BYU coach Sitake cites multiple areas for improvement after 28-17 win over Arizona
BYU defeated Arizona 28-17 but identified several penalties and execution errors to address before facing Colorado State, while moving up to No. 11 in the AP poll.
BYU overcame Arizona 28-17 on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium, but head coach Kalani Sitake said the team will focus on correcting a range of issues ahead of a non-conference game against Colorado State. The Cougars struggled early on the offensive line, with right tackle Andrew Gentry penalized twice for holding and a false start, and guard Kyle Sfarcioc also called for holding. Despite these setbacks, quarterback Bear Bachmeier was sacked only once and later connected on short passes before running for a first-down gain that set up a six-yard touchdown to Kyler Kasper.
Sitake praised the second-half performance, noting that the line’s improvement allowed running back LJ Martin to gain 73 yards in the final two quarters after limited touches early. > "I thought it was a good return to our basics, like, ‘Let’s get our identity out there,’" Sitake said. "Let’s be more physical in all three phases. Offense, let’s get the ball to LJ, the Big 12 Player of the Year, and let’s see what we can do in the trenches with our big O line. And defensively, let’s get some knock back and stop the run."
Both teams incurred seven penalties, and a key fourth-down stop by BYU came after a defensive pass-interference call on Arizona’s Tommy Prassas. Sitake added that the home crowd helped swing momentum and that Arizona proved tough in all phases. > "I thought we were really fortunate to be at home. The crowd helped us out… Arizona is a tough team in all three phases," he said. He acknowledged uncharacteristic drops and penalties and emphasized the need for improvement.
The victory lifted BYU to No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25, making it the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 after Texas Tech fell to 13th. Linebacker Siale Esera left the game early for medical attention, while teammate Cade Uluave recorded his first interception for BYU. Transfer defensive end Tausili Akana posted two and a half sacks, the most by a Cougar since 2020.
BYU travels to Fort Collins next week to play Colorado State, which also entered the matchup 2-0 after a 58-24 win over Southern Utah.