PROVO — BYU defeated West Virginia 38-24 in the conference home opener to get to 5-0 for the second straight year.

This 2024-25 pair of 5-0 starts becomes just the second time in school history, along with 2020-21.

West Virginia committed extra resources to stopping the run, so BYU took advantage through the air. Bear Bachmeier posted a season high 351 passing yards, the BYU defense picked off West Virginia twice, and the Cougars out-gained the Mountaineers 509-291.

The schedule only gets tougher from here. BYU’s next six opponents — Arizona, Utah, Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU, and Cincinnati — are a combined 26-5, and if you take out two head-to-head games among that group, they are 24-3.

BYU is currently ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll, but will have every opportunity to surge up the rankings if they can stack quality wins. In just their third season at the Power Four level, it is not hyperbole to call this the toughest six-game stretch BYU has ever faced.

First up is a road trip to Tucson to take on 4-1 Arizona (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN2).

Game Grader

(Opponent-adjusted statistical dominance via Pick Six Previews)

3-year average (2022-24): BYU 49.3 (36th of 68 Power 4) | Arizona 47.3 (41st)
2024 season: BYU 70.0 (10th) | Arizona 33.8 (60th)
2025 season: BYU 62.3 (26th) | Arizona 51.3 (44th)

My Game Grader formula is a measure of statistical dominance that adjusts for opponent strength and is a key piece of my preseason and in-season evaluation.

In my annual season preview magazine Pick Six Previews, I selected BYU to finish eighth in a wide-open Big 12 race. They have exceeded expectations through September and are now projected to finish 7-2 in league play.

Arizona had a special 10-win season in 2023 and were all set to run it back in 2024 before Nick Saban retired, Kalen DeBoer left Washington for Alabama, and the Arizona head coach took that Washington vacancy.

Instead of a repeat season, Arizona fell to 4-8 in the coaching transition season.

Now in Brent Brennan’s second season, Arizona is one of the most improved teams from 2024 to 2025. They have already matched the 2024 win total and beat two Big 12 teams, Kansas State by 6 and Oklahoma State by 28.

In their only road game of the year, Iowa State dominated the Wildcats 39-14. Though improved, they are still projected to place outside of the Big 12 title race.

BYU with the ball

(Rankings out of 136 FBS teams)

BYU offense: 38.4 points/game (21st), 5.8 yards/carry (14th), 8.7 yards/attempt (26th)
Arizona defense: 15.6 points/game (19th), 3.0 yards/carry (23rd), 4.9 yards/attempt (4th)

With the pass-heavy play-calling last week, BYU boosted its season average for pass yards per attempt up from 68th to 26th.

Among freshman quarterbacks, Bachmeier is second nationally in both yards per attempt and QB rating, trailing only Notre Dame’s CJ Carr in both categories. What was perceived as a questionable position group after the summer departure of last year’s starter, the quarterback spot has flipped to a strength.

LJ Martin remains second in the Big 12 with his 98 rushing yards per game, while seven guys caught passes in the West Virginia win. Chase Roberts is proving that he is a true No. 1 threat on the outsides, where he posted 161 yards on just four catches Friday night.

BYU faces a tough test as Arizona ranks in the top 25 of almost every defensive stat category. They are solid against both the pass and run, their pass defense is holding opponents to the No. 2 lowest QB rating, and the front seven ranks in the top 25 of yards per carry.

Arizona’s defense allowed 22 passing touchdowns last year; but through five games, they are the only team in America to not allow a single passing touchdown in 2025. Even when adjusted for opponent strength, Arizona ranks highly: 12th overall, 12th against the pass, 25th against the run.

Arizona with the ball

(Rankings out of 136 FBS teams)

Arizona offense (2025): 33.2 points/game (49th), 4.1 yards/carry (85th), 8.1 yards/attempt (41st)
BYU defense (2025): 12.6 points/game (6th), 2.8 yards/carry (14th), 5.8 yards/attempt (19th)

Noah Fifita is back to his 2023 form distributing the ball to his playmakers and is currently fourth in the Big 12 with 268 passing yards per game (13-3 TD to INT ratio).

Last week against Oklahoma State, he threw for five touchdowns and 376 yards — 205 of which were earned after the catch. This is a much more dynamic passing attack than the one BYU intercepted three times last year (41-19 win in Provo).

However, Arizona has not been able to establish a consistent run push and currently ranks well below-average in my opponent-adjusted rushing stat: 49th of 68 in Power 4.

BYU has played excellent defense over the first month of the season, but the injury list is starting to become a concern. Do-it-all star Jack Kelly exited the West Virginia game and is labeled as “doubtful” on the latest availability report. Safety Tommy Prassas is “questionable,” while Isaiah Glasker and three other linebackers are labeled “probable.”

Game prediction

In last year’s win, BYU took the all-time series lead 13-12-1, and currently holds a four-game win streak over Arizona.

BYU is riding a 16-2 overall run — 11-2 against the Big 12 — and I expect them to grind out another victory here before the schedule faces as many as five potential ranked opponents.

BYU and Arizona have both been playing strong defense, but BYU’s offense is more dynamic and explosive.

BYU 28 | Arizona 24