Week 2 of the 2026 college football season will bring a far greater challenge to Brent Brennan and the Arizona Wildcats.

After a quick start allowed Arizona to coast to an easy victory over Northern Arizona at home in Week 1, the Wildcats now travel to Provo, UT, to take on No. 15 BYU in the first Big 12 conference game of the year.

BYU rolled past FCS Utah Tech, 63-7, in Week 1, behind a ridiculous 308 yards and five touchdowns on the ground and three passing touchdowns from star quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

Arizona is looking for revenge after last year's agonizing 2OT home loss, while a win would almost certainly vault the Wildcats into the top 25 - and possibly into the top 20 where they have not yet been in the Brennan era.

Let's meet coach Kalani Sitake's BYU Cougars ahead of Saturday's afternoon showdown in Provo:

Bear Bachmeier presents a major challenge

Bachmeier was one of the better QB stories in the Big 12 last year, emerging as a true freshman wearing a goofy number (47) and developing into one of the better gunslingers in the conference.

Bachmeier completed about 65% of his passes for 3,033 yards and 15 touchdowns last year, and went a cool 16-for-20 for 198 yards and three TDs in Week 1 against Utah Tech.

Arizona didn't struggle much against NAU, but the Lumberjacks star quarterback Ty Pennington did have a nice start against UA's new look secondary - and if that unit isn't 100% ready to go in Provo Bachmeier and the Cougars will make them pay.

BYU's rushing attack will test Arizona

The quarterback battle between Bachmeier and Noah Fifita is a hard one to ignore, but arguably the biggest showdown in this game will take place in the trenches.

BYU rushed for a staggering 308 yards on Saturday against the Trailblazers, with a whopping seven players averaging 7+ yards per carry. Obviously the opponent quality matters, but BYU was 40th in the country with 178.1 rushing yards per game last season, and their 2,493 total yards on the ground ranked 29th.

Meanwhile Arizona held NAU to -7 rushing yards on Saturday. Opponent quality is a factor here as well, which is what makes this showdown on Saturday a true test for both sides.

Both teams return plenty of experience

It's well documented that Arizona is starting nine returners on offense, and has a big chunk of their defensive line and linebackers back as well. But BYU also has significant key returners, including Bachmeier as well as last year's leading rusher in LJ Martin, fifth leading receiver Jojo Phillips, pass rusher Bodie Schoonover, and linebacker Siale Esera.

That familiarity, especially at quarterback, will serve both programs well this upcoming season - and mitigate any advantage Arizona may have this early in the year.

BYU presents a much bigger challenge

Arizona moved the ball incredibly efficiently in Week 1 against NAU, but they'll have a hard time finding nearly that level of success in Provo. The Cougars limited Utah Tech to 49 yards on the ground and 135 yards in the air, picking off three passes and forcing a fumble in an all-around dominant performance defensively.

Fifita will need to be as sharp as possible in the mountain air this weekend, while Arizona's offensive line must generate a big push up front to allow the Wildcats to move the ball on the ground.

BYU ranked ninth in the FBS with 17 interceptions last year, and finished 30th with 1,718 rushing yards allowed. Sure there are some new faces in coach Sitake's defense, but this Cougars team prides itself on stuffing opponents - giving Arizona a far greater challenge in Week 2.

Provo hasn't been kind to Arizona

Provo is not an easy place to play. Located nearly twice as high above sea level as Casino Del Sol, LaVell Edwards Stadium has long proved difficult for opponents - and not just because of the raucous home crowd.

Arizona lost at BYU in 2024 - the first road matchup as conference foes - dropping the Wildcats to 3-5 all-time in Provo. The last time an Arizona team won at BYU was 1975, although the only other losses in that time were in 1977 and 2007.

Still, that combination of mountain air and a tough road environment will challenge the Wildcats, who are extra motivated after losing to this team at home in 2025.

What Arizona must do differently

Arizona lost a heartbreaker to BYU last year, when Bachmeier scored on a seven yard run in 2OT to hand the Cougars a 33-27 victory.

Arizona played well overall, but 20 incomplete passes and a limited run game outside of Kedrick Reescano (13 carries, 90 yards) ultimately cost the Wildcats what would have been a massive win.

This year's group will need to establish the run game early, giving Fifita more room to throw the football. That, plus better run defense against the Cougars, could give Arizona a shot at revenge and an opportunity to move into the AP Top 25 with a 1-0 start in league play.

This game is set to kickoff at 12:30 PM PT on Saturday, Sep. 12 on FOX.