BYU faces Arizona without injured safety Raider Damuni, depth chart reshuffled
BYU will be without senior safety Raider Damuni, who suffered a lower-left leg injury, as the Cougars host Arizona on Saturday.
After Raider Damuni was forced to leave the field with a lower-left leg injury in the win over Utah Tech, BYU coach Kalani Sitake announced that the senior safety will miss Saturday's game against Arizona. Sitake described the injury as less severe than initially thought and expressed optimism that Damuni could be back within weeks, perhaps for the Oct. 17 contest against Notre Dame. Defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga echoed that assessment, noting the player’s recovery timeline.
In Damuni's absence, redshirt sophomore Tommy Prassas will assume the strong safety role, supported by Jarinn Kalama, while junior Faletau Satuala returns to full health at free safety. The Cougars plan to deploy multiple nickel formations to counter Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita and his receiving corps, giving playing time to younger defensive backs such as Cannon DeVries and Crew Clark. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker and field backer Nusi Taumoepeau are also slated to see action.
Why it matters
The injury update shows how BYU will adjust its defense for a key conference game against a strong Arizona offense.
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