To start the Arizona matchup Saturday afternoon at LaVell Edwards Stadium, the Wildcats looked like they had an answer for BYU’s defense.
Arizona opened the game by driving down the field and scoring within the first five minutes. Quarterback Noah Fifita scored on an 11-yard rush, giving the Wildcats an early 7-0 lead.
BYU linebacker Cade Uluave quickly responded by reading Fifita’s throw and stepping in front of the pass for an interception. The turnover gave the Cougars possession at the Arizona 9-yard line.
Two plays later, Bear Bachmeier ran 6 yards for a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
But after the interception, Arizona continued to find success offensively.
Fifita helped Arizona accumulate 240 yards of total offense in the first half. The Wildcats also recorded 15 first downs compared to six for BYU and controlled possession for 21 minutes, while the Cougars had the ball for just over eight minutes.
BYU trailed 17-14 at halftime.
Cougar coach Kalani Sitake said the defense needed to make adjustments.
“That was a great game, and we knew it would be a tough one,” he said. ”Arizona is a really good team. One of the best teams in the country. We had to make some adjustments and then change some things because Arizona was putting us on our heels.”
BYU’s adjustments began to show immediately after halftime.
The Cougars held Arizona to just 54 yards in the third quarter. The Wildcats went 0-for-2 on third down in the quarter and were held to just 33 yards in the fourth quarter.
Sitake said putting pressure on Fifita and returning to the basics ultimately gave BYU the advantage in the second half. Fifita had successfully recognized the different coverages, disguises and looks the Cougars were throwing at him, forcing BYU to simplify its approach.
“Eventually, we just had to decide we’ve got to stop the run,” Sitake said. “We got to stop scrambling and then try to figure things out from there.”
The Cougars’ pass rush became a key part of that adjustment.
TAUSILI IN BEAST MODE.
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 12, 2026
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/JEnKvGrjfC
Defensive end Tausili Akana recorded 2.5 sacks, including 1.5 on a key drive late in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa added a half sack on the same drive, helping BYU shut down Arizona’s offense. The Cougars finished with three sacks.
Cornerback Cannon DeVries led BYU with nine tackles.
After giving up 240 yards in the first half, BYU’s defense allowed just 87 yards after halftime.
Uluave said the mentality shift heading into the second half helped the defense respond.
“I think the coaches made great adjustments and the mentality changed,” Uluave said. “Credit to all the coaches doing adjustments and for the guys buying in.”
