Three Things Arizona MUST do Against 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 wide receiver Chase Roberts (2) 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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Nov 15, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats defensive back Marquis Groves-Killebrew (20) shoves Houston Cougars running back Stacy Sneed (21) during the third quarter at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Now that the game has come to an end, we at Arizona Wildcats On SI have put together three things Arizona needs to do against Houston.

Three Musts For Arizona

Running the Ball

If Arizona is going to have success on the road in an early morning game, the Wildcats will need to get their running going early. In the UA’s four wins this season, the team has averaged 153 yards per game.

Oct 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Ismail Mahdi (21) runs with the ball against Oklahoma State Cowboys linebacker Trip White (30) during the second quarter of the game at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Yes, the Wildcats rushed for 164 yards against BYU in the loss but the team only rushed the ball 34 times, which included two overtimes.

Arizona has gotten a little pass happy in the losses this season. The Wildcats need to run the ball and make sure to be more balanced than they were against BYU.

Special Teams

Last game out, Arizona was near perfect on special teams against BYU with the only mistake coming in the last three minutes of the game where the Cougars returned a punt inside UA territory to set up the game-tying touchdown.

Oct 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats kicker Michael Salgado-Medina (19) looks downfield before attempting a field goal against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the second quarter at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Arizona will need to have that type of performance again against Houston but not slip up in the fourth quarter in a coverage situation. Plus, the Wildcats can’t afford to have missed field goals, which has plagued the team in previous games.

Start Strong

The biggest problem over the last several road games, which dates back to last season is that Arizona has fallen behind by double-digits in each loss. This season, the Wildcats trailed 22-0 against Iowa State before getting on the board.

Iowa State Cyclones' defensive back Jamison Patton (2) breaks a pass from Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Chris Hunter (11) during the first quarter in the Big-12 conference showdown on Sept. 27, 2025, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona needs to start strong and can’t afford to find itself trailing by a massive number against Houston if the Wildcats want to capture their fifth win of the season.

Please be sure to share your thoughts on our list of things Arizona needs to accomplish in order to walk away with the win on the road. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.