The BYU Cougars and Arizona Wildcats face off in an abnormally early Big 12 conference showdown. Both teams have high hopes for this season, and deservedly so. BYU should have made the College Football Playoffs last year. Arizona, meanwhile, went 9-3 in the regular season before falling to SMU in the Holiday Bowl.
Both teams are coming off impressive wins last week with the Cougars pounding Utah Tech and the Wildcats mauling Northern Arizona.
So who's going to pick up a huge conference win in this one?
The answer comes down to three words: BYU's pass rush.
Can the Cougars front four pressure Noah Fifita?
Most of BYU's positional groups are in great shape on both sides of the ball. On offense, nobody doubts quarterback Bear Bachmeier, running LJ Martin, BYU's tight ends, or offensive line. The wide receiver group is unproven but showed against Utah Tech they'll be able to produce.
On defense, the Cougars' linebackers and secondary are solid. The primary question is the front four, especially if they can generate pressure on the opposing quarterback.
That's especially relevant as BYU prepares to face Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita. The fifth-year quarterback is one of the most accomplished signal callers in the country. He has thrown for 9,445 yards at Arizona with 75 touchdowns. He's as experienced as a college quarterback can be, and that could spell trouble for BYU.
The key for the Cougars will be pressuring Fifita, making him feel uncomfortable, and forcing him to throw on the run.
Oh, and a couple of sacks from the front four would be nice, too.
If the Cougars can pressure Fifita, they win. But if Arizona's quarterback has enough time to dissect BYU's coverages, progress through his reads, and hit open receivers, it could be a long night for BYU. Ideally, that pressure will come from the front four without having to send blitzing linebackers. But as things stand tody, no player on BYU's front four has proven they can regularly get to the quarterback.
Defensive tackles Keanu Tanuvasa and Justin Kirkland swallow up blockers but combined for just two sacks in 20 combined games last year (both by Tanuvasa). BYU's defensive ends are mostly young and promising, but none have proven they can produce double-digit sacks in a given season yet.
If Kelly Poppinga can dial up pressure, the Cougars win.
If Noah Fifita has too much time in the pocket, BYU's Big 12 title dreams could have a nightmare start to conference play.
Predicting the outcome
Kalani Sitake is currently riding a personal five-game winning streak as BYU's head coach when facing Arizona, including a double-overtime thriller last year in Tucson.
Kalani's going to run the win streak to six.
BYU's experienced, effective offense will control time of possession and field position for the Cougars. The defense, however, will struggle to get consistent pressure on Noah Fifita and Arizona's quarterback will put up points and keep the score close well into the fourth quarter.
But with BYU's home-field advantage, the Cougars will do just enough to grind out a massive conference win.
Final Score: BYU 34, Arizona 27
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