After an opening-season explosion, BYU’s offense cooled against Arizona. But BYU’s was balanced and strong against Arizona. The Cougars went for quality over quantity in this game. They didn’t run the ball as much as they did last year (258 rushing yards in Tucson) and just about as much this year at home (148) as two years ago in Provo (147). Passing the ball varied as well. In 2024, the Cougars had 251 passing yards; last year it was much lower at 172, and in Saturday’s win it was in between at 217.
The total offense from the Cougars was low for these battles. Down from 398 and 430 yards in the previous two years. BYU had 365 in this win. Their point totals have declined from 41 in 2024, to 33 last year, to 28 this year. The offense also took care of the football with zero giveaways. BYU’s 28-17 win showed resiliency. It showed a team identity, and it showed trust. Nowhere was that more true than BYU’s game-clinching drive, and that was especially the case on their biggest play of that drive.
Offensive Play of the Game
I still can't get over how much I love everything about this play. The trust, the execution, the aggressiveness, and the decision-making are elite here. And it's from the entire team. pic.twitter.com/M3mYMtssTB
— Phillip Riggs (@phillipriggs85) September 15, 2026
I still can't get over how much I love this call. Midway through what had been a dogfight of a game, you're at your own 26-yard line. Traditional thought would be to hand it to your defending Big 12 Player of the Year, senior running back, LJ Martin. Kalani Sitake and Aaron Roderick decide to trust their young players to do the unexpected.
Their true sophomore quarterback goes deep to their true freshman receiver. Bear Bachmeier finds Legend Glasker for a 61-yard bomb. It breaks the backs of Arizona as BYU scores two plays later and essentially puts the game away. The trust, followed by justifying that trust, is special. It can mean the sky's the limit for a team.
BYU’s stars were out in full force. Bear Bachmeier had 217 passing yards and four total touchdowns. LJ Martin had 125 total yards. Legend Glasker had 79 total yards. New receiver Kyler Kasper had a big game with four catches for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Reggie Frischknecht caught his first touchdown of his BYU career.
Kalani Sitake Finishes
BYU, especially in recent history, finishes games. The Cougars are 44-3 at home when leading or tied going into the fourth quarter, including a current winning streak of 13 games. Sitake and BYU are 26-0 at home when they score in all four quarters of play. Now they’ll have to finish on the road with games at Colorado State and at TCU.
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