BYU comes out of its bye week with plenty still in front of it, but the immediate task is a tricky one: a trip to face a TCU team that is coming off a frustrating loss and will be eager to clean things up at home.
The Cougars had their lone open date of the 2026 regular season while both of their next two opponents took hits. TCU dropped 21-13 at UCF, and Iowa State, which visits BYU on Oct. 9, lost 31-17 at home to Utah, now No. 13 in the new Associated Press Top 25 poll. BYU slid from No. 9 to No. 10 after the idle week.
That still leaves Kalani Sitake’s team in position to keep building toward a huge matchup with Notre Dame on Oct. 17 in Provo. BYU is 1-0, 3-0 after its 41-23 win over Colorado State in Fort Collins on Sept. 19, and if the Cougars handle business against TCU and Iowa State, they could meet the No.
3 Irish unbeaten. Notre Dame is 4-0 after a 49-10 win over Purdue, and the Irish play at North Carolina this week before hosting Stanford on Oct.
But BYU can’t look that far ahead, especially with TCU on deck. The Cougars thumped the Horned Frogs 44-13 last season in Provo, but the trip to Amon G.
Carter Stadium has been a different story. Three years ago, TCU blasted BYU 44-11, and freshman quarterback Josh Hoover - now starting for defending national champion Indiana - went 37 of 58 for 439 yards and four touchdowns.
BYU won just one more game after that, beating Texas Tech 27-14 the next week, and missed a bowl in its first season in the Big 12.
Sitake said in his weekly press briefing last Monday that BYU would get an “early start” on TCU because Sonny Dykes is one of the best coaches in the business and because the Horned Frogs will be the fastest team the Cougars have seen this season.
“I’m going to focus on us getting better as a team and require everyone to hold our standard and then actually find ways to enhance it,” Sitake said.
“So that’s what we’re focusing on right now: the culture, the standard. All that stuff is work. It lets these young men realize that they have a responsibility and they have roles that can work that complements what they do on the football field.”
The bye also should help BYU get healthier. Tight end Roger Saleapaga, offensive lineman Kyle Sfarcioc and receiver Tiger Bachmeier all sat out the CSU game with minor injuries, and Sitake said all three should be available against TCU.
TCU, meanwhile, is trying to shake off a loss that Dykes clearly didn’t see coming. The Horned Frogs were hurt by penalties and turnovers in Orlando, and the numbers told the story: quarterback Jaden Craig, the Harvard transfer, threw for 310 yards but was intercepted twice, and TCU managed only 33 rushing yards. Receiver Jordan Dwyer returned to the lineup for the first time this season and posted his 10th career 100-yard receiving game.
Dykes said he was “very, very disappointed” in TCU’s performance and that he didn’t see it coming.
“The biggest issue is we had 11 penalties,” Dykes said. “… It was just critical penalties in critical situations, just playing undisciplined football, which is not what this team is about. We are going to get that stuff fixed.”
The series has been tight overall, with TCU holding a 7-6 edge. The Horned Frogs had won five straight before BYU broke through last year.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. MDT at Amon G.
Carter Stadium, and that time may suit the Cougars. BYU is 14-1 in its last 15 away night games.
In Other News...
BYU Just Added Another Twist Before A Huge Trip To TCU
BYU is keeping its weekly uniform reveal rolling, and the Cougars will bring another new look into a major Big 12 road game at TCU. The team announced it will wear all white with royal trim and royal helmets, continuing a season-long pattern of changing things up every week. It is the fourth different combination BYU has used in as many games, another small wrinkle as the Cougars head into one of the more important trips on the schedule.
The setting at TCU adds to the intrigue, with weather expected to factor into the matchup and both teams carrying recent results that give the game a little extra weight. BYU has already shown it is willing to mix style with substance, but the real test will be whether the new uniform comes with the same edge on the field. For a team still settling into the rhythm of conference play, every detail matters, including what the Cougars are wearing when they walk into Fort Worth. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Made An Early Move That Could Shake Up Safety Competition
During BYUs bye week, safeties coach Demario Warren made an early move in the recruiting market by extending a scholarship offer to JUCO safety Jadyn Hudson of the College of San Mateo. Hudson brings some real intrigue to the position room as a former UCLA freshman and four-star recruit, and he has already drawn an offer from Western Michigan as well.
For BYU, the timing matters because the Cougars are still sorting out depth and competition at safety, and Hudson fits the profile of a player who could help immediately while still offering room to develop. He has three years of eligibility remaining and comes with a reputation for strong ball skills and tackling, two traits that tend to travel well if the Cougars can get him on campus. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads To TCU With A Major Offensive Line Concern
BYU heads into its trip to TCU with a key question on the offensive line, as starting right tackle Andrew Gentry is listed as questionable because of injury. The Cougars have had to manage their front five carefully all season, and this latest uncertainty comes at a time when continuity up front matters even more against a conference opponent on the road.
If Gentry cannot go, freshmen Bott Mulitalo and Siosiua Latu-Finau are in line to battle for the spot at right tackle. There is some good news on the injury front, though, with coach Kalani Sitake saying offensive lineman Kyle Sfarcioc, tight end Roger Saleapaga and receiver Tiger Bachmeier are expected back after missing the previous game, giving BYU at least a few more options as it tries to sort out its lineup. [Read more 🡒]