The depth chart is out, the game plan is set, and BYU is finally about to hit someone in a different uniform.
The No. 14 Cougars open Saturday at 6 p.m.
MDT against Utah Tech in LaVell Edwards Stadium, and the challenge isn’t simply to win. Against an FCS opponent, and with BYU favored by 51.5 points, the bigger question is what the Cougars can actually prove while the starters are on the field.
That margin is the biggest of the week among Big 12 nonconference games, and it comes in a weekend full of mismatches. Texas Tech gets Abilene Christian, Arizona hosts Northern Arizona, ASU plays Morgan State, Nicholls visits Kansas State, Iowa State hosts Southeast Missouri State, Kansas takes on Long Island University, Oklahoma State is at Tulsa, and Utah plays Idaho on Thursday night as a 35-point favorite.
On the other side, No. 23 Houston draws Oregon State, West Virginia faces Coastal Carolina, Baylor heads to Auburn, and Boston College visits Cincinnati.
For BYU, the first test is less about the scoreboard and more about whether the basics are clean. Jay Drew pointed to penalties, getting the play call to the quarterback in a timely manner, and special teams as the kind of details that should stand out. He also said the Cougars need to show they can handle whatever adversity shows up, even if there may not be much of it.
One of the few specific things to watch is how the offense operates under Bear Bachmeier. Drew said anything less than a 70% completion rate would not be good.
He also flagged LJ Martin’s yards per carry, noting that anything under 4.0 would not be ideal. And on the other side of the ball, there will be some attention on how many yards Utah Tech can manage in the first half against BYU’s first-team defense.
Drew doesn’t expect Kalani Sitake to pile on. After BYU’s 69-0 win over Portland State last year, he thinks the Cougars will keep things under control rather than chase style points.
He also said he does not believe BYU will beat Utah Tech by more than Montana State did in its 54-0 win, adding that Sitake has too much respect for Tech coach Lance Anderson and an in-state opponent. His prediction: BYU 56, Utah Tech 10.
Dick Harmon framed the day a little differently, saying the most important thing is for BYU to leave healthy. He wrote that nobody should come away with muscle, ligament or bone injuries, no concussions, and no other problems in what amounts to an organized scrimmage.
Harmon also said the front-line players should see limited work before the second- and third-stringers take over. In his view, the starters need to show they can handle assignments, win their one-on-one matchups, and execute without issue.
He also said there are technical points Power Four teams want to see in a game like this, including communication, dialogue between the coaches box and sideline, substitutions, and game management on timeouts, field goals and extra points. He expects BYU to keep the playbook relatively modest, saving some of the alignments and formations for next week’s game against Arizona.
Utah Tech will also get a customary payday for making the trip, with the fee estimated at about $400K to $450K, a boost to its athletic department budget.
Elsewhere around the program, Kevin Young has added an NBA champion assistant coach to the BYU basketball staff, BYU golf is ranked No. 23 by Golfweek, and Kyle Van Noy and Wally Joyner are headed into the next BYU Hall of Fame class.
In Other News...
BYUs Utah Tech Opener Comes With A Price Tag Fans Will Notice
BYUs football opener against Utah Tech is set to come with more than the usual early-season intrigue. An amended contract obtained through a public records request shows Utah Tech will receive $450,000 for making the trip to play at BYUs stadium, a reminder that these nonconference games often carry as much financial significance as they do competitive value.
The agreement also spells out details beyond the payout, including officials assignments and ticket allocations, the kind of behind-the-scenes items that shape how these matchups are staged. Similar arrangements have surfaced in other in-state games, including the University of Utahs contests against Idaho and Utah State, underscoring how common these financial setups have become across the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces Three Pressure Points That Could Define 2026
One of the most interesting parts of looking ahead to BYUs 2026 football season is how much of the forecast hinges on players who are still in the middle of carving out their roles. The early buzz points to a few pressure points that could shape the Cougars trajectory, starting with special teams, where Matthias Dunn is being eyed to step in for Will Ferrin at placekicker. On offense, Bear Bachmeier is expected to keep developing at quarterback, while true freshman Legend Glasker has already made enough of an impression to be part of the conversation at wide receiver.
The defensive side carries its own intrigue, because BYU may need a breakout pass rusher to elevate the unit from solid to dangerous. Put it all together, and the bigger picture gets even more ambitious, with speculation that the Cougars could push toward their first College Football Playoff appearance. None of it is guaranteed, of course, but the range of possibilities speaks to how much is at stake for a program trying to turn promising pieces into something far bigger. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Opener Could Reveal More About This Offense Than Utah Tech
BYUs 2026 opener against Utah Tech is the kind of game that usually looks straightforward on paper, but it carries a few early-season questions for the Cougars anyway. The matchup with the FCS opponent, set for ESPN+, gives fans their first look at a new receiving corps, a chance to see how much work running back LJ Martin might handle, and an opening window into how head coach Kalani Sitake plans to sort through the depth chart before the schedule tightens up.
Utah Tech, meanwhile, arrives with some momentum under Lance Anderson, which makes this more than a pure tune-up even if BYU is expected to be the more talented team. The bigger intrigue may be less about the final score and more about which backups get meaningful snaps, how much of the playbook gets shown, and whether the Cougars can walk away with enough answers before Arizona comes next. [Read more 🡒]