In a game full of big plays, these 3 stood out in Cougars’ victory over Arizona

On a hot Saturday afternoon when No. 15 BYU (2-0) and Arizona (1-1) combined for 118 plays in their fight for early supremacy in the Big 12, there were three that impacted the game more than the other 115.

An interception, a fourth-down stop and a touchdown five years in the making highlighted the Cougars’ 28-17 victory.

Cade Uluave’s pick

Trailing 7-0 midway through the first quarter, BYU linebacker Cade Uluave intercepted Arizona’s Noah Fifita at the Wildcats’ 26-yard line and returned it 17 yards to the Arizona 9-yard line. A highlight for sure, but the Cal transfer wanted a lot more.

“Man, that was embarrassing,” Uluave said. “The pick was awesome, and then I thought I had the edge, and then I decided to cut back and then I tripped.”

BYU cashed the turnover in for a touchdown moments later when Bear Bachmeier ran in from the 6 yards out.

“What made that play was Isaiah Glasker coming off the edge,” Uluave said. “He smoked the quarterback, just absolutely smoked him, and the quarterback just threw a cookie to me.”

Kyler Kasper’s catch

Kyler Kasper was a star at William Field High in Gilbert, Arizona. He caught 73 passes for 1,355 yards and 11 touchdowns in two seasons. Of the 25 scholarship offers, that included Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, USC and Miami, the consensus four-star receiver chose Oregon.

One injury after another clipped his wings with the Ducks. He earned his degree in social science but managed only six receptions for 77 yards in 23 games. BYU snatched him up in the transfer portal as a gamble that he could get healthy and stay healthy.

When Bachmeier hit the 6-foot-6 target for a 6-yard touchdown in the third quarter, it not only gave BYU the lead for good, but it put Kasper back in the end zone for the first time since high school in 2021.

“It means everything,” he said. “It has been a long couple of years in college, especially the last two years, just banged up and going through that emotionally and physically, pushing through every day and getting back healthy.”

Fourth-down stop

With the game still up for grabs in the fourth quarter, Arizona, trailing 21-17, marched from their own 25 to the BYU 21. Facing fourth-and-4, Fifita threw a short pass to Rodney Gallagher III, who made his move toward the first-down marker, but Cannon DeVries and Tommy Prassas delivered a furious tag-team blow to bring him down.

After the initial measurement, Arizona was awarded a first down.

“It was crazy,” Uluave said. “I saw the ref looking and gave them a first down and I was like, ‘No way!”

BYU challenged the call and the video showed Gallagher did not reach the 17-yard line and the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs and surrendered their momentum.

“They reviewed it and we fired everyone up. I think the whole sideline felt it and the whole crowd,” Uluave said. “It was definitely a game-changing moment.”

Four plays later, Bachmeier hit Kasper for his second touchdown grab to put the game away.

“They made a good play there right at the sticks,” said Arizona coach Brent Brennan. “The only choice you have in that moment is to get back to fighting, because there’s still plenty of time left in the football game. That, in my opinion, is where we didn’t execute at the level we needed to.”

Photo Gallery: 1 of 32

1 of 32

Photo Gallery: 2 of 32

2 of 32

Photo Gallery: 3 of 32

3 of 32

Photo Gallery: 4 of 32

4 of 32

Photo Gallery: 5 of 32

5 of 32

Photo Gallery: 6 of 32

6 of 32

Photo Gallery: 7 of 32

7 of 32

Photo Gallery: 8 of 32

8 of 32

Photo Gallery: 9 of 32

9 of 32

Photo Gallery: 10 of 32

10 of 32

Photo Gallery: 11 of 32

11 of 32

Photo Gallery: 12 of 32

12 of 32

Photo Gallery: 13 of 32

13 of 32

Photo Gallery: 14 of 32

14 of 32

Photo Gallery: 15 of 32

15 of 32

Photo Gallery: 16 of 32

16 of 32

Photo Gallery: 17 of 32

17 of 32

Photo Gallery: 18 of 32

18 of 32

Photo Gallery: 19 of 32

19 of 32

Photo Gallery: 20 of 32

20 of 32

Photo Gallery: 21 of 32

21 of 32

Photo Gallery: 22 of 32

22 of 32

Photo Gallery: 23 of 32

23 of 32

Photo Gallery: 24 of 32

24 of 32

Photo Gallery: 25 of 32

25 of 32

Photo Gallery: 26 of 32

26 of 32

Photo Gallery: 27 of 32

27 of 32

Photo Gallery: 28 of 32

28 of 32

Photo Gallery: 29 of 32

29 of 32

Photo Gallery: 30 of 32

30 of 32

Photo Gallery: 31 of 32

31 of 32

Photo Gallery: 32 of 32

32 of 32

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.