BYU football still perfect in non-conference play since entering the Big 12
And they’ve picked up some major wins along the way.
Like the headline notes: BYU has yet to lose a non-conference contest since joining the Big 12. Since stepping into the Power Four spotlight, the Cougars have remained spotless. Unshaken. Untouched outside league play. Looking at some of the opponents they’ve faced in that stretch, it’s a pretty astounding reality for this program.
Since leaving independence behind, BYU has started 8-0 in its first three games each year. Wins over teams like Southern Illinois, Southern Utah, Sam Houston, and Portland State are predictable for a program of BYU’s stature, but keeping a perfect non-league record is impressive nonetheless.
When stacked against their average results in Big 12 play, those early season triumphs stand out even more. The Cougars are 9-9 across two years of league action (not counting their Alamo Bowl win over Colorado, which technically wasn’t a conference matchup despite involving two Big 12 squads).
Crucially, BYU has captured some very meaningful victories within those initial three weeks.
Remember the road triumph at SEC foe Arkansas, where the Razorbacks’ coach brushed off BYU before kickoff, only to be stunned?
Chase Roberts’ one-handed, go-ahead grab defined the night, a thrilling start to what later became a rocky debut season in the Big 12. Nevertheless, Kalani Sitake marched his team into SEC territory and planted the Y at midfield.
Stanford came to Provo amid a coaching shake-up and program decline. A BYU win was expected, and that’s exactly what happened. Freshman Bear Bachmeier guided his squad to a 27-3 rout — a win some Cougar fans still grumbled about. If a 24-point blowout of another Power Four program draws complaints, that says a lot about where BYU stands.
Southern Methodist, who went on to reach the College Football Playoff, also fell to BYU in non-conference action. The Mustangs were for real last season, rolling until Clemson knocked them off in the ACC title game. They grabbed a CFP bid many Cougar fans thought their team deserved, but early stumbles against Kansas and ASU doomed BYU’s case.
What nobody realized at the time: that Week 2 matchup would be remembered as a top-15 showdown by the close of the year.
