No. 15 BYU defeats Arizona 28-17 in Big 12 opener

Arizona entered the second half of its Big 12 debut with a 17-14 lead over No. 15 BYU, but the Cougars scored 14 unanswered points to win 28-17 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Wildcats finished the game with 17 points on 42 first-half plays, but managed only 20 plays after the break, while BYU controlled the ball for nearly 18 minutes in the second half.

Quarterback Bear Bachmeier was responsible for all four BYU touchdowns, completing 16 of 26 passes for 217 yards and adding a rushing score. LJ Martin contributed 98 rushing yards, most of them after halftime. Arizona’s quarterback Noah Fifita threw for 230 yards with one touchdown and one interception and added a 38-yard rushing touchdown before leaving the game with an injury.

"We had a good first half and fought hard, but we need to finish stronger," a Arizona spokesperson said after the loss.

Key moments included a 6-yard touchdown catch by Kyler Kasper that gave BYU a 21-17 lead early in the second half, and a 61-yard reception by Legend Glasker that set up a 12-yard Kasper TD with 6:10 remaining. Arizona’s attempts to mount a comeback were thwarted by a fourth-down turnover on a replay-overturned catch and a subsequent turnover on downs.

The defeat marked Arizona’s sixth straight loss to BYU and its third consecutive loss to the Cougars since joining the Big 12. Arizona will return home for its next non-conference game against Northern Illinois on Sept. 19.