The Arizona Wildcats visit the BYU Cougars on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. ET from LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.
Arizona moved to 1-0 by beating Northern Arizona 35-7, and BYU is also 1-0 by way of a 63-7 win over Utah Tech. Arizona's offense was efficient in that opener. Quarterback Noah Fifita completed 22 of 29 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns.
BYU's offense was even sharper. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 16 of 20 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns, adding a rushing score before being pulled after the first half. The Cougars are 7.5-point favorites over the Wildcats at DraftKings, with a total of 47.5 and a moneyline of -306 for the Cougars and +240 for the Wildcats.
Below, we'll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game. How to Watch Arizona vs. BYU Players to Watch Fifita is chasing a signature win in the one place that's given him trouble: he was the losing quarterback when BYU beat Arizona 33-27 in double overtime last season, and this rematch in Provo is his chance to settle it.
The fifth-year senior has started 34 straight games and already owns Arizona's career touchdown passing record, then opened 2026 by completing 22 of 29 throws for 262 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Arizona, including 13 straight completions in the first half. BYU's defense held Utah Tech to seven points, so Fifita's accuracy and experience will be tested immediately. A sharp start on the road would be a signature step forward in Arizona's Big 12 title push.
BYU's sophomore quarterback gets the first true measuring stick game of his career at home, against the same Arizona team he outlasted in a double overtime classic last season. Bachmeier threw for 3,033 yards and ran for a BYU record 11 touchdowns as a freshman, then picked up right where he left off by going 16 of 20 for 198 yards and three touchdowns, plus a rushing score, in a season opening rout of Utah Tech. Arizona's defense just held Northern Arizona to seven points, giving Bachmeier a real early test of his arm and legs behind the read option.
If he protects the ball the way he did last week, BYU's Big 12 championship path stays clear. Arizona's defense carried the Wildcats in the opener, and Taye Brown was the biggest reason why. He piled up 11 tackles and a pass breakup in the win over Northern Arizona, his most since he had 14 tackles in last year's double overtime loss at BYU.
That history makes this trip to Provo personal: Brown will be asked to slow down a Bachmeier and Martin backfield that combined to score seven touchdowns in BYU's opener. If the Wildcats are going to end BYU's run of six straight wins in the series, it likely starts with Brown controlling the middle of the field and forcing the Cougars into third and long situations they haven't faced yet this season. BYU's offense doesn't run through one player more than LJ Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Cougars' leading rusher in each of the past three seasons.
He barely got started in the opener, managing just 54 yards on seven carries before BYU's 63-7 lead let him rest early, so this is the first real workload he'll see in 2026. Arizona's defense allowed just seven points to Northern Arizona but hasn't faced a back with Martin's track record of wearing teams down late. A heavy dose of Martin keeps BYU's offense balanced and protects Bachmeier from having to win the game by himself.
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