No. 11 BYU takes its unbeaten start on the road Saturday night, heading to Fort Collins for its first away game of the season against Colorado State.
The Cougars are 2-0 after opening with a win over Utah Tech on Sept. 5 and following that up with a 28-17 victory over Arizona last week. That Arizona matchup was BYU’s first Big 12 game, and the Cougars handled it well enough to leave with a 2-0 record.
Colorado State is also 2-0. The Rams beat Wyoming on Sept. 5 and then rolled past Southern Utah University last week, putting up a 58-24 win. Saturday’s game will be Colorado State’s third straight home date.
This matchup has a long history behind it. BYU and Colorado State will meet for the 70th time, with the Cougars holding a 39-27-3 advantage. BYU has taken the last seven meetings, and the most recent came in 2010 in Fort Collins.
After this one, BYU goes on bye before returning to action Oct. 3 against TCU.
The game kicks off Saturday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m. MT from Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado, and will air on CBS.
The broadcast team includes Brian Waltz on play-by-play, with Brian Kelly and Adam Breneman as analysts and Jordan Giorgio on the sideline.
BYU Sports Nation GameDay will air at 3:30 p.m. MT on BYUtv and byutv.org, with a behind-the-scenes look ahead of kickoff. The postgame edition will follow immediately after the game on BYUtv and byutv.org, with interviews, highlights and analysis.
The game can also be watched online at cbs.com.
In Other News...
BYU Now Faces The Quarterback It Nearly Brought To Provo
Hauss Hejny is back in the spotlight this week as Colorado States starting quarterback, adding a little extra intrigue for BYU fans who followed his transfer recruitment not long ago. Before landing in Fort Collins, Hejny had already spent time at TCU and Oklahoma State, and BYU was among the programs trying to bring him to Provo before he chose another path.
The Cougars ultimately turned to Bear Bachmeier at quarterback after Hejny committed elsewhere, leaving this matchup with a familiar what-if attached to it. Colorado States staff has its own BYU connection too, with former Cougars assistant Matt Mitchell helping recruit Hejny, which only deepens the crossover as BYU gets ready to see the quarterback it came close to adding. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Just Added More Heat To BYUs Big 12 Race
Texas Tech found a way to survive Houston in Lubbock, edging the Cougars 28-26 in a Big 12 game that carried plenty of late tension and even more weight in the conference standings. The Red Raiders had to rally from an early deficit, and they got enough from key moments involving Kenny Johnson and JKoby Williams to stay alive in a game that looked headed for even more drama down the stretch.
For BYU, the bigger takeaway is what this does to the conference chase. Every Texas Tech win in a tight Big 12 race adds another layer of pressure, and this one came with a controversial finish at the goal line on a two-point attempt that left Houston frustrated and the outcome hanging on a razor-thin call. The Cougars are going to feel that ripple, because results like this keep tightening the path to the top. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Revives A Rivalry That Still Means More Than Fans Admit
BYU and Colorado State are set to meet again in Fort Collins, bringing back a rivalry that has been dormant since 2010 but never really disappeared from the memory of people who lived through it. The matchup carries a different feel now, of course, with both programs having spent years navigating conference changes and the shifting economics of college football, but there is still enough history attached to make this more than a routine nonconference date.
Some of the people closest to BYU have firsthand reasons to appreciate what this game used to mean. Current Cougars coaches played in past meetings, which gives this renewal a little extra texture beyond the usual nostalgia, and it also serves as a reminder of how quickly the sport has changed around old regional series. Even with realignment and financial pressures reshaping schedules everywhere, this one has enough legacy to feel like a small piece of something larger returning to the calendar. [Read more 🡒]