Tommy Prassas and Cannon DeVries stopped Arizona’s Rodney Gallagher III short on fourth down, with replay confirming the turnover on downs. Bear Bachmeier then found Legend Glasker for 61 yards during the 82-yard touchdown drive that secured BYU’s 28-17 win. The Cougars finished with the defensive stop and downfield throw they needed.
Now No. 11 BYU visits Colorado State on Saturday, September 19, at 5:30 p.m. Mountain on CBS. Fan Watch gives BYU an 82% chance to win, with playoff chances of 19.4% with a victory versus 11.4% with a loss.
BYU and CSU are meeting for the first time since 2010, renewing a conference relationship that spanned the WAC and Mountain West, among others. BYU has won seven straight in the series. The familiar opponent gives fans a reunion; the current quarterback gives the defense something specific to solve.
Hauss Hejny has thrown nine touchdown passes against one interception through two games. Against Southern Utah, he passed for 325 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 85 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. BYU needs to hurry his throws without letting him escape for long gains.
Kelly Poppinga, promoted to defensive coordinator in January, supplied an encouraging adjustment against Arizona. He increased pressure packages as the game progressed, and BYU allowed just 87 yards and minus-2 rushing yards after surrendering 240 yards before halftime. Tausili Akana contributed 2.5 of BYU’s three sacks. That strengthens confidence in Poppinga’s ability to change a game from the sideline; Saturday calls for his defenders to disrupt Hejny before the opening half gets away from them.
BYU’s offense ran only 23 first-half plays against Arizona and held the ball for 8:31. The Cougars trailed at halftime, then scored on their opening possession of the second half and shut Arizona out the rest of the way. The response was excellent; fans should be looking for earlier stops and longer possessions this week so BYU can play from ahead.
Bachmeier’s three touchdown passes without an interception, alongside LJ Martin’s 98 yards on 20 carries, showed that BYU could produce through the air while keeping Martin central to the offense. Keep both involved against CSU. Ball security adds another reason for care. BYU has committed no turnovers through two games, while the Rams have forced eight, tied for the national lead.
Prassas started at strong safety in place of the unavailable Raider Damuni against Arizona, making his part in the late stop especially reassuring for BYU’s depth. Before that game, Kalani Sitake ruled out a season-ending injury for Damuni, and Poppinga discussed a possible mid-October return without promising a date. That was encouraging news about Damuni’s season, not a firm return appointment.
Faletau Satuala recorded seven tackles and a tackle for loss against Arizona, up from one assisted tackle in the opener as he returned from a foot injury. Another productive game would help BYU cover Damuni’s absence, though Satuala’s full recovery remains unconfirmed.
The specialists helped preserve the margins against Arizona, too. Fuller Shurtz averaged 46 yards on five punts, Brody Laga delivered four touchbacks on five kickoffs, and Matthias Dunn made all four extra points. Dunn did not attempt a field goal against Arizona; his missed 47-yarder in the opener remains his only attempt this season. BYU also had no kickoff or punt returns against Arizona, leaving DeVries waiting for another chance to follow his explosive opener.
Houston at Texas Tech: root for Houston
Friday, September 18, 6 p.m. Mountain, FOX
This is the outside game to circle. Houston has only a 9% chance to win, but an upset would give Texas Tech a conference loss and help BYU directly in the Big 12 race. BYU’s title-game chances are 27.9% if Houston wins versus 20.7% if Texas Tech wins, a 7.2-percentage-point difference.
A Houston win is a long shot worth enjoying, not something BYU needs to count on. The size of the benefit makes Friday worth watching even with Texas Tech heavily favored.
BYU went 11-2 and tied for first in the Big 12 in 2024, then went 12-2 and reached its first Big 12 Championship game in 2025. That sustained contention explains why an early conference result elsewhere deserves attention. Another trip to the title game is a meaningful standard for this program.
Arkansas State at TCU: root for TCU
Saturday, September 19, 6 p.m. Mountain, ESPNU
TCU has an 86% chance to win. BYU’s playoff chances are 18.1% with a TCU victory versus 16.7% with an Arkansas State victory, a 1.5-percentage-point benefit using the underlying model values.
This helps through future-opponent strength. BYU visits TCU in Week 5, so a stronger TCU gives that later matchup more value. This nonconference result does not hand a Big 12 competitor a league loss. It is a useful score to check while watching BYU, with a smaller payoff than Houston’s upset bid.
The interactive guide has the full conditional odds, with the calculation explained in the methodology.
Against Arizona, BYU proved it could respond after halftime. At Colorado State, root for the defense to get off the field early enough that Bachmeier and Martin can help control the opening half, too.