Three Observations Following Arizona's Loss to BYU
Coming into Saturday night’s game, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 come up with our three observations from the night against BYU.
Three Observations
Brent Brennan
- After seeing the team go 4-8 in the first year of the Brennan era, Wildcats fans became worried about the hiring of the new coach.
- However, in the second season, Brennan was able to get his team off on the right foot with a 4-1 record. Still, the Wildcats were in position to capture their fifth win of the year with the team leading 24-14 with under 11 minutes left in the game.
- The Wildcats not only saw the lead slip away with BYU scoring a game-tying touchdown but at the end of the game, Brennan decided to take a knee and go into overtime despite having two timeouts and 19 seconds on the clock at the 25-yard line.
- You have a kicker that hit a 60-yard field goal the previous week and who Brennan calls “Money Mike,” in Michael Salgado-Medina. Yet, with two timeouts and only needing to pick up around 30 to 35 yards, he takes a knee to go into overtime.
- Now, do we know if the Wildcats would’ve had a shot for the kick, or even made a long kick?
- No, but you need to give your team a shot at going for the win and especially with a defense that seemed to be getting tired later in the night.
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. 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.
Rush 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.
- 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 the average amount of yards per rush.
- 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.
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Troy Hutchison grew up attending Arizona athletic events, which gave him a unique perspective and knowledge of the athletic department's rich history. He attended UA and began covering the Wildcats in 2018. As the Arizona Wildcats Beat Writer on SI, he is set to deliver wall-to-wall coverage to give fans an in-depth perspective.
Ari Koslow is a sports writer covering the University of Arizona athletics at On SI. Koslow has been covering Arizona sports for several years. Born and raised in Seattle, he is a diehard Seahawks fan and a longtime sufferer of the Mariners. He is a huge fantasy football fanatic. Koslow is a graduate of Arizona’s School of Journalism.
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.