Bachmeier , who was previously named to the Davey O’Brien Great 8 as one of the top quarterback performances from week two of the college football season, helped led No. 11 BYU to a 28-17 win over Arizona on Saturday.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore from Murrieta, California, completed 16 of 26 passes for 217 yards (13.6 yards per completion) and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Bachmeier also rushed for 37 yards and another score to account for all four touchdowns.

With his performance against Arizona, Bachmeier became just the fourth player in Big 12 history to begin a season with two straight games of at least three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, joining the elite company of Baker Mayfield (2015), Patrick Mahomes (2016) and Mason Rudolph (2017).

Through two games, Bachmeier is the Big 12 Conference co-leader, responsible for eight total touchdowns, including six touchdown passes and two rushing scores.

Akana, a 6-3, 235-pound junior from Laie, Hawaii, had four tackles, including 2.5 sacks in the Cougars’ win over Arizona. With just under six minutes to play in the game Akana picked up sack number two on UA quarterback Noah Fifita pinning the Wildcats inside their own 20. On the next play he and team Keanu Tanuvasa sacked Fifita again forcing Arizona to punt the ball away from its own endzone sealing the BYU win.

“Tausili has bought into his technique, his fundamentals, and trying to be the best version of him himself, and so that elevates us as an entire defensive line,” said BYU defensive tackle during Monday’s press conference. ” … So seeing him double down on his fundamentals has been amazing, and, yeah, that’s a great accomplishment, and he’s not done.”

BYU travels to Fort Collins, Colorado this week to take on Colorado State on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Canvas Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on CBS with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. MDT.

Big Monday tip announced

IRVING, Texas – BYU and Arizona will face-off on ESPN’s Big Monday for a second straight season, ESPN and the Big 12 Conference announced on Monday morning.

This season marks the 31st season the Big 12 has been showcased on Big Monday as part of a long-standing arrangement with ESPN.

The Feb. 22 matchup against the Wildcats at the Marriott Center is one of five Big Monday matchups for the Big 12 during the 2026-27 season. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT on ESPN.

In last season’s 86-83 setback, Big 12 Freshman of the Year AJ Dybantsa scored a team-high 24 points as the Cougars nearly overcame a 19-point deficit against the top-ranked Wildcats.

Down 64-45 with 10 minutes and 53 second remaining in regulation, BYU rallied behind a barrage of 3-poiners from Robert Wright III, Richie Saunders and Kennard Davis Jr. to make it a single possession game with under 16 seconds left on the clock. Wright III’s jumper in the paint was blocked by Brayden Burries to keep the Wildcats’ undefeated start to the season intact.

Kevin Young returns for third season after leading the Cougars to 23 wins last season and the program’s 33rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2025-26, BYU put together the fourth-longest win streak in a single season in program history with 13 straight vicotires including a 28-point win over No. 23 Wisconsin and securing the Terry’s Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational title with victories over Miami and Dayton.

Wright III returns for his second season as a Cougar as the All-Big 12 guard averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures in 32 of 35 starts including 13 20-point performances and two games with 30 or more including a career-high 39-point outburst in BYU’s overtime victory over Colorado. His 162 assists are the 10th most in a single season in program history.

The junior from Wilmington, Del. will be joined by returners Khadim Mboup (2.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Dawson Baker (7.5 ppg), Nate Pickens and Brody Kozlowski. Utah natives Collin Chandler and Jake Wahlin returned to the Beehive State to play for the Cougars while Tyler Betsey has appeared 65 games during stops at Cincinnati and Syracuse.

Bruce Branch III is one of five freshmen on the roster as the sixth-ranked recruit in the SCNext 100 is joined by Provo native Dean Rueckert, Brooks Bahr and Dovydas Buika.