The national oddsmakers dislike Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita as a Heisman Trophy contender, but he’ll have an opportunity to shift the narrative on Saturday at BYU.
Single-game tickets for Saturday’s Arizona-BYU showdown in Provo, Utah, are going for as much as $728 via VividSeats, as the first Big 12 football battle of the year showcases two regular-season title hopefuls and two of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Fifita, during a press conference leading up to Saturday’s game, mentioned he circled this game on his calendar long ago, as Arizona, which finished 9-4 (6-3 Big 12) last year and extended head coach Brent Brennan’s contract in Tucson, looks to assert itself with a statement win this weekend.
BYU is a 6.5-point favorite entering the Arizona game as the No. 15 team via the AP College Football Top 25 following a 63-7 cruise over Utah Tech to begin the season. Similarly, Fifita led the Wildcats to a 35-7 win over Northern Arizona last weekend with 23 passes going for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Bear Bachmeier is the quarterback to beat, as the Cougars lean on their sophomore sensation to deliver another deep run in 2026. Bachmeier threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns in his debut last week, and is chasing a 3,033-yard passing-yards marker he set as a freshman last season.
Should Arizona slow down BYU enough to find a win in Provo on Saturday, it’d be a major early-season resume builder amid a tough conference calendar including Texas Tech and Utah. It’ll come at a major cost, as a presumed sold-out Lavell Edwards Stadium is a tough test, no matter the hour.
Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT on FOX.
