Athleticism
Arizona is going to be installing a new offense and defense. They don’t have a starting quarterback yet and most are expecting Arizona to maybe get to three wins this season. But there is one aspect to this team that BYU will have to adjust to and that is athleticism.
Last year, the Cougars didn’t face a single P5 team. While UCF, Boise State and UTSA would all likely beat Arizona as well, there is no debate that Arizona is quicker, stronger and bigger than any of those rosters. The Cougars are going to get hit and it’s going to sting a bit more than it has in the past 24 months.
Defensive backs will be quicker to the ball, linebackers will clog up the running lanes faster and offensive linemen will get more of a push than BYU’s seen. In fact, the last time BYU played a P5 school was all the way back on September 21st, 2019 against Washington. Again, BYU should be able to adjust, but what if they get shocked and find themselves down 14-0?