⚡ CFB Dashboard

- Arizona DC Danny Gonzales identifies stopping BYU's run game as the central defensive test and rates LJ Martin as potentially the best back Arizona will face. In last season's meeting, Martin ran for 162 yards and Bear Bachmeier for 89 as BYU totaled 258 rushing yards; those are historical matchup numbers, not a forecast. - Gonzales expects repeated quarterback-power tests from BYU. He highlights Bachmeier's ability to fall forward, stay composed after mistakes and operate behind a large offensive line; Arizona's ability to stop that concept is his stated concern entering the matchup. - On Arizona's NAU opener, Gonzales says tackling and coverage improved as the game progressed. He accepts some initial tackle misses when defenders attack aggressively because he expects multiple teammates to finish; he says Arizona allowed little yardage after contact. This is the coordinator's assessment, not an independent tackling grade. - Arizona's secondary rotation remains matchup- and practice-dependent: Gonzales views Lee Molette III, Gavin Hunter and Daylen Austin as interchangeable starters, despite Molette starting the opener. Quinn at Bear and Malcolm at Field Cat are his fixed starters. He contrasts Hunter's size/strength, Molette's experience and Austin's coverage ability; the opener does not settle this week's lineup.

- QB/OL: * Arizona knows that in order to beat BYU, it is going to have to contain the run and that starts with running back LJ Martin.

- RB/LB: Story on Arizona's first availability report of the season, which has three players out for Saturday's game against BYU.

- Arizona lost fumbles by Antwan Roberts and Gio Richardson against NAU, making pressure-point control and protection against defensive punch-outs specific ball-security priorities for Seth Doege's offense. - Arizona's first-half offense maintained the balance and running-back opportunities Doege wanted, and he believed its four possessions could have produced 28 points without the fumble rather than identifying an inability to move the ball as the main early problem. - Arizona started the second half poorly on familiar plays, with Doege criticizing players for freelancing instead of following details and assignments while acknowledging he had not fully explained the slowdown. - Arizona quarterback Sawyer Anderson threw an interception on his first college pass but recovered to establish a rhythm, including a difficult third-down completion to Isaiah Mizell after climbing the pocket, which Doege highlighted as a positive response rather than dismissing the initial decision error.

- Injury: Don't disagree that depth is good.

- RB/LB: Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales says L.J.

- RB/LB: Arizona defeated NAU in the season opener and it did not take long for the Wildcats to turn their attention to Saturday's matchup at BYU.

- RB/LB: Brent Brennan doesn't have an update on the timeline on the return of running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris, who filed a temporary restraining order last week to play this season.

- RB: Arizona head coach Brent Brennan lauded BYU running back and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin.

- RB/WR: I didn't like the play calling 3rd quarter seems like Doege was trying some things out and it caused NAU to get pressure on Noah and make him throw faster than he wanted to!

- RB: Arizona running back Kedrick Reescano said the Wildcats had a "sour" feeling after losing to BYU last season.

- Arizona beat NAU 35-7 behind three first-half touchdown drives and a shutout that lasted until backup quarterback Sawyer Anderson threw a fourth-quarter pick six. - Arizona opened with a 75-yard scoring drive that included Kedrick Reescano runs of 4 and 20 yards and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Noah Fifita to Tre Spivey. - Noah Fifita later hit Brandon Phelps for a 21-yard touchdown, then added an 11-yard run to set up Reescano's short touchdown before halftime. - Arizona's defense forced a turnover on downs, produced a Kevin Moorer sack, and got a Quinn Olson interception that set up a short touchdown drive. - Pregame availability had Everett Roussaw, Cornelius Warren, Isaac Perez, Ezra Funa, Dajon Hinton, Ismail Mahdi, and Max Harris out for Arizona.

- Pick/market: Insane play-action pass from Noah Fifita to Tre Spivey.