BYU 28-17 Arizona (Sep 12, 2026) Final Score

Team pages: Arizona · BYU

Arizona1-117

No. 15 BYU2-028Final

Sat, Sep 12 · LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah · Crowd 64,409

No. 15 BYU beat Arizona 28-17.

We had BYU favored. It won.

Next: Arizona beat Northern Illinois 42-17, Sat Sep 19

Next: BYU beat Colorado State 41-23, Sat Sep 19

Top comment in the game thread

We didn't need that little anecdote about the Bachmeier family

Q4 3:55 · r/CFB game thread · Sat, Sep 12

How it swung

The turning point: Fifita intercepted by Uluave at the Arizona 26, returned 17 yards (Q1, 5:58). BYU went from 45% to 60% to win.

Before kickoff, our ratings gave BYU a 75% chance, and the closing betting line (BYU was a 6.5-point favorite) put it at 70%.

A tight one: BYU bottomed out at 44% and won.

Arizona never had better than a 56% chance.

FinalBYU 28-17 ArizonaBYU wonMove across the chart, or tap a numbered swing, to see any play.

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 5:58InterceptionFifita intercepted by Uluave at the Arizona 26, returned 17 yardsBYU 45% → 60% (+15)
2Q2 2:03Fifita 16-yd TD pass to King, Arizona goes ahead 17-14BYU 79% → 64% (−15)

The two plays that swung it

1Q1 5:58InterceptionFifita intercepted by Uluave at the Arizona 26, returned 17 yardsArizona 55% → 40% (−15)
2Q2 2:03Fifita 16-yd TD pass to King, Arizona goes ahead 17-14Arizona 21% → 36% (+15)

What fans said, play by play

The line in bold above each quote is written by our model from the thread’s comments and the play-by-play.

Q4 8:58Officials overturn generous first down spot on Fifita pass to GallagherTerrible call to go for it man. Should’ve taken the damn points. There was 8 minutes left in the gamer/CFB game threadI was shocked they called it a first down to begin with lmaor/CFB game thread
Q4 3:55Fans react to broadcast announcers discussing Bachmeier's family and RGIIIQuoted at the top of the page.RGIII is an agent of pure chaos.r/CFB game thread

BYU’s chance to win after every play.

How to read this chart

Starts from the pregame line (BYU -6.5), at 74% for BYU (the play-by-play feed's kickoff number, moved to match the line; our model's and the betting line's own numbers are in “The betting line, and the fans”). Dots are the biggest swings; ticks under the chart are scores. Under the scores, r/CFB comments per minute from fans with a BYU or Arizona flair (1,109 and 643); both sides share one scale, regulation only.

Watch the plays

The bar and the arrow show BYU’s chance to win after each play; the logo is the team the play helped.

Every drive

BYU scored on 4 of its 10 drives; Arizona on 3 of its 10.

BYU’s drives are teal, Arizona’s amber. A line runs from where a drive started to where it ended; a filled dot means it scored.

From Arizona’s side

Arizona’s best moment: Fifita 16-yd TD pass to King, Arizona goes ahead 17-14 (Q2 2:03). It lifted Arizona’s win chance by 15 points.

How Arizona fans took it: “Gg cougs that was close for a while. Wish we could pack our stadium like that!” r/CFB game thread

“did anyone else hear it lol”

An Arizona fan

When fans got loud

Busy

Fans were loudest in the fourth quarter.

Jump to the loudest stretch

The jump was busy; the crowd was busy.

Two crowds, one game

The words each side’s fans used far more than the other side, from the game thread.

Arizona fans

secondary“Secondary is a liability, they were against NAU and BYU has shredded them all game”

Both sets of fans kept coming back to: ads, refs, back, need.

What it cost

Arizona’s chance to make the playoff fell from 7% to 4%.

Make the playoff

Arizona · lost7% → ▼4%

BYU · won16% → ▲19%

Win the conference

Arizona · lost6% → ▼4%

BYU · won13% → ▲17%

Before the game (September 11, 2026) → after this result, in our model.

Box score

BYU 28, Arizona 17

BYU covered −6.5 by 4.5. The total, 45, stayed under 49.5.

