BYU’s 63-7 rout of Utah Tech on Saturday night was a showcase for familiar Utah prep names, a deep bench, and a defense that spent most of the evening making life miserable for the Trailblazers.
The biggest local splash came from two former Lehi High teammates who looked right at home in LaVell Edwards Stadium. Legend Glasker scored three touchdowns in the first half, starting with a jet sweep before catching two scoring passes from Bear Bachmeier.
His third score, a 33-yard catch, featured plenty of yards after the catch. Devaughn Eka added another Lehi connection to the night with an 11-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Another Utah product delivered the kind of return-game jolt that can flip a game in a hurry. Former Weber High standout Cannon Devries took a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and also made noise as a punt returner, finishing with two returns for 73 yards, though one was pulled back by a Cougar penalty. Even with that setback, the sophomore flashed the kind of speed that jumps off the screen.
Utah County was represented on the other sideline as well. Utah Tech linebacker Helaman Ofahengaue, a Lehi product, had three tackles, and Payson’s Zayden Cook added three stops from his defensive line spot.
BYU wasted little time seizing control. Tre Alexander picked off the first pass of the game, setting up Glasker’s first touchdown, and the Cougars kept piling on from there.
Evan Johnson added his eighth interception in a BYU uniform, Matthias Leach grabbed his first career pick, and Tausili Akana recovered a fumble. That gave BYU four takeaways, while the offense avoided turnovers entirely.
The numbers told the rest of the story. Utah Tech was held to 184 total yards and just 52 in the first half, and the Trailblazers did not even get into Cougar territory until the third quarter.
BYU, meanwhile, rolled up 521 total yards, including 308 on the ground, with 11 different players carrying the ball. Nine different Cougars caught passes as the game turned into a full-scale opportunity to clear the bench.
Bear Bachmeier threw for 198 yards before spending the entire second half on the sideline. Jojo Phillips caught his first touchdown from Bachmeier, a 5-yard strike, and Kyler Kasper made his first catch in a BYU uniform on the opening offensive play of the season. Glasker’s three touchdowns marked the first scores of the season for the Cougars, and Journee Tonga also found the end zone for the first time on a 4-yard run.
BYU also got its first touchdown of the season on defense via the takeaway chain. Alexander’s interception was the first Cougar turnover forced this year, Akana’s recovery was his first career fumble recovery, and Leach’s interception was the first of his career.
The blowout gave the coaching staff a long look at the roster. A total of 29 Cougars recorded tackles, and the team’s leading tacklers were backups: defensive end Kendal Wall and reserve safeties Jarrin Kalama and Leach each finished with four. On special teams, Matthias Dunn hit six extra points and Brody Laga added three.
Kalani Sitake still had a few things to gripe about. BYU was flagged five times, including a personal foul for blocking a player while out-of-bounds, and the Cougars missed a field goal.
Utah Tech also got on the board late in the third quarter. But those were small blemishes on a night that was mostly clean and overwhelmingly one-sided.
Fuller Shurtz added to the special teams success with a 54-yard punt and no return on BYU’s only punt of the night.
For Utah Tech, the loss was the latest in a rough start. The Trailblazers were shut out 54-0 by Montana State before getting hammered by BYU, leaving them outscored 117-7 in 2026.
They finished 2-10 last season after going 1-11 in 2024. The only apparent consolation from the trip north from St.
George was the six-figure payout.
There was also a wild note from the college football world beyond Provo. Kyle Whittingham, the former BYU linebacker and longtime Utah head coach, earned his first win at Michigan in a 13-12 escape over Western Michigan.
The Wolverines needed a hail mary on the final play after officials put one second back on the clock following a previous unsuccessful try. JJ Buchanan then hauled in a 47-yard touchdown from Blair Underwood.
Buchanan was one of several players who followed Whittingham from Utah to Michigan.
Michigan’s offense struggled all game, but the defense, led by former BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill, did enough to hold Western Michigan out of the end zone. All 12 Broncos points came on field goals, and they managed only 221 yards of offense.
BYU’s night also came with a few notable firsts. The Cougars scored first, and Sitake is now 54-10 when that happens.
Glasker’s three touchdowns were the most by a true freshman at BYU since Jamaal Williams scored four against Georgia Tech in 2012. The Cougars’ five rushing touchdowns were their most in a game in 30 seasons.
The pregame honors were part of the night too. Alumni flags were carried by Josh Arnold, Payton Wilgar and Max Tooley.
Justin Kirkland carried the team flag, Journee Tonga carried the USA flag, and Devaughn Eka carried the State of Utah flag. Captains for the coin toss were Bear Bachmeier, Bruce Mitchell, Isaiah Glasker and Keanu Tanuvasa.
BYU won the toss and deferred to the second half. Announced attendance was 64,077.
In Other News...
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BYU Already Has Two Early Reasons For Fans To Believe
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For a team trying to build momentum before Big 12 play starts against Arizona on Sept. 12, those are the kind of early developments that matter. DeVries showed how quickly special teams can flip a game, and Glaskers first college outing hinted at another playmaker the Cougars can lean on as the schedule stiffens and the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]