The No. 14 BYU Cougars defeated the Arizona Wildcats, 41-19, in a Big 12 showdown at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on Saturday afternoon.
It was a day of pomp and circumstance for the BYU program, as Fox brought its Big Noon Kickoff pre-game show to campus and the game drew the network’s top announcing crew in Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft.
BYU (6-0, 3-0 in Big 12) did not disappoint as they remained in a first-place tie in the conference standings.
Quarterback Jake Retzlaff threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Hinckley Ropati and L.J. Martin were productive in their returns from injury, as Martin scored twice. Wide receiver Chase Roberts had another exceptional game. And, the BYU defense was opportunistic throughout the game.
Arizona (3-3, 1-2) lost its second straight Big 12 game and was already without defensive backs Treydan Stukes and Gunner Maldonado due to injuries. But the Wildcats lost top linebacker Jacob Manu to a targeting call early in the game. It left the Arizona defense scrambling to figure out how to replace their leading tackler.
Here are three takeaways on the game.
BYU’s Turnover Machine
If you’re wondering why the Cougars are undefeated this season, their opportunistic defense is a good place to start.
After creating four turnovers against the Wildcats, the Cougars have forced at least two turnovers in a game four time this season. The fact that BYU turned those mistakes into 24 points tells you just how meaningful it can be.
Entering the game BYU was tied for No. 22 in the country in turnover margin at +4. So, with Saturday’s game, the Cougars pushed that margin to +7 (BYU did have one turnover late in the game). The Cougars created 10 turnovers entering the game, which was tied for No. 15. With 14, assuming none of the teams in front of the Cougars created a turnover, BYU would be in th Top 10.
When it comes to creating havoc, this is a Top 20 unit. And, when you consider they were a Top 20 unit in total defense coming into the contest (292.6 ypg), BYU has one of the best defenses in the country.
If the Cougars win the Big 12 it will be on the back of their defense.
Related: Despite 5-0 Start, Oddsmakers Skeptical of Big 12 Surprise Team Making Playoff
Arizona’s Real Passing Game Problem
I’ve watched a few Arizona games this season and one of the constant threads I hear during the broadcast is the need for a consistent second option along with top receiver Tetairoa McMillan. That player is probably Montana Lemonious-Craig, who caught Arizona’s only touchdown of the day.
Now, yes, Arizona needs that because BYU rolled a safety over on McMillan on practically every play. But I think the larger issue is before the ball even gets to the receiver.
The stat sheet is going to show that quarterback Noah Fifita was only sacked once. But he was under constant duress, to the point where he was doing so much running that it was hard for him to find receivers. His three second-half turnovers (four for the game) were a result of that. Fox counted him being hit 13 times.
His screen pass was deflected by BYU’s Jakob Robinson, which led to an interception. He was loose with the football on a blitz by BYU’s Isaiah Glasker and he fumbled it, leading to a recovery by Harrison Taggart. Another interception by Glasker late in the game gave the Cougars their final score.
It’s not all on Fifita. The Arizona offensive line is finding it hard to give him the time he needs to diagnose coverage and make decisions. The line is banged up, but it’s a multi-week problem. He certainly had more time against Utah and look at the result. Better protection may provide Fifita better use of what’s around McMillan.
But when is it coming? Will Arizona need to get healthy up front or can that “makeshift” line step up fast?
Big Noon Boost
Remember just a couple of weeks ago when Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff went to Orlando to do its pre-game show? Remember how Fox announced that was its highest-attended Big Noon Kickoff ever?
Well, BYU gave the Knights a run for their money with an incredible atmosphere leading into the game.
Bigger picture, this was the third of the four “Class of 2023” Big 12 schools that Big Noon Kickoff has graced with its presence since BYU, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston joined the league. Cincinnati hosted last year for its Big 12 opener against Oklahoma (I should know — I covered that game). Houston will get it soon. I don’t think it’s going to take coach Willie Fritz that long to build a winner.
This is the kind of exposure these schools were hoping for when they joined the league last fall. It’s impressive to see that three of them have cashed in on that in less than two years.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
