Familiar coaches meet in showdown between No. 14 BYU, Arizona

Arizona coach Brent Brennan and BYU counterpart Kalani Sitake will need no introduction on Saturday when the Wildcats and 14th-ranked Cougars collide in Provo, Utah.

The two have a longstanding friendship, once serving on Oregon State’s coaching staff together in 2015, Sitake’s lone season with the Beavers.

“I love Brent Brennan, man,” Sitake said. “I have a lot of respect for him as a coach and a person.”

Brennan and Sitake coached against each other back in 2017, when Sitake led his Cougars to a 41-20 victory over San Jose State, where Brennan was from 2017-23. However, the stakes will be higher in Saturday’s matchup with BYU (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) setting its sights on a conference championship.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) have some work to do in the Big 12 standings after falling 28-22 to Texas Tech last Saturday. A week earlier, Arizona had generated some momentum by pulling off a 23-10 upset of then-No. 10 Utah.

Against the Red Raiders, the Wildcats limited Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton to 214 yards on 17-of-29 passing. Morton didn’t throw for a touchdown, either.

But Arizona will have a stiffer challenge on Saturday with Jake Retzlaff stepping under center for the Cougars. Retzlaff is tied for the 18th-most TD passes in the nation among FBS teams (12), most recently firing three scores in a 34-28 victory over Baylor on Sept. 28.

Retzlaff completed 18 of 32 passes for 218 yards and was picked off twice against the Bears.

“In terms of the offense, I think (Retzlaff) is really starting to come into his own,” Sitake said. “So I feel really comfortable with everything, the timing of all of it. He can get better. But I like where he is at right now. And I like where his mindset is at. I look forward to seeing great things from him.”

Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita passed for 301 yards against Texas Tech, but he attempted 49 passes, completing 28, with two interceptions and no touchdowns.

“I feel like every time we got something going, I would make a mistake or two that stalled the drive,” Fifita said about the loss to the Red Raiders. “So, I take full responsibility.”

BYU’s pass defense is rated 24th nationally, allowing 171.0 yards per game through the air. The Cougars also have seven interceptions, tied for 13th most in the country.

With Fifita struggling to finish possessions in the end zone against Texas Tech, Arizona had to settle for six field-goal attempts from Tyler Loop. By making good on five of those kicks, Loop set a single-game program record.

Even though the Wildcats struggled to fully cash in on their opportunities last time out, Sitake knows just how dangerous they can be.

“Arizona has tons of talent. They have a great quarterback and a very strong run game,” Sitake said. “The defense also knows how to make plays and force turnovers. We think the matchup is going to bring the most out of us.

“Coming into Provo, they will see an excited home base, but we can’t look at that as the only advantage to rely on. I’m excited about how our team worked last week. I’m excited about the progress we are making.”

–Field Level Media