Can Cougars, Utes stay perfect? Here’s what it may boil down to

No. 10 Utah and No. 22 BYU are getting the respect they deserve with 4-0 records and a perch atop the Big 12 standings, but they’ll have to prove their status this week.
Utah should defeat Arizona, a team that struggles to stop the run and has yet to show consistency on offense, even with Noah Fifita and the best receiver in the country, Tetairoa McMillan.
Arizona, ranked 98th in rushing defense, will be unable to stop budding Ute star running back Micah Bernard, who is first in the country in yards after contact and missed tackles forced according to Pro Football Focus.
Bernard leads the league in rushing yards with 456. That Bernard is so capable has enabled the Utes to break in a true freshman signal-caller while veteran Cam Rising nurses an injury.
Arizona does field the league’s best kickoff return talent in Jeremiah Patterson, who has 234 yards in returns so far this season.
If the Cougars want to continue surprising the Big 12 and stay in the rankings, they’ll have to do something they have never done since joining the league — win a road game.
Host Baylor is a slight favorite over BYU in a morning kickoff in Waco, but coach Dave Aranda’s club is 2-2 and there are murmurs about his longevity as the leader of the proud Bears program.
This is a game where BYU will have to bring its defense, a Jay Hill-coached unit that is turning heads around the league and nation after three turnovers gained against then No. 13-ranked Kansas State last week.
If BYU’s defense can disrupt Baylor, force turnovers and be the same kind of force we saw at SMU and against K-State, it will enable quarterback Jake Retzlaff to climb onto a manageable platform on the road and continue his progression.
Baylor lost to a Utah team that was piloted by a freshman quarterback, Isaac Wilson. Is it too farfetched to think Retzlaff, who is ranked sixth in the Big 12 in passing yards, will make a dent in BU’s defense on the road?
“They are very athletic, very long,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick earlier this week. He respects Baylor’s defensive players and their ability to both cover and deflect passes downfield.
Baylor got a whopping eight sacks in a heartbreaking loss at Colorado last week and leads the Big 12 with 12 so far this season.
Iowa State leads the league in defense, followed by Utah, BYU, Houston and Baylor.
Both Utah and BYU need their defenses to make an impact in these games. Utah has a reputation for doing just that; BYU is in the process of earning that rep.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham says his rookie Wilson has every part of Utah’s playbook at his disposal now, but look for Utah to keep it simple with a lot of run plays against the tackle-impaired Wildcats. Bernard is just the horse to ride.
Look for Utah to target its tight end corps to complement its run attack and overwhelm Arizona defenders.
This is a key game for BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, who is feeling a lot of momentum now that his team is ranked No. 22 after an impressive start to the season. That perfect start almost ensures the Cougars will make a bowl game. BYU still faces teams that are struggling, like Kansas and Houston, but still has to play future home games against some of the league’s top teams in Oklahoma State and Arizona.
But Sitake needs to prove his team can win league road trips. His hero and mentor, the late LaVell Edwards, won 19 conference titles during his tenure and one cornerstone of his impressive run was gaining wins on the road. The other key was winning a lot of games in November.
“I told our guys we need to keep humble and work hard,” said Sitake.
In Waco, Aranda said the last-second loss to Colorado cut his team deep.
Baylor lost to Colorado in overtime after the Buffs completed a 43-yard Hail Mary pass at the end of regulation and then fumbled in the extra period.
He wants the Bears to start fast, have energy on the sideline, and respond in kind when punched in the face by another team. “I sense a feeling of energy going against a great opponent this week,” he said.
Last week 8-7; 54-14 overall (.794)