BYU’s star turn against Notre Dame changed the whole temperature of its season, and now the Cougars head to Orlando looking every bit like a team built to keep rolling.
A week after Provo’s first top 10 showdown delivered an instant classic - and with ESPN’s “College GameDay” on site - BYU took down No. 2 Notre Dame, 28-24, in dramatic fashion.
The Cougars were missing 2025 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin, but Bear Bachmeier picked up the slack and then some. He ran for two touchdowns, caught another on a trick play, and delivered the winning throw over the middle to Walker Lyons with two minutes left.
The finish was chaotic even by college football standards. Notre Dame got six snaps inside the BYU 20-yard line in the final minute, and the Cougars turned them all away. The last chance ended with an incomplete pass in the back corner of the end zone, and then the celebration hit full force as thousands of fans, students and alumni rushed the field.
That victory pushed BYU to 6-0 and all the way up to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, the program’s highest ranking since being named 1984 national champions. Now the Cougars return to Big 12 play with a trip to UCF, set for 1:30 p.m. MT on FOX.
The matchup on paper leans heavily toward BYU. In Game Grader, the Cougars carry a 3-year average of 55.3, good for 28th among 68 Power 4 teams, while UCF sits at 48.3.
This season, BYU’s number has jumped to 63.4, 19th overall, and its 2026 mark is 70.2, which ranks 11th. UCF checks in at 41.9 this season and 45.8 for 2026.
I picked BYU to finish second in the Big 12 in Pick Six Previews, and the Cougars entered the year ranked No. 17 in my preseason top 25. After six straight wins, they’ve climbed to No.
- I had UCF ninth in the league, and the Knights are 3-3.
They opened Big 12 play with a 21-13 win over TCU, then coughed up a 17-0 lead in a 27-17 loss to Houston. Their loss to Oklahoma State, 42-28, was closer than the final margin until a backward pass was returned for a touchdown.
BYU’s offense has been one of the best in the Power 4, ranking 10th out of 68, and UCF’s defense, while sturdy against the run, faces a tough assignment. Bachmeier went 23-of-36 for 224 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame, and he outplayed CJ Carr statistically in the passing game. With Martin out, Bachmeier has filled multiple roles in the attack, and the passing game has become a real strength.
Freshman Legend Glasker keeps providing explosive plays, Lyons and Roger Saleapaga give BYU a strong tight end pairing, and Kyle Kasper and Jojo Phillips round out a deep receiver room. With Martin still absent, BYU is likely to lean pass-heavy again, and that plays right into the strength of a UCF defense that ranks 39th in rushing yards per game, 27th in yards per carry allowed and 12th in limiting explosive runs. The pass defense, though, has been below average across the board.
The other side of the ball is where the gap gets even wider. UCF’s offense ranks 55th out of 68 Power 4 teams, while BYU’s defense stands third. Scott Frost brought in Alonza Barnett from James Madison through the transfer portal to stabilize the quarterback spot, but Barnett was knocked out of the Pittsburgh game, has missed the last four due to a hamstring injury, and is listed as questionable for Saturday.
Even after a bye, UCF is dealing with a long injury report, with 16 players listed. BYU, meanwhile, got back two defensive starters in Raider Damuni and Isaiah Glasker, and that unit looked sharp against Notre Dame. The Cougars were also tested by two special teams miscues - a failed fake punt and a muffed punt - that handed Notre Dame red-zone chances, and BYU still held both trips to field goals.
On a per-play basis, BYU’s defense ranks No. 3 overall, including No. 8 against the pass and No. 18 against the run, and that creates a steep hill for a UCF offense that has already been below average in nearly every major category.
BYU has gone 29-4 since the start of the 2024 season and has adjusted well to life in the Power 4. UCF hasn’t had the same success in league play, going 8-22 against Big 12 opponents since joining. And with BYU’s depth of weapons in the passing game, plus Bachmeier’s ability to win in short-yardage moments, the Cougars look capable of eventually landing the explosive shots that tilt this one their way.
In Other News...
BYU Backfield Suddenly Has A New Spotlight At UCF
A week that looked like it might leave BYU thin in the backfield has taken a turn, with Sione Moa cleared to return after working back from a knee injury. His availability matters even more now because LJ Martin, the Cougars top running back, is still out with an ankle injury and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks, forcing BYU to reshuffle its ground game ahead of the trip to UCF.
For a team that has leaned on its backfield for balance, Moas comeback gives BYU at least one more proven option at a position suddenly under pressure. The Cougars will need him and the rest of the backs to absorb a larger workload against an UCF defense that will surely know exactly where the stress point is, even if the exact division of carries remains to be seen. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs No. 2 Rise Says Everything About Its Portal Impact
At the midpoint of the 2026 season, BYU is sitting at 6-0 and all the way up to No. 2, a climb that says as much about roster building as it does about on-field execution. The Cougars have not just held together through the first half of the schedule, they have upgraded in places that matter most, getting meaningful production from transfer additions who were brought in to stabilize the offense and raise the ceiling.
Walker Lyons has given BYU another presence at tight end, Paki Finau has helped shore up the left side of the line, and Kyler Kasper has been part of the answer at receiver after the program had to replace some major targets from before. The result is a team that looks deeper and more complete than it did a year ago, with the portal giving the Cougars a different kind of identity as the season moves into its second half. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Just Got A New Cosmo Collectible To Celebrate The Surge
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is leaning into BYUs recent football surge with a new Cosmo the Cougar collectible, this time giving the schools mascot a ride in the Cosmobile. The limited edition bobblehead is now available for purchase, with just 2,026 being made and each one individually numbered, a neat touch for fans who like their memorabilia with a little built-in scarcity.
Its also the seventh Cosmo bobblehead the museum has released, but the first one to feature the Cosmobile, which gives this edition a different feel from the earlier versions. Shipping is expected in April, so for BYU fans looking to mark the moment, theres a little waiting involved even if the celebration itself is already on the shelves. [Read more 🡒]