“Lev it on the Field” is back for Game 6 against BYU. It’s the Star’s unique look at Arizona’s upcoming football matchup and other happenings around the Big 12 through the eyes of UA beat reporter-turned-columnist Michael Lev. Away we go ...
Saturday is Danny Gonzales’ time to shine, even if it rains.
Michael Lev is a senior writer/columnist for the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson.com and The Wildcaster.
Arizona’s matchup with No. 18 BYU is the ultimate opportunity for the Wildcats’ brash assistant coach to prove he is truly a defensive mastermind.
Gonzales has a chance to do what five defensive coordinators have failed to accomplish so far this season: Flummox BYU freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier.
Bachmeier signed with the Cougars in May. A year ago, he was playing high school ball in Southern California. Now he’s playing like a fifth-year college senior.
Bachmeier has completed more than 70% of his passes in three consecutive games, including two on the road. He has thrown seven touchdown passes and only one interception. He also has 206 rushing yards and five TDs on the ground.
Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales hands out fives to his unit after a stand against Weber State, Sept. 6, 2025, at Arizona Stadium.
“We made him look like the Heisman winner in the first half,” West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said after Bachmeier accumulated 394 yards of offense and accounted for two touchdowns in the Cougars’ 38-24 win over the Mountaineers on Oct. 3. “Hand him the Heisman.”
Heard that one before? That was Sports Illustrated’s cover headline about Khalil Tate heading into the 2018 season. Maybe he would have had a chance if RichRod had remained his coach. But we digress. Back to Bachmeier.
The four-star freshman has been utterly unfazed by every challenge put before him. BYU coach Kalani Sitake praised his football IQ, his patience, his character and his maturity. He’s also built like a tank at 6-2, 220 pounds.
What can Gonzales do to slow Bachmeier down? Confuse him. Confound him. Lay a Bear trap.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) leaps into the end zone during the second half against West Virginia, Oct. 3, 2025, in Provo, Utah.
One of the reasons Arizona’s defense has been so successful against opposing quarterbacks is that it often presents a certain picture before the snap ... and a different one afterward. That causes confusion. All it takes is one missed assignment for a play to fail.
Only one quarterback has flourished against Gonzales’ defense this season — Iowa State’s Rocco Becht. Becht has started 30-plus games. He’s seen just about everything.
Becht burned the Wildcats despite Arizona limiting the ISU ground game. That’s the other objective Saturday: Stuff the run and put Bachmeier in uncomfortable long-yardage situations.
It’s easier said than done. And even third-and-long hasn’t bothered Bachmeier: He’s 11 of 16 for 157 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions when facing third-and-6-plus, per ESPN.com.
So Gonzales needs to summon something special — something even more powerful than Tropical Storm Priscilla.
Get ready for Hurricane Danny.
Take that for data!
Fun fact: The Arizona-BYU game on Sept. 3, 2016, in Glendale marked Sitake’s debut as the Cougars’ head coach.
They’ve mostly thrived since.
BYU comes to Arizona Stadium as one of only 15 unbeaten FBS teams. A win Saturday would give the Cougars a 6-0 start in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
Sitake’s .642 career winning percentage ranks third in BYU annals behind LaVell Edwards (.716) and Bronco Mendenhall (.697).
The Cougars have endured some bumps along the way, including a 4-9 record in 2017 and a 5-7 mark in 2023 — their first year in the Big 12. They rebounded with an 11-2 campaign last year and should have merited more consideration for the College Football Playoff.
In an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show” on Monday, Sitake credited staff continuity for his sustained success.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake joins players in saluting fans after the Cougars' win over Colorado on Sept. 27, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has been with the program since 2018. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill has been in Provo since 2022.
In modern college football, that’s practically an eternity.
(Rincon) Market report
Going up: Positive reinforcement
Arizona didn’t have to attempt a 57-yard field goal in the fourth quarter vs. Oklahoma State last week. The score was 38-13 with less than five minutes remaining. But Brent Brennan wanted to give his kicker, Michael Salgado-Medina, who’d earlier missed a 46-yarder, another chance. He urged “Money Mike” to go back out there and make that kick — which he did. Big props to Brennan for how he approached that situation — and for his coaching philosophy in general. “Everyone likes to be encouraged,” he said. “Nobody likes to get beaten to the ground.” Hopefully Salgado-Medina, who has struggled at times this season, will respond positively to Brennan’s positive reinforcement.
