Three Areas Arizona MUST Fix Ahead of Houston

Arizona (4-2, 1-2 Big 12) was looking to stay on track after an impressive 28-point win over Oklahoma State as the Wildcats faced off against No. 18 BYU, with the game on ESPN2, showcasing two of the better defensive teams in the Big 12.

The forecast called for rain and after an hour weather delay, the game lived up to the billing of a defensive grudge match with both teams coming up with clutch stops and key takeaways to keep the offenses in check.

Arizona put itself in perfect position in the fourth quarter up 24-14 with just over 10 minutes left in the game. However, the Wildcats saw BYU tie the game up with 19 seconds left in the game due to two pass interference calls on defensive back Michael Dansby.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars attempts to tackle Arizona Wildcats running back Kedrick Reescano (3) during the second quarter of the game at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

In overtime, BYU went on to fight its way to an impressive 33-27 double overtime win over Arizona and keep its undefeated streak alive. The Wildcats had an opportunity to pull off the upset but fell flat in the last minutes of regulation, which led to the overtime loss.

Arizona’s defense had been solid against the run for most of the season through the first five games but against BYU, the Wildcats were gashed for 258 yards on the ground.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive back Treydan Stokes (2) celebrates an interception he made during the second quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

BYU running back LJ Martin was a nightmare for the Wildcats’ defense as he went off for 162 yards on 25 carries and found the end zone.

On the offensive side of the ball, Arizona was able to total 383 yards while rushing for 164 thanks to Kedrick Reescano, who managed to rack up 90 yards on 13 carries.

However, Arizona was able to get the ball with 19 seconds left and two timeouts and Brennan made the decision to take a knee to head into overtime.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats kicker Michael Salgado-Medina (19) kicks a field goal during the second quarter of the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

That decision seemed strange given the situation of the game and the fact that Arizona was at its 25-yard line with a kicker that has made a 60-yard field goal this season.

In the end, Arizona was unable to come up with a stop in the second overtime where BYU was able to score a rushing touchdown.

On Arizona’s turn in the second overtime, the Wildcats couldn’t find the end zone and that was despite picking up a fourth down to extend the drive.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) scores a touchdown in overtime against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Fifita on the last play of the game barely overthrew receiver Javin Whatley in the left corner of the end zone to seal the win for BYU.

Now that the game has come to an end, we at Arizona Wildcats On SI have put together our three things the Wildcats need to fix before squaring off against Houston.

Three Things to Fix

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Cody Hagen (5) runs onto the field after the Brigham Young Cougars secure the win against the Arizona Wildcats after overtime at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Third Down Offense

It was a struggle on third down for Arizona in Saturday's 33-27 double overtime loss against BYU as it went 4-for-17 on third down conversions.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Quincy Craig (24) runs a first down during the first quarter of the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

In the Wildcats’ other loss this season against Iowa State, it also struggled on those conversions going 4-for-13. When facing a top-25 team like BYU, it is in those specific areas like third-down conversion rate where the Wildcats will need to improve upon to take the next step forward as a team.

Rushing Defense

The Wildcats came into the game as the fourth best team in the Big 12 when it comes to defending the rush, while BYU had the second best offense on the ground in the conference.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back LJ Martin (4) gets tackled by the Arizona Wildcats during the first quarter of the game at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The Wildcats gave up an astounding 258 yards of rushing offense and allowed three touchdowns on the ground, while also allowing BYU to average 5.1 yards per carry.

That amount of rushing yards is both a season high in yards allowed and average amount of yards per rush.

Oct 11, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Those numbers are a far cry from the 3.1 yards per rush allowed and 97.6 yards per game. Arizona will be facing a Houston team that is ranked ninth in the Big 12 as a rushing offense, so it will have a chance to bounce back and show that it can still shut teams down when it tries to run the ball on it.

Special Teams

Against BYU, Arizona saw an improvement with kicker Michael Salgado-Medina, who hit a 24-yard and 23-yard field goal to help the Wildcats. Plus, the punt return game was solid with Luke Wysong making good decisions.

Sep 27, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Arizona Wildcats punter Isaac Lovison (99) punts against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

However, the punting game left a lot to be desired with punter Isaac Lovison averaging 41.3 yards per punt on four attempts. However, on the last punt, Lovison hit it 44 yards and saw BYU return it 27 yards into Wildcats’ territory.

Arizona needs to clean things up in the coverage team in order to not have that happen against Houston.

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