Noah Fifita may not be drawing much love from national oddsmakers in the Heisman Trophy race, but Saturday gives the Arizona quarterback a chance to change that conversation in a hurry.
Arizona heads to BYU for the first Big 12 football showdown of the season, and the matchup in Provo, Utah, has plenty riding on it. Single-game tickets are listed as high as $728 on VividSeats for a game that features two regular-season title hopefuls and two of the conference’s top quarterbacks.
Fifita said in a press conference leading into the game that he had circled this one on his calendar long ago. Arizona enters at 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12 from last season, and the Wildcats also recently extended head coach Brent Brennan’s contract in Tucson. A win here would give Arizona the kind of statement result it has been chasing.
BYU comes in as the No. 15 team in the AP College Football Top 25 and a 6.5-point favorite after rolling past Utah Tech 63-7 to open the year. The Cougars are leaning on sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns in his debut and is working toward the 3,033-yard passing mark he set as a freshman last season.
Fifita opened his season with a strong showing of his own, helping Arizona beat Northern Arizona 35-7 last weekend. He completed 23 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
If the Wildcats can slow BYU down and pull the upset in Provo, it would give them a valuable early-season resume boost with a demanding conference slate still ahead, including Texas Tech and Utah. It also comes with the challenge of a presumed sold-out Lavell Edwards Stadium, which is never an easy place to walk into, regardless of kickoff time.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on FOX.
In Other News...
BYU's Arizona Rotations Suddenly Come With Two Big Concerns
BYUs snap counts against the Trailblazers offered a pretty clear look at how the Cougars are trying to manage their personnel as they head into Arizona. The offense leaned heavily on tight ends, using two of them as much as its top wide receivers, while the defensive side kept rotating up front in search of fresh legs and a steady pass rush. It was the kind of game that showed both the depth chart and the game plan, especially with certain players being asked to do a little more in key spots.
Legend Glasker appears headed for a bigger role, but the more immediate concern is how BYU covers for the losses and limitations that showed up in that game. Sione Moa left early because of injury, and Nusi Taumoepeau was on a limited snap count, which only adds to the pressure on the Cougars rotation at a time when they need dependable bodies on both sides of the ball. On defense, the challenge is especially clear: BYU needs enough push from the line to bother the quarterback without having to lean too hard on blitzing. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Will Love Who's Behind Saturday's Pregame Flyover
A familiar show of pageantry is coming to LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, and this one carries a personal connection for Jimmy Winegardner. The BYU graduate and KC-135 pilot is set to handle the pregame flyover before the national anthem at the BYU-Arizona game, with kickoff slated for 1:30 p.m. MDT, adding a little extra buzz to a matchup already carrying plenty of interest.
For Winegardner, the moment has been years in the making, a chance to combine his military role with a place that still matters to him. The KC-135 crew will spend time on training flights around Utah Valley before approaching the stadium from the south, and for BYU fans, it should be a memorable arrival even before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
BYU's Arizona Test Could Raise The Stakes Around Kalani Sitake
BYU heads into its game against Arizona with more than a conference test hanging over the night, even as fans are being urged to turn LaVell Edwards Stadium into a blue-and-white Stripe Out. The matchup offers another chance for the Cougars to show they can handle a meaningful early-season check, but it also comes with a familiar backdrop around the program: a coach who has kept the team competitive while navigating a school and sport in transition.
Kalani Sitakes future at BYU remains a live conversation because of the way he has spoken publicly about resources and support, especially after recent administrative changes around the program. In a college football landscape that keeps shifting under everyones feet, the Arizona game feels like more than a standalone date on the schedule, since performances like this can quietly shape how loudly those bigger questions get asked in the weeks that follow. [Read more 🡒]