Arizona was the first major hurdle for BYU football to clear in 2026.
It's a season that carries rare expectations for the Cougars behind a veteran roster, coaching staff, and winning pedigree. There's national buzz surrounding this team's chances to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, and they have the perfect schedule to plead their case with a combination of a relatively easy conference schedule plus a non-conference matchup with a likely top-5 opponent in Notre Dame.
But beating up on an FCS tune-up opponent like Utah Tech taught us very little about the validity of those aspirations; dominating a Big 12 contender like Arizona is a much better measuring stick.
BYU did just that, thanks in large part to a second-half smothering against Noah Fifita, Brent Brennan, and the Wildcats, but most important of all is to contemplate exactly what we learned about this year's BYU football team.
The defense is in great hands with Kelly Poppinga
Though they may not win the Big 12 Conference this season (there's still a lot of time left in the season), Arizona might have been the most dangerous in-conference offense BYU faces all season.
And it looked that way in the first half, as the Wildcats practically marched the ball down the field at will, with Noah Fifita -- the best quarterback in the conference -- leading the charge. It was a nail-biting half of football, considering how BYU's roster was largely unchanged from last season in most key positions. After one half, questions about Poppinga's defense began to breach the surface.
But that didn't last long.
By the end of the game, Arizona's 17 first-half points were the only points they'd score all game, with only one second-half possession even getting close before a turnover on downs flipped the field again.
BYU's receiving corps contains plenty of star power
The biggest question mark facing this team was the receiving room. Losing Roberts, Kingston, and Hagen was no small adjustment for this year's team, but the combination of Glasker, Kasper, and Lyons have proven to be an outstanding weapon in Roderick's arsenal.
Glasker is elite. Fast, shaky, and with great instincts, he never tries to dance too hard in order to make defenders miss -- he gets up the field, and he does it quickly. He'll be a deep threat on every possession, and the Cougars have already used his gravity to suck in defenders as a decoy, leaving the end zone unattended.
Kasper is the perfect red zone target, thanks in large part to his long reach. He can get his hands places that DBs simply cannot, and that's why we saw him haul in two touchdowns during this game. He'll need to sure up his ball-carrying technique to avoid fumbles in the future, but for now, he answers a lot of questions.
Sitake and his staff are elite coaches... for the most part
This was a game defined by BYU's second-half adjustments.
The first half was dominated by the visitors, both in yards gained and in time of possession. Frankly, it was a miracle the team was only down by 3 points at halftime with Fifita lounging in the backfield and picking apart the BYU secondary like a sirloin steak.
But the ability to come out ahead after making second-half adjustments is what defines an exceptional coaching staff. BYU flipped the script on the Wildcats by dominating for the final 30 minutes, taking the lead on the opening drive and refusing to relinquish control for the rest of the game.
Both on offense and on defense, BYU had Arizona by the throat, and the scoreboard would have been even more lopsided had Sitake not sent in the order to kneel the ball at the Arizona 5-yard line.
That's Sitake's style -- he doesn't care about point differential as much as he cares about getting the W, even if that may be detrimental to the Cougars' CFP case. If BYU continues to win, they'll get in the bracket. If they don't, however, a 35-17 game against a Big 12 contender looks much better than a 28-17 win, and the former was absolutely on the table.
Still, it's all a moot point if the Cougars are able to reach the postseason tournament regardless, and it's nice to have this program led by a good man who wants to compete, but has no desire to humiliate.
The offense is at its best when Bear and LJ run the show
Big surprise here -- LJ Martin is an elite power back, and one man alone cannot bring him down. He reminds me a lot of Tyler Allgeier, who was virtually impossible to bring down out of the backfield unless a hoard of tacklers assembled. Even then, it's not a guarantee. On 20 rushing attempts, Martin nearly reached 100 yards of rushing. That's because he was given the ball in the second half, and he made his case with his legs and his motor.
Bear Bachmeier is really coming into his own as a passer. Accurate, on-time, and reliable, he hasn't thrown an interception yet this season and would have enjoyed an even better game through the air had his receivers not dropped so many passes (6, if I remember correctly). Even so, he threw three touchdowns and a dime to freshman speedster Legend Glasker, who outpaced his assignment to get behind the secondary in the second half.
Bear threw an excellent ball over 50 yards through the air -- any accusations of him not being a great passer should be silenced for now.
But Bear is a smart runner, and his legs are nearly as strong as Martin's. Bear moved the chains in critical moments thanks in large part to the excellent offensive line in front of him, and the drive to keep the ball moving. He's an excellent quarterback even at his young age, and he'll be critical to BYU's success moving forward.
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