Moments to remember from BYU’s win over Arizona

It’s an exciting time to be a BYU football fan.
The Cougars kept their undefeated act rolling Saturday against Arizona, and while the game action was thrilling, many of the contest’s most memorable highlights actually came off the field.
Here’s a look back at some of the LaVell Edwards Stadium scenes that didn’t show up in the box score.
Though BYU didn’t kick off against Arizona until 2 p.m. on Saturday, many fans began rising and shouting well before sunrise.
Fox hosted its “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show live from Provo Saturday morning, and Cougar Nation more than made the most of its national spotlight.
The sea of royal blue in the west stadium parking lot was announced to be the largest pre-show crowd in the history of “Kickoff.”
The “Kickoff” tailgating officially began at 6:30 a.m., but students had camped out in preparation for the festivities since Friday morning.
The probable lack of sleep didn’t seem to hinder the overall volume, as Fox’s analysts seemed unprepared for just how loud BYU fans would be — especially when it came to booing current pundit and former Utah head coach Urban Meyer.
I’d venture to guess that more than half of the students in the crowd weren’t even born during Meyer’s tenure tormenting the Cougars, making his less-than-warm welcome all the more comical.
Speaking of comical, BYU fans provided plenty of laughs with the signs they held up for the “Kickoff” cameras to capture.
The creativity coming from campus may be at an all-time high. Well done, Shane Reese.
All in all, “Kickoff” coming to Provo proved to be a major success for showing off BYU’s unique brand and intense following.
Both Fox and school officials had to have been pleased with what they each got out of the broadcast. Maybe more such shows will start setting up shop in Cougar Town in the future.
You can read more of my thoughts and observations regarding “Kickoff” here.
Who wasn’t at the BYU game this weekend? The day truly became a who’s who of Cougar legends.
The program’s most notable alum, Steve Young, made the trip to LaVell’s house, along with BYU’s two most recognizable current NFL talents in Puka Nacua and Fred Warner.
Additionally, four Cougar Olympians from this summer’s Paris Games were recognized on the field during a stoppage in play, and BYU even honored its seven members of the College Football Hall of Fame during the afternoon as well.
For anyone in attendance Saturday who may not have known much about BYU beforehand, they sure ended up receiving a hearty history lesson regarding the Cougars.
Of the nearly 65,000 people in attendance Saturday, one spectator’s presence towered above the rest: AJ Dybantsa.
The generational basketball talent and consensus top college recruit for the class of 2025 made his highly-anticipated official visit to BYU over the weekend, taking in the Cougars’ clash with Arizona as part of the trip.
Dybantsa is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA draft. The hype around this young man is extreme, and for good reason. His on-court ceiling is seemingly unlimited.
Committing to Kevin Young and suiting up for BYU is the type of development that could prove transformational for both the basketball program and university as a whole.
Thus, Dybantsa’s visit — which he made along with his current Utah Prep teammate and four-star point guard prospect JJ Mandaquit, another Young target — was of incredible importance.
BYU understood the assignment. Fans in the ROC student section showered Dybantsa with chants of “We want AJ!” How many other recruits get such treatment from their potential future classmates?
Steve Young put in a push of his own, chatting it up with Dybantsa and Mandaquit on the sidelines prior to kickoff.
Perhaps most amazingly, however, was Dybantsa and Mandaquit getting to run out of the tunnel and onto the field with the rest of BYU’s football team, giving the pair of prospects the best possible understanding of just how electric things can get in Provo.
Maybe Dybantsa will end up signing with the Cougars. Maybe he won’t. But no matter what happens, BYU definitely put in an A-plus recruitment effort over the weekend.
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff enjoyed a strong showing against the Wildcats, throwing for 218 yards and two touchdowns, posting a 134.1 passer rating and helping to orchestrate yet another explosive offensive output for the Cougars.
But the day meant even more to BYU’s quarterback, who is Jewish — Retzlaff’s performance came on Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day of the year within Judaism.
While some Jewish athletes have chosen to sit out of games played on the holiday over the years, Retzlaff made the decision to suit up and embrace being a representative of his faith.
“It’s going to be a special day that there’s a Jewish kid playing football on Yom Kippur because if that makes headlines, that means I get to be another light for somebody else,” Retzlaff said in an interview with ESPN’s “College GameDay” program, as the Deseret News previously reported. “And that means I have to win, I have to win the game.”
Fortunately for Retzlaff, he did win, just as he’s continued to do at BYU in his first full season as the starting QB.
The self-proclaimed “BY-Jew” has led the Cougars to a surprising 6-0 start and is making his own case for all-conference consideration.
The atmosphere Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium was hard to beat, but those who watched the game from home were treated to a top-notch experience as well.
Fox sent its top college football broadcast team to cover BYU’s meeting with Arizona, putting Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt and Jenny Taft on the call for millions of viewers nationwide.
If you’re not familiar with Gus Johnson, he’s one of the most distinctive, exciting and iconic sportscasters of our time. When he’s on the mic, you know the event is a big deal.
Personally, Johnson is my favorite college football voice, and a number of Cougar players expressed excitement for hearing him call out their names during the game.
Johnson didn’t disappoint. His commentary for Saturday’s action was superb, adding another magical element to a contest already filled with thrills and elation.
Listen for yourself:
Johnson expressed plenty of love for BYU as well, offering an extensive oral history of the program’s rich tradition during the game’s third quarter and calling the scene in Provo “a bucket list stadium.”
Come back soon, Gus. I’ll keep the press box door open for you.