No. 14 BYU uses 27-3 run to top Arizona for 6th straight win

PROVO — Once again, the middle frames were anything but "mid" for the BYU football team.

Jake Retzlaff completed 18-of-32 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns, and Parker Kingston had a passing and receiving touchdown as No. 14 BYU outscored Arizona 27-3 in the second and third quarters en route to a 41-19 win Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd of 64,420 fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Folau Ropati ran for 65 yards on nine carries, and LJ Martin added 47 yards on eight carries in his return from injury as the Cougars (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) clinched bowl eligibility just six games into the 2024 season with a national FOX broadcast and "Big Noon Kickoff" in town.

Jakob Robinson and Tanner Wall each had an interception, and Harrison Taggart had a team-high nine tackles and a fumble recovery to pace a BYU defense that notched five tackles for loss and made its mark after trailing 7-0 early before a run of three consecutive touchdowns scored off turnovers helped put the game away.

"Going into the third quarter, we want to send a message," said Robinson, who had three tackles, a half a tackle for loss, and an interception in the win. "Let them know that the rest of the game isn't going to be a lot of fun for them."

Noah Fifita threw for 275 yards and a touchdown, but also had three interceptions for Arizona — including a late pick-six to Isaiah Glasker. Tetairoa McMillan caught five passes for 78 yards, and former Utah Tech running back Quali Conley ran for 39 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats — who led early.

Arizona (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) took a 7-0 lead out of the first quarter when Fifita capped an 11-play, 95-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown to Montana Lemonious-Craig.

But BYU won Saturday's contest in the middle of the game — the middle two quarters, broadening out what the team refers to as the "middle eight" of the last four minutes of the first half and first four minutes of the second.

"They are great young men. They have great football IQ. They understand the game," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said of his players and their mid-game adjustments. "They're students of it, and they love preparing themselves. I've been really impressed with the way the guys have always done this. I love that these guys are always open to learn different things and to help and teach one another."

Kingston scored his first offensive touchdown of the year in the second quarter, rising up to pull down a 20-yard score from Retzlaff with 13:30 remaining in the half.

"Jake threw a perfect ball," Kingston said of the pass. "I just put my hands up and it was right there."

After Tanner Wall's first career interception, the former Roy High dual-threat quarterback then showed off his arm. The leftie lauded a dime to Martin for a 33-yard touchdown that spiraled nearly twice as far through the air to give the Cougars their first lead of the game, 14-7 with 6:30 on the clock.

Retzlaff threw for 142 yards and a touchdown as BYU piled up 259 yards in the first half to the Wildcats' 207.

But the Cougars were helped by defense, including Tanner Wall's interception at the 1-yard line that helped set up the 99-yard drive ending in Kingston's passing touchdown.

Robinson opened the second half — no, literally, on the very first play — pulling down an interception off Fifita.

Five seconds of game time later, Retzlaff found Chase Roberts for a 9-yard score into the end zone to go up 21-7.

Two plays later, Glasker strip-sacked Fifita, who fumbled the ball towards an on-rushing Harrison Taggart for another turnover that set up Will Ferrin's 33-yard field goal and a 24-7 advantage less than two minutes into the third quarter.

"We were down 7-0, but we didn't flinch," Retzlaff said. "We were running these stadiums in the summer, and it's easy to remember the hard times of training. When things get tough, these guys fall back on their training.

"All of these guys are stepping up in so many ways that don't show up on the stat sheet, but it's the reason why we win 41-19 against a really good Arizona team."

Arizona cut as close as 27-13 on Tyler Loops' second field goal that opened the fourth quarter — and capped an 18-play, 72-yard drive over nearly eight minutes.

But Retzlaff responded with a six-play, 75-yard drive, and Martin plunged in from inside the 1-yard line to push BYU back in front 35-13 to help the Cougars ice the game with 5:38 remaining, and Glasker sealed the win with a pick-six from 21 yards out with about a minute remaining.

"I'm more grateful for the guys in the locker room, with me, doing this," Retzlaff said. "We love to give quarterbacks the credit for the records, but it's not that.

"I was 0-4 last year, so I was the worst quarterback in the country? Now we're 6-0, and the greatest, right?" he added. "That's not it. It's the guys around me playing really well and making it what it is."

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