Brent Brennan and Arizona head into Saturday with a real chance to make a statement in Provo. A win over BYU would give the Wildcats their first Big 12 regular-season victory of 2026, land a top-15 win, and likely send them back into the AP Top 25.
That’s the opportunity. The challenge is just as clear. BYU brings a punishing rushing attack, a defense that holds up well in the trenches, and a young quarterback in sophomore Bear Bachmeier who has already become a name to know.
Arizona also has plenty of players who still remember how last season ended against the Cougars. The Wildcats lost in 2OT at home, and several of those returners would love nothing more than to settle that score on Saturday afternoon.
Three Arizona players stand out as especially important in that effort.
Start with Kedrick Reescano, who has already made it clear that last year’s loss still lingers.
"It was a sour feeling," the star running back said after Arizona's win over NAU in Week 1. "I think it still gets to a lot of us. Losing that game last year was one of the hardest things that we went through as a team, and being able to go forward and get another opportunity at them, a lot of us have been preparing for this moment."
Reescano did his part in that 2OT game, running 13 times for 90 yards and a touchdown. Arizona will need something close to that again if it wants to leave Provo with a win.
There’s also a clear matchup in the trenches. BYU limited FCS opponent Utah Tech to 49 rushing yards in Week 1, while Arizona rolled up 206 on the ground against NAU. Reescano scored twice on 48 rushing yards, and Antwan Roberts also looked sharp in the backfield.
If Arizona can get the run game moving and create some consistent yards between the tackles, that should do more than just control the clock. It can also make life easier for Noah Fifita and open up the passing game.
Another key name is Chase Kennedy. The fifth-year linebacker knows BYU better than most Arizona players, thanks to his time at Utah before transferring to Tucson.
Kennedy stopped short of calling this a rivalry, but the motivation is obvious.
“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.
He made his presence felt in Week 1 with 2.5 sacks against NAU, and Arizona will need that kind of disruption again. His ability to get after the quarterback and help slow the run is a major piece of the puzzle against a BYU offense powered by Bachmeier and LJ Martin.
Then there’s Fifita, who looked strong in the opener and now gets one of the biggest stages of the early season. This matchup with Bachmeier is being billed as one of the best quarterback showdowns in the Big 12, and Fifita sits at the center of Arizona’s hopes.
He’s always going to matter to Brennan’s offense, but Saturday feels especially important. If Arizona can establish the run, Fifita should have more room to work with a familiar group of pass catchers. That could be enough to get the offense rolling in Provo - and maybe even push the fifth-year quarterback into the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Arizona and BYU kick off at 12:30 PM PT on Saturday, Sep. 12. The game will be broadcast on FOX.
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Arizona Has A Real Chance To Make A Statement Vs BYU
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The appeal for Arizona is tied to how it looked in Week 1 compared with what BYU showed, because the numbers and the eye test point to a matchup that is more open than it might seem at first glance. If the Wildcats can pair that offensive production with cleaner execution on the scoreboard, this becomes the kind of road result that changes the tone around the program quickly. [Read more 🡒]