BYU didn’t need a perfect afternoon to handle Arizona, and that was the point. The Cougars were shaky early, then settled in and leaned on a much cleaner second half to pull away for a 28-17 win Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The biggest reason BYU walked out with a comfortable final margin was the steady hand of Bear Bachmeier. The sophomore quarterback wasn’t dazzling in a flashy, stat-padding way, but he was sharp when the game demanded it.
He finished 16 of 26 for 198 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and he added 47 rushing yards and a score on six carries. His best throw may have been a 61-yard strike to freshman speedster Legend Glasker, a deep ball that stood out even in an efficient outing.
LJ Martin did the heavy lifting on the ground once BYU finally committed to the run. The senior back finished with 98 yards on 20 carries, though he only got four attempts in the first half.
Once the Cougars opened things up after halftime, Martin kept churning out tough yards and helped slam the door late. Preston Rex also chipped in, picking up 11 yards on one carry and catching an 8-yard pass that helped keep a touchdown drive alive.
Through the air, Kyler Kasper made himself impossible to ignore. The 6-foot-6 Oregon transfer became Bachmeier’s favorite target and did his best work in the red zone, hauling in two touchdown catches.
Glasker continued to flash as the team’s big-play threat, while tight end Walker Lyons once again gave BYU a dependable option. Roger Saleapaga had a chance at a big gain but couldn’t come down with it, and Jojo Phillips stayed quiet for most of the afternoon, though he also dropped a tough second-half pass.
The offensive line had a rougher day than the box score might suggest. Penalties piled up, especially in the first half, and missed assignments stalled some of the rhythm.
Still, the unit got better as the game went on and helped create running room for Martin and the rest of the backfield. Protection for Bachmeier was solid enough throughout to keep the offense moving.
Defensively, Keanu Tanuvasa was the clear standout up front. If the grade were based on his performance alone, it would have been much higher.
The senior tackle, now in his first season after transferring from Utah, was disruptive all game and especially in the second half. The rest of the defensive line was quieter, though the group as a whole picked up its play late.
The linebackers had a mixed day. Too often they were chasing Arizona ball-carriers into the flat, especially in a first half where the Wildcats seemed a step ahead.
Nusi Taumoepeau didn’t make much of an impact in his first start, but Tausili Akana brought real juice off the edge and finished with 2.5 tackles in what could be a breakout showing. Cade Uluave delivered one of the game’s biggest plays with his interception, helped by Isaiah Glasker’s hurry.
The back end had to adjust without injured senior starter Raider Damuni, and the results were uneven. Tommy Prassas saw plenty of action in Damuni’s spot.
The corner play was mostly solid, but Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita made life difficult without much pressure forcing mistakes. Cannon DeVries came through with what may have been the game’s biggest defensive stop, making a strong tackle on a crucial fourth-down play late.
Jayven Williams also did his part when he filled in for Tre Alexander.
Special teams stayed steady without creating a major swing. BYU didn’t do much in the return game, but Fuller Shurtz gave Arizona little to work with, punting five times for a 46-yard average.
On the sideline, the Cougars started slowly and Arizona looked better prepared early. The first-half run plan was light, which didn’t help an offense that struggled to sustain drives and left the defense on the field too long. But BYU’s staff made the kind of second-half adjustments it has leaned on before, and the team’s play changed dramatically after halftime.
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BYU Keeps Winning Big Games Even When The Start Looks Familiar
The familiar early-game script showed up again for BYU, with the offense taking a little while to find its footing against Arizona in Big 12 play. But this team has made a habit of staying patient, and both sides of the ball settled in as the game went along, with defensive coordinator Kelly Poppingas second-half adjustments helping clamp down on Arizonas offense and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick finding the right answers to get the Cougar attack moving.
The finish fit the tone of a team that keeps finding ways in tight spots. Tommy Prassas delivered a key late fourth-quarter tackle to help seal the win, and it gave Kalani Sitake another victory over Arizona, his sixth in a row against the Wildcats. For BYU, the bigger takeaway is becoming harder to miss: even when the start looks a lot like the last one, the ending keeps changing in its favor. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Win Over Arizona Turned On 3 Momentum-Swinging Moments
BYUs 28-17 win over Arizona had the feel of a game decided in bursts, with momentum tilting back and forth before the Cougars finally grabbed control. The defense set the tone at key moments, and one of the biggest came when linebacker Cade Uluave intercepted a pass and gave BYU a much-needed swing in field position and energy.
The offense then answered with a touchdown catch by Kyler Kasper, and later the Cougars leaned on a crucial fourth-down stop that was upheld after a successful BYU challenge. Those three plays shaped the night in a way the final score only partly captures, because each one arrived at a spot where the game could have gone the other direction. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Had A Feel Good Night Fans Wont Want To Overlook
Before the Arizona game, BYU made room for a little history as members of the 1976 football team were honored by lighting the Y, a nod to a program that still leans on its past as much as its present. The night also carried added significance because of Clay Blackwell, remembered as the first black player from Utah to suit up for BYU, giving the celebration a wider sense of what the program has become over time.
The football side of the evening matched the occasion well enough, with Bear Bachmeier connecting with Legend Glasker on a 61-yard pass, LJ Martin powering the ground game and Tausili Akana and Keanu Tanuvasa getting home for sacks. It was the kind of all-around night that gave fans more than one reason to feel good, even beyond the ceremony, and maybe one more reminder that BYU has a habit of blending its history with the moment in front of it. [Read more 🡒]