BYU Recap 2019

WILDCATS DROP CLOSE ONE TO COUGARS

#8 BYU 22

#10 Arizona 17

Lucas Bartzis and the Wildcats will regroup following Spring Break this week. (Photo credit: Lindsey Miller)

March 4- Arizona put their undefeated record on the line with a trip to Las Vegas to take on #8 BYU on Saturday in the first match up between the schools in recent history.

The neutral site match was a pivotal one for both sides, with D1A playoffs next month lingering and both the Wildcats and Cougars looking like squads that will factor in to the national title chase.

In their first top ten opponent of the year the Wildcats came out on fire, bringing great defensive pressure and working their way downfield to set up a try by their Captain Matt Rogers to make it 5-0 in the early stages. BYU would respond, working their way in to the Wildcats' 22 and losing a lineout five meters out that bobbled in to the try zone and was touched down by the Cougars to tie the game. Tries by Center Lucas Bartzis and a well worked score by Bronson Teles off a Jon Rogers linebreak made it 17-10 at halftime, putting the Wildcats 40 minutes from an impressive victory.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, however, it was the Cougars who would score early in the second period to tie it before a 50th minute try in the corner made it 22-17 and set up a tense final thirty, with both sides threatening but neither able to punch it in. Despite opportunities in the Cougars' 22, Arizona was unable to bust the Cougar defense and the early scores would stand as the final margin.

"We had opportunities, and we didn't blink defensively, but we need to me more clinical in attack and this is a tremendous learning experience for a lot of these guys" said Head Coach Sean Duffy. The loss drops the Wildcats to 5-1 heading in to Spring Break, but their strong regular season to date keeps them firmly in the hunt heading in to next month's playoffs.

Arizona Second XV also returned to action on Saturday, taking down Wyoming 87-0 to keep their undefeated record intact.

Scoring vs BYU
Tries: M. Rogers, Teles, Bartzis

Conv: J. Rogers- 1/3

Pen: J. Rogers- 0/1

Arizona First XV vs BYU

1. Chaz Huntsman

2. Zach Biggs

3. Ryan Thompson

4. Billy Esposito

5. Bronson Teles (VC)

6. Sinclair Clinton

7. Riley Kerr