Arizona doesn’t need any help finding fuel for Saturday’s trip to Provo.
The Wildcats are 1-0 after rolling past NAU 35-7, but the real measuring stick arrives now against No. 15 BYU in a game that could carry major conference championship implications. Last season’s 33-27 loss to the Cougars is still hanging around in the minds of Arizona’s players, and that memory is part of what’s driving this week.
There’s motivation, sure. But there’s also respect.
Offensive coordinator Seth Doege said he had a brief offseason exchange with BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, and Bachmeier didn’t exactly downplay Arizona’s side of things. Doege said Bachmeier was complimentary of the defense and the team the Wildcats had last year, while also making it clear BYU felt like it had survived with an upset.
“He was very complimentary of Danny’s defense and the team we had last year,” said Doege. “They were just as excited to win that game as we were trying to win it as well. I mean they thought they pulled out an upset.”
That game still sits with the Wildcats. Arizona won five straight after it, finished the year in the Holiday Bowl, and moved on in the standings - but not in the locker room. Fifth-year linebacker Chase Kennedy knows exactly how that kind of loss can linger, especially after his time at Utah.
“It’s called a holy war, but I guess what we talk about it’s not so holy,” said Kennedy on how Utah talks about BYU.
For Kennedy, the message is simple: Arizona wants that feeling gone.
“I don’t know if it’ll be a rivalry, but I know that we want to get that taste out of our mouths from these past two years,” said Kennedy.
That same next-play mentality showed up in the opener, even when things got messy. Sophomore receiver Giovanni Richardson had a fumble on the second drive, a moment that stopped Arizona’s first-half rhythm. Richardson didn’t hide from it.
“Just take accountability for it,” said Richardson. “I fumbled it.
It is what it is. Gotta brush it off and go play the game, just have fun and play football.”
He still came through with eight catches for 98 yards, and for him the job never changes. The number of touches doesn’t matter as much as doing the work.
“I just try to play my role in the offense, if I have 10 catches that game, if I have one, I just do my job and the ball will find me,” said Richardson.
Kennedy was in that same lane after a strong individual outing. Good start, yes. Finished product, no.
“It was a good start, but I know there’s still things that I need to do individually and stuff I could have cleaned up out there,” said Kennedy. “Just growing on that would be a good thing. I know there’s still things I can work on outside of that that can make it even more better.”
Doege viewed Richardson’s fumble as a reminder that the basics still matter once the games count. The work done in fall camp doesn’t stop being important just because the season has started.
“It just kind of affirms the drills that you do every day and why you guys are out there,” said Doege. “That drill, I’m constantly on them, and sometimes they get tired of hearing me, and it’s boring, almost here we go again everyday drill, but it matters. It’s probably the most important drill we do every day.”
At the same time, Doege isn’t interested in turning playmakers into robots. Richardson was trying to make something happen, and that edge comes with some risk.
“I know Gio was hurt when he fumbled,” said Doege. “Gio didn’t go into the game thinking, ‘I’m gonna fumble.’ He went into the game trying to make a play.”
The first couple drives also brought some sloppiness that Arizona can’t afford to carry into Saturday. Doege said a few players tried to freelance instead of staying locked into the details, even on plays the offense handles well.
“I thought we had a couple guys wanting to do their own thing instead of being detailed and disciplined in those first couple drives because we were calling plays that we’re very good at. That against our defense, we’re very efficient at it, and we made mistakes that I’ve never seen us make.”
One of the brighter notes from the opener was junior offensive lineman Matthew Lado, though Doege thinks there’s still another level there. Lado flashed more aggression and movement than usual, but the challenge now is keeping it there snap after snap.
“There were some times on Saturday where he really moved and he moved differently and he played with a different aggression, but it was a little bit inconsistent,” said Doege. “I want to see him do that the entire game because if he does that the entire game, he’s one of those dudes that can make some money playing football.”
On defense, the starting safety spot is not locked down. Danny Gonzales said he sees Lee Molette III, Gavin Hunter and Daylen Austin all as starters in his mind, and the rotation will continue to depend on the matchup.
“Those three I view in my mind as a starter,” said Gonzales. “Depending on the matchup, it could be any of the three that goes in on any play or any series.
We have different things that we can do in different situations. So if those guys want to start, they better practice their ass off.”
That kind of flexibility may matter most against a BYU team Kennedy described as disciplined and loaded with older players.
“They got a good discipline unit over there, a lot of older guys,” said Kennedy. “So we just know we gotta be good with all of the details.”
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