Regardless of the season teams typically know what to expect when facing BYU. There will be older veteran players who have experience on their side. It will also be a physical game that requires a certain level of toughness to pull out a win. Arizona leads the all-time matchup between the two teams by one game despite coming up short when they met last back in 2018.
The Wildcats dropped that game 28-23 in Tucson with UA unable to climb out of an 18-point hole in the second half. Things have changed quite a bit since that time with the Cougars coming off an 11-1 season while Arizona decided to start over with a new coach in the offseason.
Jedd Fisch has now taken over the reins for the Wildcats. Saturday's game against BYU will be his first as a head coach. Despite that Fisch is plenty familiar with BYU after an offseason of preparing for his debut at UA.
Much of what he has seen on tape matches up with what has become well known about Kalani Sitake's team over the last several years.
"They're tough, they're physical," Fisch said Monday of his team's first opponent. "They got some guys they replaced, but they replace them with veteran players. They're always gonna play good, sound, fundamental football. They're always gonna be hard to block and hard to tackle, and we know that."
The Cougars certainly felt a big loss after last season as quarterback Zach Wilson decided to leave school early for the NFL. He was ultimately picked second overall after his strong season leading BYU to 11 wins.
Despite that the Cougars bring back numerous returners plus there have been a couple key additions that could make an impact to the team. Brothers Puka and Samson Nacua both transferred to BYU this offseason from Washington and Utah, respectively. It is a homecoming for the receivers who are from Provo.
Puka caught a 65-yard touchdown pass against the Wildcats last season when he was with the Huskies. The two siblings are battling it out for a starting job at wide receiver heading into Saturday's game. Puka has been dinged up leading up to the opener, but Sitake said this week that he should be ready for the game.
The addition of the brothers certainly is something Fisch has taken note of when preparing for Saturday's matchup.
"They've got some ability to be super explosive," Fisch said. "They brought some guys in there that can certainly stretch the field. We know that we've got our work cut out for us with that team. We're excited about the opportunity, but we know that it's a good defensive team. It's a good offensive team. They certainly know how to not beat themselves on special teams, so that's all three phases working together. That's how you go 11 and one."
UA's matchup against BYU is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff this Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Wildcats will be looking to bring back some past magic against the Cougars in the city. Arizona's last win over BYU came in Las Vegas back in 2008 when Willie Tuitama led the team to a 31-21 over No. 17 BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
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