Team totals	Arizona	BYU
Total yards	327	365
Passing	23 of 31, 230 yds	16 of 26, 217 yds
Rushing	31 for 97 yds	30 for 148 yds
First downs	19	17
Third down	5 of 12	6 of 11
Fourth down	0 of 1	0 of 0
Turnovers	1	0
Penalties	7 for 55 yds	7 for 59 yds
Time of possession	33:41	26:19

Arizona leaders

Passing Noah Fifita 23 of 31, 230 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Kedrick Reescano 15 for 49 yds; Noah Fifita 11 for 38 yds, 1 TD
Receiving Cole Rusk 2 for 48 yds; Gio Richardson 5 for 48 yds

BYU leaders

Passing Bear Bachmeier 16 of 26, 217 yds, 3 TD
Rushing LJ Martin 20 for 98 yds; Bear Bachmeier 6 for 37 yds, 1 TD
Receiving Legend Glasker 3 for 74 yds; Kyler Kasper 4 for 51 yds, 2 TD

No rain through the game

88° at kickoff · no rain recorded

Warmer than 9 in 10 of the 61 other games played at LaVell Edwards Stadium since 2016 (airport temperature during the game window). The usual here around this date is 69°, with about 7 in 10 games between 61° and 80°.

September game-day temperatures at LaVell Edwards Stadium

Drag along the chart, or step through the game.

Second quarter, 2:03 left2:59 p.m.

Arizona 17, BYU 14 · BYU 64% to win

no rain · 92°

Fifita 16-yd TD pass to King, Arizona goes ahead 17-14

Measured at Provo Muni (awos) airport, 4.5 miles away. Rain is NOAA's radar-and-gauge estimate at the stadium and wind is an airport reading; neither is measured on the field. Game times come from the play-by-play, good to a minute or two. Source: National Weather Service, through the Iowa Environmental Mesonet; rain radar from NOAA MRMS, through Iowa State University. Field direction from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Before kickoff

Recent games, the series and the betting line below are as they stood going in; the season profile is the season so far.

Recent games

Last three games · 2025 season

Arizona · 9-4

Rated 27th in our preseason ratings, 28th now.

2-1 in its last three, one over ranked or top-40 competition.

L 19-24 @ SMUTop 25 #11 of 667

lost by 5 as a 2.5-point underdog

W 23-7 @ Arizona StateTop 25 #45 of 667

won by 16 as a 2.5-point favorite

W 41-17 vs Baylor #56 of 667

won by 24 as a 6.5-point favorite

W 30-24 @ CincinnatiTop 25 #47 of 667

won by 6 as a 6.5-point underdog

W 24-20 vs Kansas #60 of 667

won by 4 as a 6.5-point favorite

W 52-17 @ Colorado #77 of 667

won by 35 as a 3.5-point favorite

L 28-31 @ HoustonTop 25 #65 of 667

lost by 3 as a 2.5-point favorite

L 27-33 vs BYUTop 25 #32 of 667

lost by 6 as a 2.5-point underdog

W 41-13 vs Oklahoma State #125 of 667

won by 28 as a 23.5-point favorite

L 14-39 @ Iowa StateTop 25 #41 of 667

lost by 25 as a 4.5-point underdog

W 23-17 vs Kansas StateTop 25 #49 of 667

won by 6 as a 1.5-point underdog

W 48-3 vs Weber State #186 of 667

won by 45 as a 31.5-point favorite

W 40-6 vs Hawai'i #152 of 667

won by 34 as a 15.5-point favorite

Last three games · 2025 season

BYU · 12-2

Rated 9th in our preseason ratings, 9th now.

2-1 in its last three, one over ranked or top-40 competition.

