Arizona walked out of its opener with a comfortable win over NAU, but the number attached to that result told a different story. Now the Wildcats head to Provo as a 7.5-point underdog against BYU, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, in a game with an over/under of 51.5 points.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. MST, and Fox will carry the game.
The opener did little to calm the market around Arizona. The Wildcats beat NAU 35-7, but they did not cover a 32.5-point spread. Backup quarterback Sawyer Anderson got late work in that game and threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter, a play that ended up swinging the spread to the Lumberjacks’ side.
BYU, meanwhile, showed up looking every bit the part of a heavy favorite. The Cougars rolled past Utah Tech 63-7 and covered a 48.5-point line with room to spare. That performance came in an early-season Big 12 game that counts in the conference standings, and it sets up another league matchup when Arizona arrives in town.
The teams also have recent history. Their last meeting came on October 11, 2025, in Tucson, where BYU won in double overtime. Arizona was a 2.5-point favorite in that game.
BYU’s offense was firing on all cylinders against Utah Tech. Bear Bachmeier threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns, with freshman receiver Legend Glasker catching two of those scores.
Bachmeier also ran for a touchdown. Four other Cougars added rushing touchdowns, including freshman Devaughn Eka, who led the team with 59 yards on the ground, and LJ Martin, who finished with 54.
The defense made life miserable for Utah Tech, forcing four turnovers and picking off three passes. One of those interceptions came from Evan Johnson, a preseason All-Big 12 selection.
Special teams chipped in too, with Cannon DeVries taking a kick return 100 yards for a touchdown. He also handled two punt returns for 73 yards after playing sparingly last season.
For all the fireworks, BYU did take a hit in the secondary when senior safety Raider Damuni left with a left knee injury. After the game, Kalani Sitake said the team was “just praying for a miracle” that the injury was not as serious as it looked. Damuni started six games last season and made 43 tackles.
The Cougars also sat senior linebacker Isaiah Glasker. He had five tackles and an interception against Arizona last season, and Sitake said after the Utah Tech game that the staff held him out as a precaution. Glasker has “always done great for us against Arizona, and so, we felt as a coaching staff we didn’t need him, and, and I think he really, really wanted to play as a team captain…he was going to go, and then we just, me and K-Pop made a decision not to play him,” Sataki said, per SI.
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Fifita's night added another layer beyond the scoreboard, as he kept moving up Arizona's record book while directing an offense that was efficient when it needed to be. The only real blemish came late, when the shutout slipped away, but the broader takeaway was clear: Arizona came out of the gate looking organized, physical and very much in control. [Read more 🡒]