail Mahdi and Max Harris were reinstated and cleared to play, adding depth to the running back and linebacker positions for the BYU game.