W 25-21 vs Georgia TechTop 25 #49 of 667

won by 4 as a 3.5-point favorite

L 7-34 @ Texas TechTop 25 #5 of 667

lost by 27 as a 13.5-point underdog

W 41-21 vs UCF #89 of 667

won by 20 as a 17.5-point favorite

W 26-14 @ CincinnatiTop 25 #52 of 667

won by 12 as a 2.5-point favorite

W 44-13 vs TCUTop 25 #46 of 667

won by 31 as a 2.5-point favorite

L 7-29 @ Texas TechTop 25 #10 of 667

lost by 22 as a 13.5-point underdog

W 41-27 @ Iowa StateTop 25 #45 of 667

won by 14 as a 2.5-point underdog

W 24-21 vs UtahTop 25 #16 of 667

won by 3 as a 5.5-point underdog

W 33-27 @ ArizonaTop 25 #70 of 667

won by 6 as a 2.5-point favorite

W 38-24 vs West Virginia #80 of 667

won by 14 as a 19.5-point favorite

W 24-21 @ Colorado #54 of 667

won by 3 as a 6.5-point favorite

W 34-13 @ East Carolina #75 of 667

won by 21 as a 5.5-point favorite

W 27-3 vs Stanford #85 of 667

won by 24 as a 20.5-point favorite

W 69-0 vs Portland State #232 of 667

won by 69 as a 44.5-point favorite

Week by week

BYU

Wk 1Wvs Utah Tech63-7

Arizona

Wk 1Wvs Northern Arizona35-7

Matchups

Biggest mismatch: BYU’s passing EPA against Arizona, 32 points

Each row ranks the two sides among all teams. The longer the line, the bigger the mismatch.

BYU’s explosive plays against Arizona’s defense
BYU offense, 30th percentile · Arizona defense, 2nd
BYU’s passing EPA against Arizona’s defense
BYU offense, 53rd percentile · Arizona defense, 85th

Season profile, all the rows

Season profile

ArizonaBYU

EPA/play, offense

EPA/play, defense

Success rate, offense

Success rate, defense

Explosive-play rate, offense

Explosive-play rate, defense

Rush EPA, offense

Rush EPA, defense

Pass EPA, offense

Pass EPA, defense

The series

BYU leads the series 14-12-1

27 meetings since 1936 · BYU has won the last 5

2025BYU 33-27
2024BYU 41-19
2021 · neutral siteBYU 24-16
2018BYU 28-23
2016 · neutral siteBYU 18-16

Each line is BYU’s chance to win through that meeting. Older meetings have no play by play, so no line.

Line, fans and home field

The betting line, and the fans

BYU fans are feeling it about like the typical fanbase this week (55th among FBS fanbases), in line with the numbers.

BYU favored by 6.5 · Total 49.5

How games like this usually go

BYU by 6.5, and it went to form

Half of games8 in 10 gamesThis game

The band is where a favorite’s chance ran in the 377 games since 2025 with a favorite of 3.5 to 7.5 points.

The market

The books’ cut: 4.2%, the margin built into the odds

Weather at kickoff

Hot and dry. Feels like 90° at kickoff.

Arizona at BYU · Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 · LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo

90°feels like at kickoff
Dryno rain at kickoff
62weather score, Rough
Roughestof the day's 5 kickoff times

At kickoff, Sept. 12, 2026.

Weather score: 0 to 100, higher is better, for the first 3 hours and 20 minutes of the game. Ideal is 100, Comfortable 90 to 99, Mixed 75 to 89, Rough 50 to 74, Harsh under 50.

Later kickoff times scored higher that Saturday

Games in this time zone used 5 kickoff times that day, local time (kickoffs within 30 minutes of each other count as one). This game, ringed, was the roughest of the day's five kickoff times. At LaVell Edwards Stadium that day, a 8 pm kickoff would have scored 100, against 62 at 1:30 pm.

The roughest kickoff time is the lowest of the day's times. It can still be Mixed or Comfortable.

1:30 pm: 62, Rough (this game)
4 pm: 66, Rough
5 pm: 74, Rough
7 pm: 95, Comfortable
8 pm: 100, Ideal

Weather score at each kickoff time.

Tap a dot to read that kickoff time.

At kickoff, Sept. 12, 2026. Wind is not drawn here; gusts are in each score.

Home field

BYU is worth +2.9 points (±3.6) more at home than on the road since 2018 — bottom third of FBS, 28th percentile.

75% at home, 63% on the road against FBS opponents (33-11 home, 29-17 away).

Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads -1.1 at home vs. away over 96 games — inside the ±5.9 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.

4,633 ft of altitude — real, and smaller than the folklore: high venues run a point or two better against the number, noisily. The visitors travel about 556 miles to get here.

Last meeting in our History pages

BYU 33, Arizona 27Oct 11, 2025

No. 15 BYU beats Arizona 28-17