Dawson Baker’s return to the floor was one of the biggest moments in BYU’s win over Montana State, even if the guard’s night was limited to just eight minutes.
Baker checked in at the 7:10 mark of the first half, giving him his first action since dealing with a long run of injuries that have made his BYU career a stop-and-start grind. He played only eight minutes because of a minutes restriction, but he still managed to knock down a pair of free throws and score his first points for BYU since November 27, 2025.
For Baker, simply getting back on the court carried real weight. Since transferring from UC Irvine to BYU, he has appeared in only 46 of a possible 105 games, which is 44%.
His time in Provo began with a rough first season, when he played just four games before foot surgery ended his year. He bounced back in his second season and played in every game, including the Sweet 16 classic against Wisconsin.
Then last season brought another brutal setback: a season-ending knee injury six games into the year that included a torn ACL and lateral meniscus, along with mild PLC involvement, grade 2 MCL and LCL sprains, bone bruising, muscle/tendon strains and small impact fractures.
That kind of injury can derail a career, especially after the foot issue he already survived. Baker, though, kept pushing to get back.
Kevin Young is handling the comeback carefully, and for good reason. Baker was averaging 7.5 points and shooting 47% from three off the bench before last year’s knee injury. In his only fully healthy season in Provo, he also averaged 7.5 points while shooting 38% from beyond the arc.
BYU already has plenty of talent, but a healthy Baker gives the Cougars another real option. He can score, handle the ball, stretch the floor from three and bring leadership, too. He has scored 20 or more points eight times in his career.
There are no promises about how quickly Baker will round back into form, but even modest production from him would matter for BYU this season. He’s another bench weapon, and one the Cougars are clearly eager to have available again. After everything he has fought through, getting him back on the floor was the story of the night.
In Other News...
BYU Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Big 12 Playoff Push
The Big 12s playoff picture has started to look a lot different, and BYU is right in the middle of it. During a recent discussion, Josh Pate and Joel Klatt pointed to Utah, BYU and Texas Tech as teams building strong College Football Playoff cases, with the league suddenly drawing more respect for what its top contenders have done on the field.
For BYU, that matters because the conversation is no longer just about staying relevant in the conference race. The bigger question is whether the Big 12s collective resume can stack up with the nations best, and whether the league could land as many as three playoff bids. In a selection process increasingly driven by resumes rather than brand names, BYU finds itself in a spot where every week can reshape both its own path and the conferences ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Defense Has A Turnover Problem At The Worst Time
BYUs defense has been doing plenty of the hard part this fall, getting hands on passes and forcing quarterbacks to fit the ball into tighter windows. The Cougars still lead the nation in pass breakups, but the turnover column has not followed, and the secondary has now gone five games without an interception as the 2026 season has worn on.
Injuries to Raider Damuni and Evan Johnson have thinned out the back end, and Mississippi State transfer Jayven Williams has been asked to help steady things while also adding his own pass breakups. Coaches and players know the frustration is in finishing those plays, not just contesting them, and they remain confident the interceptions will come if the defense keeps putting itself in position. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Bigger Baylor Test Than Fans Might Think
The loss to Utah was frustrating enough on its own, but it also offered a reminder that BYU can still be pulled into the kind of tight, mistake-heavy game that leaves little margin for error. Utah made the most of red-zone chances and turned four Bear Bachmeier interceptions into the difference in a 28-20 result, even as BYU stayed in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings and moved on to the next challenge on the schedule.
Baylor is the kind of follow-up opponent that can make that Utah game feel even more relevant. The Bears bring a defense that deserves real attention, and BYUs offensive picture is still shaped by the impact of LJ Martins injury, which adds another layer to a game that already asks plenty of the Cougars. If BYU wants to avoid letting one loss turn into a broader wobble, this is the sort of matchup that will show whether the response is immediate or still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]