The BYU Cougars will host the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, marking the first FBS game for both teams this season. The Wildcats beat Northern Arizona 35-7 in Week 1, while the Cougars put a 63-7 beatdown on Utah Tech. Now, it’s time for the Big 12 slate to get rolling.
BYU is a 7.5-point favorite at home on Saturday with -290 Moneyline odds, all while the point total has been set at 48.5. Here is a preview of the Week 2 showdown featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Arizona Wildcats vs. BYU Cougars Preview
Arizona Preview
Brent Brennan is back for year three in Tucson, having already led the Wildcats to four wins in 2024 and then nine in 2025. While Arizona lost the Holiday Bowl to SMU, there is a decent amount of holdover from that squad. Per ESPN, the Wildcats returned 60% of their production from 2025, which ranks No. 32 in FBS.
Quarterback Noah Fifita, now in his fourth year as Arizona’s starter, completed 23-of-30 passes for 279 yards, two touchdowns and a 176.8 passer rating last Saturday. It’s looking like the Wildcats are getting the 2023 and 2025 version of Fifita – who completed 67.8% of his passes for 54 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 155.4 passer rating – rather than the 2024 version that put up a 60.5% completion percentage, 18 touchdowns, 12 picks and a 126.5 passer rating.
Gio Richardson was Fifita’s favorite target in Week 1 with his nine catches and 113 yards, but Tre Spivey and Brandon Phelps scored the two touchdowns. On the ground, Redrick Reescano added two scores. Antwan Roberts also found paydirt, while Wesley Yarbrough gained 25 yards on five carries. Last year’s leading rusher, Ismail Mahdi, just earned an extra year of eligibility from the courts, though, so that backfield balance will presumably look different moving forward.
Linebacker Max Harris also won extra eligibility this week and will rejoin the Wildcats’ defense after recording 78 tackles in 2025. Arizona boasted the No. 21 scoring defense in the country last season, ranking No. 7 in completion percentage allowed, No. 7 in passing yards allowed per game and No. 4 in passing touchdowns allowed per game. They forced the most turnovers per game in FBS, too. The Wildcats picked off a pass against NAU in Week 1 and also held their opponent to -7 rushing yards on the night.
BYU Preview
In a college football landscape largely defined by chaos and turnover, Kalani Sitake’s program is among the most stable in the nation. Beyond simply ranking No. 18 in returning production percentage, the Cougars kept their starting quarterback and running back, plus half of their offensive line snaps and 10 of their 16 most-played defensive players. Considering BYU fell just two spots shy of a College Football Playoff berth in 2025, expectations are high for 2026.
Bear Bachmeier completed 16-of-20 passes for 198 yards, three touchdowns and a 212.7 passer rating in Week 1. After totaling 3,033 yards, 15 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 139.9 passer rating as a freshman last season, Bachmeier could be in for a notable sophomore leap. Bachmeier also rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown on four carries, keeping up his 527-yard, 11-touchdown production from a year ago.
Six different BYU running backs rushed for at least 22 yards against Utah Tech. Sophomore Devaughn Eka led the team with 59 yards and a touchdown, taking the load off reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin. The veteran led the conference with 1,305 rushing yards in 2025, adding 255 yards on 36 catches to go along with his 12 touchdowns. With tight end Carsen Ryan now on the Cleveland Browns and wideouts Parker Kingston and Chase Roberts aging out, Jojo Phillips is the Cougars’ top leading receiver. He only caught 14 balls for 161 yards, but he already scored a touchdown in Week 1.
The Cougars picked off Utah Tech three times last weekend after ranking No. 14 in interceptions per game in 2025. BYU held their opponents to 4.4 yards per pass attempt and 2.0 yards per carry, also recovering a fumble amidst the blowout victory.
Arizona Wildcats vs. BYU Cougars Pick, Best Bets
There’s a reason only two other Power Four matchups have a lower projected point total than Arizona-BYU this weekend. These were two excellent defenses last year and they both completely snuffed out FCS offenses in Week 1. And yet, BYU won 33-27 when the two sides faced off in 2025. Of BYU’s four home conference games last season, three cleared 57.5 total points, let alone 48.5. Even the one under at Saturday’s line still ended at 45 points. Arizona also went over 48.5 points in four of their five road Big 12 games last year. This early in the season, with two experienced quarterbacks running the show, I can see a lot of points up on the board this Saturday.
BYU looked better than Arizona in Week 1, with the pretty notable caveat that neither opponent was all too great. According to Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings, Northern Arizona ranks No. 46 out of 128 FCS programs, while Utah Tech ranks No. 121. That being said, the Cougars beat the Wildcats by six points on the road last season, and now they’re at home. BYU won 41-19 the last time Arizona came to Provo. The Cougars also covered a -7.5-point spread in five of six home games in 2025 and four of six home games in 2024.
