BYU Football Progress Report: Arizona Edition
Oct 12, 2025, 5:08 PM
TUCSON, Ariz. – No. 18 BYU outlasted Arizona in a double-overtime thriller in the desert.
BYU Football Progress Report: Arizona Edition
BYU came out swinging from the opening kickoff, jumping to a quick 14-0 lead before a 74-minute rain delay stalled its momentum.
Arizona responded with 24 unanswered points, but big plays on both sides of the ball helped BYU rally and improve to 6-0 for the second consecutive season — a first in program history.
Offense: B
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier had a couple of freshman hiccups, but 172 yards through the air and 89 more on the ground helped cover up the mistakes.
Coming into the game, Arizona hadn’t allowed a passing touchdown all season and ranked second nationally in pass efficiency defense. Bachmeier broke that streak with a deep strike to Parker Kingston for a 75-yard touchdown, putting BYU up by two scores.
After a slow start to the season, Kingston appears to have become one of Bachmeier’s go-to targets. He topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight game, finishing with a team-high 117 yards on five receptions.
While Bachmeier struggled with accuracy, completing just 41% of his passes and throwing two interceptions, he’s shown significant growth over the last two weeks and proved he can spin it. Against what might be the toughest pass defense BYU will face all season, the Cougars weathered the storm.
LJ Martin delivered another career-high performance, rushing for 162 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Arizona had been allowing just 98 rushing yards per game heading into the matchup, but BYU piled up 258 on the ground behind physical runs from Martin and Bachmeier.
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An unsung hero of the game was offensive lineman Kyle Sfarcioc. He delivered several key blocks, helping spring Bachmeier for crucial gains on the final two drives of regulation.
Then, in the closing seconds of the game, he recovered a fumble just outside the end zone — a play that likely saved BYU’s comeback bid.
Trending down, receiver Chase Roberts and tight end Carsen Ryan had off nights, each dropping critical passes. That’ll be something to clean up as BYU heads into the heart of the season.
Defense: B+
In the absence of linebacker Jack Kelly, who was held out due to injury, sophomore Siale Esera was all over the field. He finished the night with 16 tackles, half a tackle for loss and a pass deflection. When Harrison Taggart transferred out of the program last year, many believed it was because Esera had surpassed him on the depth chart. So far this season, Esera is making the most of the opportunity in what has become a breakout year.
Another defensive standout was Faletau Satuala. After starter Raider Damuni exited early with an injury, Satuala stepped in and made an immediate impact, finishing with 11 tackles and a tackle for loss.
The former four-star recruit showed the downhill speed that earned him offers from the likes of Tennessee, UCLA, USC, and Utah. When he gets moving, he delivers hits as hard as any BYU safety in the past decade.
6-0 pic.twitter.com/JPEe9rRTPc
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 12, 2025
Tausili Akana also came up big in the game’s final moments. The Texas transfer showed off his edge-rushing skills with several spin moves that made life difficult for Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita. Akana hasn’t seen a ton of playing time this season, but his performance Saturday may have earned him a bigger role moving forward.
Cornerbacks Evan Johnson, Therrian Alexander III and Mory Bamba were excellent against one of the top passing attacks in the conference. Defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Jernaro Gilford said earlier this season that this is the fastest cornerback room he’s coached in his 10 years at BYU — and Johnson, Alexander III and Bamba are proving him right.
Still, for as well as BYU’s defense played for much of the night, a few lingering issues resurfaced.
POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
BYU vs Arizona — @EseraSiale pic.twitter.com/pYLWA3G4Wy
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) October 12, 2025
Keanu Tanuvasa hasn’t lived up to expectations through six games. After committing a costly late-hit penalty against West Virginia last week, he was ejected for targeting in the first half Saturday. Because the foul occurred early, he won’t have to sit out against Utah, but it’s the kind of mistake that shouldn’t come from a team captain who entered the season with first-round NFL Draft buzz.
Rounding out the notes for the defense, defensive ends coach Kelly Poppinga said earlier this week that sacks are an overrated stat.
While that can be up for debate, Arizona entered the game allowing more sacks than any team in the Big 12, yet BYU failed to register even one. There were only a handful of real opportunities, and it’s an area that clearly needs improvement.
Special Teams: A-
After a couple of rough outings, BYU’s special teams unit bounced back in a big way Saturday night.
Parker Kingston sparked the game-winning drive with a 26-yard punt return following a defensive three-and-out, giving BYU a short field in the final minutes. He was brought down by the punter — the only man between him and the end zone. In the end, that may have worked in BYU’s favor, as the offense scored with just 19 seconds left, leaving Arizona to kneel the clock out and go to overtime.
Will Ferrin keeps the Cougars alive with a 24-yard field goal.
BYU cuts Arizona’s lead to 24-17 with 4:08 left to play. Cougars have all three timeouts remaining. pic.twitter.com/mqQhLutMdI
— Kyle Ireland (@kyleireland) October 12, 2025
Kicker Will Ferrin connected on two of three field goal attempts, including a clutch 45-yarder in the first overtime to force a second. His lone miss came from 42 yards out during heavy rain. It was a tough kick in tough conditions, and not something to be overly concerned about.
The Cougars also attempted a fake punt on 4th-and-9 from their own 38-yard line, but punter Sam Vander Haar came up three yards short, giving Arizona a short field that led to a field goal. It looked like the yardage was there, but Vander Haar didn’t make the right read. BYU has had several successful fakes in recent seasons, and while this one didn’t work out, I don’t think it’s a red flag.
Overall: B+
BYU still hasn’t put together a complete game, but the Cougars keep winning, and that’s what matters. Bear Bachmeier continues to grow each week, showing why he earned the starting quarterback job in fall camp.
Ranked No. 15 nationally, BYU remains one of just three unbeaten teams in Big 12 play, along with Texas Tech and Cincinnati. With a tough stretch of games ahead, the Cougars are in a strong position. What they’ve done through six games has worked, and there have been clear signs of improvement. At the same time, there are still mistakes to correct and weaknesses to address.
Saturday’s rivalry matchup with Utah will be the first between two ranked teams in the series since 2009.
Both teams are finding their rhythm, and the stage is set for a thriller. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT on FOX. Radio coverage will be available on KSL NewsRadio at 102.7 FM/1160 AM and on the KSL NewsRadio app. Extended pregame coverage begins with Cougar Sports Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Nate Slack is an Executive Producer for Cougar Sports Saturday (Noon–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
