Looking Back At BYU Football’s History With Arizona
Oct 7, 2025, 4:11 PM | Updated: Oct 8, 2025, 10:07 am
PROVO, Utah – Big 12 Conference play is in full swing as the No. 18 BYU Cougars travel south to renew their rivalry with QB Noah Fifita and the Arizona Wildcats.
BYU (5-0, 2-0) takes on Arizona (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday, October 11. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. MT.
RELATED: How To Watch, Stream, Listen To No. 18 BYU Football Vs. Arizona
NEXT UP FOR THE COUGS … pic.twitter.com/EkXXkODtsb
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) October 6, 2025
Fifita leads a Wildcats offense that averages 33.2 points per game after walloping reeling Oklahoma State 41-13 last weekend.
Arizona’s only loss was a 39-14 beating against No. 14 Iowa State on September 27.
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BYU leads all-time series against Arizona
The Cougars enter Saturday night leading the all-time series 13-12-1, but are 6-8-1 against the Wildcats on the road.
The series began in 1936 when Arizona handed Brigham Young a 32-6 loss.
THE CUT: West Virginia pic.twitter.com/5XWvpNKqaG
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) October 7, 2025
Both programs played annually from 1962 to 1977 as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
BYU has won four straight games against Arizona and five of seven games played since 2006.
2006: Arizona 16, BYU 13
After nearly 30 years away, BYU and Arizona locked up again in 2006. A large, hostile Wildcats crowd gathered to watch these old conference rivals face off again. Nick Folk booted a late field goal to give Arizona the win to open the season. It was one of only two losses BYU would suffer that year.
2007: BYU 20, Arizona 7
BYU got revenge against the Wildcats in the 2007 season opener with a new set of triplets establishing themselves as leaders in QB Max Hall, RB Harvey Unga, and WR Austin Collie.
2008: Arizona 31, BYU 21
After a disappointing conclusion to the 2008 regular season, BYU rolled into the Las Vegas Bowl disinterested against a motivated Arizona squad led by QB Willie Tuitama for a third consecutive year. This is Arizona’s last win over the BYU football program.
2016: BYU 18, Arizona 16
The first game of the Kalani Sitake era was played in Glendale, Arizona. More BYU fans were in attendance at the game than Arizona fans. Freshman kicker Jake Oldroyd, sporting green cleats, sent the Cougar fans home with something to smile about by kicking the game-winning field goal.
2018: BYU 28, Arizona 23
BYU went into Tucson as a double-digit underdog after a year that saw the Cougars go 4-9. Kevin Sumlin was the new head coach in the desert, and Wildcats QB Khalil Tate was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The honeymoon for Sumlin in Tucson abruptly ended that night as BYU’s conservative, ball-control, don’t-turn-the-ball-over offense worked against an Arizona team that sorely lacked any identity.
2021: BYU 24, Arizona 16
No. 19 BYU opened the 2021 season against Arizona at Allegiant Stadium in the inaugural Vegas Kickoff Classic. Jaren Hall took the reins of the BYU offense after Zach Wilson departed for the NFL, and the Cougars didn’t skip a beat. Hall threw two touchdowns to Neil Pau’u, who finished the game with 126 receiving yards on eight catches.
2024: BYU 41, Arizona 19
WHAT CAN'T HE DO?!
Parker Kingston (yes the WR) delivers an absolute dime to put @BYUfootball up.#Big12FB | 📺 @CFBONFOX pic.twitter.com/z61VnZIFrA
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 12, 2024
The Cougars continued a dominant run of defensive football to begin their second season in the Big 12 with a masterpiece in Provo. BYU improved to 6-0 by forcing Arizona QB Noah Fifita into four turnovers. Jake Retzlaff tossed two touchdowns, and Parker Kingston added his own passing TD on a gadget play.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
