A Brief Summary of the History Between Arizona And BYU

The Wildcats have a rich history with the Cougars, marked by memorable bowl games and season-opening thrillers.

Oct 12, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars defensive end Isaiah Bagnah (13) pressures Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) during the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Arizona Wildcats will be facing the No. 18-ranked BYU Cougars at Arizona Stadium this Saturday in the latest installment of this rivalry in a battle of the big cats, this time with higher hopes than last season.

Arizona dismantled the Oklahoma State Cowboys 41-13, giving the Wildcats a significant wave of momentum in a game that may determine how far they have progressed from last year's team, which suffered a 41-19 routing in Provo, UT.

Arizona is 12-13-1 against BYU, highlighting how long these two teams have been battling each other —a matchup that dates back to the days of the Western Athletic Conference.

The Wildcats and the Cougars fought ferociously on the field as in-conference foes from 1962 to 1977 in the WAC. They are doing so again in the Big 12 conference, but have had some intense games in between.

The first matchups

Sep 4, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tayvian Cunningham (11) hurdles Brigham Young Cougars place kicker Justen Smith (37) on a return during a game at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Arizona first met with BYU on the gridiron in 1936, when the Wildcats competed in the Border Conference and the Cougars in the Rocky Mountain Conference.

The Wildcats won that very first game by a score of 32-6, marking the first of seven games the two teams would play in Tucson.

Sep 12, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan hypes up his team during the first quarter of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The two teams played each other yet again in 1957 as part of the same respective conferences, this time with the game ending in a 14-14 tie.

The Wildcats met with the Cougars two years later in 1959, where the Cougars bested Arizona in a close 18-14 game.

Cat fight in the WAC

Oct 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Luke Wysong (15) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the second quarter at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Both Arizona and BYU joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1962, which would begin a 15-year-long rivalry between the two teams.

BYU won the sixth conference game of the series in Provo by a score of 17-14, which was the last of a three-game win streak for the Cougars.

Arizona then beat BYU in 1968 by a 19-3 score to snap that winning streak, but the Cougars won the next game in 1969, 31-21.

Oct 3, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; The Brigham Young Cougars cheer team perform between the third and fourth quarter of the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Arizona then won the next four games until 1974 when BYU snapped that streak by beating the Wildcats by a convincing score of 37-13.

The Wildcats won the next game, but BYU won the final two to close the in-conference rivalry out with that winning streak. Overall, the Wildcats went 9-6 when playing the Cougars in the WAC.

Out of conference games

Sept 2, 2006; Tucson, AZ, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back (1) Fuir Vakapuna jumps over the pile during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-US Presswire Copyright Rick Scuteri | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The next time the two teams met was in 2006 in Tucson, when the Wildcats scraped by with a 16-13 win. The very next year, BYU won convincingly 20-7.

By that time, the two teams met on the field. Arizona was a part of what was known as the Pac-10, while the Cougars competed as a member of the Mountain West.

From in-conference foes to bowl game adversaries

Dec 20, 2008; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats receiver Mike Thomas (10) and quarterback Willie Tuitama (7) hoist the championship trophy after the Wildcats' 31-21 victory over the Brigham Young Cougars in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Arizona and BYU met the following year in 2008, this time in the Las Vegas Bowl, where the Wildcats won by 10 points in a 31-21 upset victory over the Cougars, who were ranked No. 17 in the FBS at the time.

That game was an important one for the Wildcats as it snapped a 10-year bowl game drought. The last win in a bowl game for the program was in 1998 when they beat Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl and finished with a 12-1 record.

Arizona legend Willie Tuitama finished with 322 yards and two touchdowns through the air en route to the upset victory.

Dec 20, 2008; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats receiver Terrell Turner (84) is pursued by Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Brandon Bradley (5) on a 71-yard reception in the first quarter in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

BYU would win the next four matchups to give it a positive record against Arizona, including a 2016 victory in Glendale, which was the debut of 10-year head coach Kelani Setake,

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