BYU opens its 2026 season Saturday night against Utah Tech, and the first game comes with a few real questions even if the opponent is an FCS team out of St. George.
Kickoff is set for 6:00pm MT on ESPN+, and it will be just the second meeting between the programs. The first one came in 2022, when BYU rolled to a 52-26 win behind Jaren Hall’s career-high 456 passing yards and five touchdowns, plus 102 rushing yards from Chris Brooks.
This opener is less about the final score than the pieces BYU wants to sort out before the schedule gets much sharper. And there’s plenty to watch.
The biggest spotlight is on Bear Bachmeier and a reworked group of pass-catchers. BYU lost Chase Roberts, Parker Kingston, and Carsen Ryan, the top three players in total targets from last season.
Together, they accounted for 166 receptions, and that production has to come from somewhere. Jojo Phillips is the most established name back in the room and looks like a key option.
The Cougars also added help through the transfer portal, bringing in Oregon receiver Kyler Kasper, a 6-foot-6 target, and USC tight end Walker Lyons to fill the spot left by Ryan. Add in true freshman Legend Glasker, who made a strong early impression in camp and earned a big role right away, and Utah Tech gives Bachmeier a chance to start building chemistry with what should be his main targets.
LJ Martin is another major piece to keep an eye on. Last year, when BYU beat Portland State 69-0, the game was basically over by halftime and Martin finished with just eight carries for 131 yards.
This time, the question is whether the Cougars let him keep piling up yards if they get out front early. Martin needs a little more than 1,300 rushing yards to become BYU’s all-time leading rusher, but health matters too.
With the season still just getting started, that balance could shape how long he stays on the field.
Utah Tech enters with Lance Anderson in his third season and a 3-22 record. The Trailblazers are coming off a 54-0 loss to Montana State, and the numbers from that game tell the story: 307 passing yards allowed, 140 on the ground.
Bronson Barben is their starting quarterback. Against Montana State, he completed nine passes for 78 yards, threw two interceptions, and led the team in rushing with 21 yards.
There’s also the matter of how much BYU shows on either side of the ball. The Cougars have Arizona next week, and that one carries major conference title implications just two games into the season.
That makes this a natural spot to keep things simple. Expect Aaron Roderick’s offense and Kelly Poppinga’s defense to stay as plain as possible and avoid putting anything extra on film.
If the game unfolds the way the Portland State matchup did last season, the backups should get plenty of time. Treyson Bourguet is the No. 2 quarterback, and he’ll likely get a chance to throw to Reggie Frischknecht, Tei Nacua, and Tiger Bachmeier.
True freshman Jaron Pula should also see some action, while his twin brother Kennan Pula could log meaningful snaps at safety once Faletau Satuala comes out. At running back, once Martin is done for the night, Sione Moa and Preston Rex should handle most of the carries.
That leaves the last question: what kind of margin counts as a good night? Kalani Sitake usually doesn’t try to pile on once a game is under control, and the average BYU FCS score in the 2020s has been 55-14.
Still, with expectations high on both sides of the ball, the Cougars should want more than just a routine win. Giving up a touchdown to a Utah Tech team that was shut out by Montana State would not look great.
A shutout would be a big ask. But BYU should at least aim to top Montana State’s 54-0 result.
In Other News...
Former BYU Transfers Are Popping Up In Some Uncomfortable Places
BYUs transfer list for the 2026 season has already started to leave a few familiar names scattered around the college football map, and not all of those destinations will feel neutral to Cougar fans. McCae Hillstead, once part of BYUs quarterback room, has landed at Utah State and has already won the starting job there, while Jake Griffin is set to suit up for Arizona. Around them, other former Cougars have spread out to UCLA, Iowa State, UAB and Duke, giving BYU followers plenty of chances to run into old personnel in new colors.
The broader picture is even more interesting because the ex-Cougars are not just moving to random outposts. Some have shown up at places like Utah, Michigan, Arizona State and Oklahoma State, which adds an extra layer of familiarity and, in a few cases, a little edge to future matchups and scouting chatter. For a program that is always balancing roster turnover with recruiting momentum, seeing former players pop up in so many corners of the sport is a reminder that the transfer era keeps turning every exit into a potential subplot. [Read more 🡒]
BYU May Have Found A Bigger Role For Tausili Akana
Tausili Akana arrived at BYU with the kind of pedigree that makes people wonder when the production will finally catch up. A former Texas edge prospect and consensus four-star recruit, he came to Provo after two seasons to chase the ceiling that made him such a coveted player in the first place, and the early signs of fall have been encouraging. Akana has added weight, looked better against the run and emerged as the top option at field backer on the initial depth chart, which suggests the Cougars may have found a much larger role for him than the one he carried coming in.
Akana has also sounded comfortable with where he is off the field, pointing to BYU's culture and the development he has gotten from the coaching staff. For a player whose upside has long been part of the conversation, that combination matters, because it often takes both physical growth and the right environment before a gifted transfer turns into a real defensive factor. BYU is hoping this latest version of Akana is closer to the one it envisioned when he first made his way to campus. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans May Not Love This Name In The Next Coaching Cycle
With the college football season just getting started, the usual early whisper campaign around the next coaching cycle is already taking shape. A new look at the market points to three names that could surface if Power Four jobs open up, with Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Norvell and Kalani Sitake all mentioned as possible fits depending on how the fall unfolds.
Sitakes inclusion is the one that should matter most to BYU fans, even if nothing is imminent and nothing is decided. He has built enough credibility to keep showing up in these kinds of conversations, which is a compliment as much as a warning, because the more successful the Cougars look under him, the more often his name figures to appear whenever a major program starts casting a wide net. [Read more 🡒]