BYU and Utah kept climbing in the AP Top 25 this week, and both teams have earned it.
Each moved to 3-0, and a couple of losses by teams sitting ahead of them opened the door for more upward movement in the rankings. The result: BYU stayed on top of the Big 12 pecking order in the AP poll, while Utah continued to rise right behind it.
For BYU, Saturday night belonged to LJ Martin. The veteran running back carved up Colorado State for 176 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 15 carries, including a quick 54-yard burst that set the tone early in the Cougars’ 41-23 road win over their former Mountain West rival.
Colorado State answered Martin’s opening score with a touchdown of its own, but that was about as long as the suspense lasted. BYU then ripped off 31 straight points and took firm control of the game.
The Cougars’ reward was a move to No. 9 in the AP rankings, up two places from No. 11 a week ago. That keeps BYU as the highest-ranked Big 12 team in the poll, with a potential top-10 matchup against Notre Dame looming in a few weeks.
Utah had its own statement afternoon, and Braden Pegan made sure it started fast. Facing his former team, the Utes wideout caught three passes early, including a 28-yard touchdown, in Utah’s 33-0 win over Utah State.
Pegan ended the day with eight receptions for 122 yards and two scores, while Utah’s defense delivered its first shutout since 2024. The Utes also extended the nation’s longest active streak in FBS, scoring at least 30 points for a ninth straight game.
That unbeaten run now heads into a road test at Iowa State, which will also be Utah’s first conference game and first road game of the season.
Utah’s jump in the poll was helped in part by teams above it taking losses, including Texas A&M and SMU. The Utes climbed two spots to No. 15 and remain the third-highest ranked team from the Big 12.
Elsewhere in the league, West Virginia made one of the loudest statements of the weekend. A 10-point underdog in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, the Mountaineers beat previously ranked Virginia in Charlotte, North Carolina, to improve to 3-0 under Rich Rodriguez in his second season in Morgantown.
That win got West Virginia some attention in the voting, but not enough to crack the top 25. The Mountaineers are still outside the rankings, though they haven’t been in the AP Top 25 since 2018.
West Virginia is one of four Big 12 teams receiving votes, along with Oklahoma State, Arizona and Kansas State.
At the top of the conference picture, BYU is followed by No. 11 Texas Tech, which beat Houston on Friday night, then Utah and No.
25 Houston. Houston fell three spots after losing to Texas Tech but is still getting votes.
For the Big 12, the setup looks strong right now: three teams inside the top 15, and only BYU and Utah scheduled to meet this season. Texas Tech doesn’t play either one.
In Other News...
Utah High School Results Could Stir Plenty Of Utes Recruiting Talk
High school football across the Mountain West offered plenty for Utah fans to track over the weekend, with several results and individual performances that could ripple into future recruiting conversations. Jefferson topped Brandon Valley, Big Sky got past Butte, Uintah finally snapped an 11-game losing streak against Wasatch, Corner Canyon handled the Knights, Lone Peak fell to Sugar-Salem, and Star Valley came up short against the Tigers, giving evaluators a fresh batch of tape to sort through.
For the Utes, the appeal goes beyond the final scores. The state and regional results provide another look at players who are already on the radar or could soon be, while team records and game situations help frame who is making the biggest weekly leaps. As the fall schedule rolls on, these are the kinds of nights that can quietly reshape recruiting boards, especially when a prospects impact shows up in a matchup that already has people paying attention. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Football Looks Ready But Big 12 Play Will Test Everything
Utah wrapped up its nonconference schedule the way a team wants to enter league play, with a 33-0 shutout of Utah State that left the Utes unbeaten at 3-0. Through three games, Devon Dampier has given the offense a different look under new coordinator Kevin McGiven, flashing the kind of dual-threat ability that can change how a defense has to prepare from week to week.
Now comes the part that will really say something about where Utah stands. The early slate offered plenty of room for confidence, but not much in the way of a true measuring stick, and the Big 12 will provide a far stiffer one. The next stretch should reveal whether the Utes are simply rolling through lighter competition or have already built something that can travel when the schedule gets serious. [Read more 🡒]