Arizona Wildcats set sights on upset as they take on unbeaten BYU Cougars

Before the Arizona Wildcats travel to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU for the first time since 2021, the No. 14 Cougars have been studying last week’s game between Arizona and Texas Tech in search of weaknesses.

At Arizona’s Big 12 home opener, quarterback Noah Fifita struggled to gain an offensive rhythm in the first half, getting sacked on the Wildcats’ first possession and throwing an interception returned for a touchdown that allowed the Red Raiders to take the lead at halftime.

Arizona eventually picked up its offense but still lost, 28-22, dropping to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

“If we could have answered with touchdowns in the red zone, I think we could’ve kicked the door down on the game, but we didn’t,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said. “And that’s the hard truth is that we did not.”

The Big 12 cauldron gets even hotter Saturday as the Wildcats face an undefeated and well-rested BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

BYU, fresh off its bye week, is paying close attention, reviewing the film of the first half of Arizona’s game against Texas Tech to see how the Red Raiders held their ground against Fifita and the Wildcats.

“Texas Tech was just physical, and I think that’s something that plays to our strength and something we can definitely do when we play them,” BYU safety Crew Wakley said.

The Cougars understand they need to emphasize their defense toward shutting down Arizona’s offense early.

“We’re going to have to do a good job disguising coverages,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “We’re going to have to get some pressure in Fifita’s face.”

The Wildcats’ offensive resurgence in the second half shared some qualities with Arizona’s upset win over Utah in the previous week. Running back Quali Conley rushed for 97 yards with a touchdown, and kicker Tyler Loop was on the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/arizona-wildcats-set-sights-upset-130312345.html

Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic

Publish date : 2024-10-11 13:03:12

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