Arizona vs BYU prediction and game preview.
Arizona vs BYU Broadcast
Date: Saturday, September 4
Game Time: 10:30 ET
Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Network: ESPN
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Arizona (0-0) vs BYU (0-0) Game Preview
Why Arizona Will Win
The University of Arizona would like to play some defense now.
It hasn’t been a plus over the last several years – the 70-7 loss to Arizona State put an exclamation point on that – but new head coach Jedd Fisch has vowed to make the defensive side a priority, and it starts by getting Don Brown from Michigan as the defensive coordinator.
It might take a little while, but there’s experience in place and the D overall should be far better and far more aggressive against a BYU offense that’s starting over from the Zach Wilson era. It’s still a good Cougar attack, but losing the No. 2 overall pick in the draft – along with some of the stars on the line and a few targets – isn’t a plus.
The Arizona O line should be okay right away for new starting quarterback Gunner Cruz, but …
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Why BYU Will Win
It might take a little bit for Arizona to be sharp offensively.
Fisch is a quarterback coach who’ll eventually get the Wildcat attack going, but the parts aren’t there to keep up if BYU is hot right out of the gate.
Jaren Hall might not be another Zach Wilson, but he’s got enough experience to be okay, the receivers are big and talented, and like last year, the ground game should be punishing.
Yes, the Arizona defense is going to be better. It’s not going to be a brick wall.
The BYU D has to undergo a bit of an overhaul, but the linebackers are fantastic. Don’t expect too much from the Arizona running game against this group.
What’s Going To Happen
This might not be the crushing BYU win it might appear to be.
The Cougars will get the W in Vegas, but the defense has to replace way too many top tacklers and the pass rush has to prove it can rise up and do enough to be a bother.
Arizona is totally rebuilding. Fisch appears to be the right guy for the gig, and there’s a whole lot of potential and promise, but BYU will have the lines and the ground game to get out with a win. It’s not going to be anything too flashy, but it’ll be a victory over a Pac-12 team to kickoff the post-Wilson era.
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Arizona vs BYU Prediction, Line
BYU 31, Arizona 24
BYU -12.5, o/u: 54
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 3
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