Inside The Wildcats

Arizona Hosts No. 18 BYU: Game Day Prediction

Arizona has gotten off on the right foot with an impressive 4-1 start. However, the Wildcats will now face their toughest test against No. 18 BYU

Troy Hutchison

Oct 12, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) passes the ball from his own end zone against the Brigham Young Cougars during the fourth quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) passes the ball from his own end zone against the Brigham Young Cougars during the fourth quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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Arizona wanted to get back on the right track after an underwhelming first season under Brent Brennan, where the team finished 4-8 and missed a bowl game despite preseason high expectations.

Well, after changes were made to the coaching staff and the roster, Brennan seems to have the Wildcats moving in the right direction with the team starting the year with 3-straight impressive wins over Hawaii, Weber State and Kansas State.

U
Oct 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Former professional and University of Arizona football player Rob Gronkowski walks down the Wildcat Walk with head coach Brent Brennan before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

After a quick bump in the road against Iowa State, Arizona (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) was able to bounce back with an impressive 41-13 win over Oklahoma State, putting the Wildcats two wins away from a bowl berth.

On the offensive side of the ball, Arizona was led by quarterback Noah Fifita, who racked up 376 passing yards while going 28 of 38, which led to five touchdowns on the day for the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week award winner.

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Sep 12, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) and teammates celebrate after the touchdown they made is confirmed by replay against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second quarter of the game at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Leading the charge in the receiving room was Tre Spivey, who set the tone early in the game with two catches that resulted in touchdowns to put the Wildcats ahead by double-digits early.

On the defensive side of the ball, Arizona held Oklahoma State to 158 total yards, which marked the second time this season the Wildcats have held an opponent to under 200 yards of total offense.

So far this season, the Wildcats have racked up 13 sacks, which places them 31st nationally. Meanwhile, Arizona has allowed opponents to average 15.6 PPG, which puts UA 19th nationally along with Iowa.

BY
Oct 3, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Chase Roberts (2) runs after a catch against West Virginia Mountaineers safety Justin Harrington (8) during the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Now, the Wildcats will be getting ready to face off against No. 18 BYU (5-0, 2-0) at home with a 5 p.m. (MST) kickoff on ESPN2.

To get you ready for the game, we at Arizona Wildcats On SI have come up with our prediction for the Wildcats’ game against BYU.

Game Prediction

Arizona
Oct 12, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Lance Keneley (90) tackles Brigham Young Cougars running back LJ Martin (27) during the third quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images
  • Arizona: 21
  • No. 18 BYU: 17

Reason

  • When looking at this game, both Arizona and BYU are some of the better defensive teams in the Big 12 and rank in the top 35 points allowed with the Cougars coming in at No. 6 (12.2 ppg) and the Wildcats at No. 31 (15.6 ppg).
U
Oct 4, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys gets tackled by the Arizona Wildcats during the third quarter of the game at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images / Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
  • With the forecast set for a 95% chance of rain and the high being 83 degrees, this could be a muddy, grind-it-out, hard noise style of game. Meaning it could come down to the running game and the defensive front.
  • Arizona has drastically improved on the defensive side of the ball and has something to prove in the running game after a slow game against OSU. So, we’ve got the Wildcats winning a narrow, nail-biting game.

Please be sure to share your thoughts on our game pick for Arizona-BYU. To do so, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.

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Troy Hutchison
TROY HUTCHISON

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.