Going down: UA tight end room
The quantity in this room literally has gone down. Arizona began training camp with five available scholarship tight ends. The Wildcats are down to two with this week’s news that Keyan Burnett is redshirting and has parted ways with the program. Sam Olson and Cameron Barmore not only need to play well but need to stay healthy. Their backups are walk-ons, including local products Kayden Luke and Tyler Mustain, who’ve played in short-yardage packages. They’re one injury away from having even bigger roles.
A question from my X
“Can Arizona stack the box against BYU and hold their own against the pass?” — @mpazepzona via X/Twitter
Remember what I said at the top? Easier said than done.
The Cougars rank second in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (234.0) and per attempt (5.82). They’ve yet to run for fewer than 157 yards.
BYU running back LJ Martin, left, runs the ball with East Carolina’s Teagan Wilk in pursuit during the first half of their game in Greenville, N.C., Sept. 20, 2025.
BYU’s top back, LJ Martin, is a battering ram. He’s listed at 6-2, 220 — same as Bachmeier. Martin averages 4.45 yards after contact per rushing attempt, according to Pro Football Focus, the most among Big 12 tailbacks with at least 59 carries.
Arizona will devote as many resources as possible to keep Martin in check. Gonzales will trust his defensive backs to play man coverage. Expect to see tons of single-high-safety looks with Genesis Smith serving as the last line of defense.
Bachmeier has been incredibly efficient, but he hasn’t been asked — or forced — to carry the offense. He has yet to attempt more than 27 passes in a game. Noah Fifita had 24 attempts in each half two weeks ago at Iowa State.
Threads
Texas Tech football is on a roll. I’m putting its new “modernized Double T” logo in the loss column. Tech hired a marketing firm to conduct a “brand audit,” as one does, and after a “series of focus groups and surveys,” it came up with a logo that’s a flatter, blander version of the previous one. Definite Cracker Barrel vibes here. Some of the “secondary marks” — courtesy of another “branding agency” — are kinda cool, including the return of the rearing Masked Rider. The main logo, though? Boring.
Texas Tech reveals its new logo, with a full rollout targeted for 2026.
What he said ...
“The Wildcats are like the mailman. We gotta go to work. Rain, sleet, snow — it doesn’t matter. We gotta show up and get after it.” — Brennan
What he meant ...
“It rains like once or twice a year here during football season, and everyone is losing their minds. I coached in Corvallis, Oregon, for six years. You know what the average annual rainfall is in Corvallis? Forty-plus inches! It rains every day up there for like five months. Everybody needs to chill. We’ll be fine. Oh, and pack a poncho.”
The other side
“We really wanted him out of high school, and he was a national recruit. He had Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame and Oregon, everybody. He pretty much could have gone anywhere he wanted, and he chose to go to Stanford, so we missed out. Then, it turns out, this spring we got a second chance at him, and we got him. We’re super excited to have him.” — Roderick on Bachmeier in May 2025
Pick to click (aka #fadelev)
Iowa State stumbled last week at Cincinnati, suffering its first loss of the season. I don’t see the Cyclones dropping two in a row. So I’m taking them at Colorado, where they’re 2.5-point favorites. Yes, Iowa State’s secondary has been ravaged by injuries, and that remains a concern. But this CU team doesn’t have the array of weapons that last year’s team had. In games against Power Four opponents, the Buffaloes have yet to score more than 21 points. The Cyclones have scored 24 or more in every game except the Cy-Hawk slugfest vs. Iowa. (season record: 3-2)
One last thing
Colorado coach Deion Sanders is a popular target for criticism and even ridicule because he’s cocky, outspoken and unapologetic about it all. I’ve poked fun at him in this space many a time.
I also recognize that college football is better with Sanders than without. The sport wouldn’t be as popular as it is without its colorful characters, from The Boz to Johnny Football to Coach Prime.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders points as he responds to a question during a news conference after the team’s loss to TCU on Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.
So it was worrying, to say the least, when Sanders, 58, revealed another health concern earlier this week. Plagued by blood-clot issues since his days at Jacksonville State — which led to two of his toes being amputated — Sanders had to have a procedure Tuesday to relieve clots in his troublesome left leg. Sanders was back at practice the next day.
Earlier this year, Sanders had his bladder removed after being diagnosed with cancer.
Sanders is not only an asset to college football, he’s a father of five. Here’s hoping he can put his health issues behind him and enjoy a happy, productive, pain-free life.
