BYU will celebrate its 100th football season in 2024. The Cougars are one of the most historic football programs in college football, certainly among the programs in the West.
With this pile of history, we dive into the top 100 games of the BYU Football schedule. The “top” games can mean many things – championship games, bowl games, important victories over rivals, record-breaking individual performances, thrilling overtimes and much more.
These games are not sorted chronologically.
For more previous lists, see below.
30.Wyoming, 1996 (28-25)
You can tell a good game when it has its own Wikipedia page for it. BYU’s 1996 season is one of the most extraordinary in program history. Had they slipped up in the WAC Championship Game against Wyoming, it would have turned a dream season into a nightmare. The Cougars were 12-1 entering the conference title game. The Cowboys were also confident at 10-1. BYU built a 13-0 halftime lead. Wyoming came storming back in the second half, outscoring BYU 25-12. They even led 25-20 for a brief moment. Wyoming was stuck deep in its own zone and had a five-point lead, so on its fourth attempt, Wyoming elected to take a safety to stall BYU at 25-22. It was an odd decision, as Sarkisian had plenty of time to get the Cougars within field goal range and send the game into overtime. Nervous Cougar fans watched, their hopes and dreams on the line as overtime began. The 6th-ranked Cougars held on longer than 20th-ranked Wyoming, as the Cowboys missed the field goal attempt early in overtime. BYU kicker Owen Pochman didn’t miss his chance to win, and BYU won the WAC.
29. TCU2006 (31-17)
In the past, TCU has given BYU problems. The Horned Frogs have beaten BYU five times in a row. In 2005, TCU beat BYU in overtime in Provo, 51-50. In 2006, the Cougars were looking for revenge. They traveled to Fort Wayne to play undefeated No. 17 TCU on the road. BYU actually dominated that game, building a 17-3 and eventually 31-10 lead. TCU scored a touchdown late, but John Beck and BYU stayed in control. He threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns. They also forced three defensive turnovers as BYU dominated a top-20 TCU team in their own building.
28th Air Force, 1985 (28-21)
Air Force was having the best season in its history. They entered this matchup against BYU, the No. 4 team in the country, undefeated at 10-0. They had beaten Notre Dame and Utah and were on a roll. BYU was 8-2 and ranked 16th. On a cold November day at Cougar Stadium, BYU had an upset in mind, even after Air Force took an early 14-0 lead. The game tipped in BYU’s favor when Vai Sikahema returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to just 21-13. Later in the third quarter, quarterback Robbie Bosco led a scoring drive and tied the game with a two-point conversion. Sikahema had another impact on the game, as Bosco threw a 69-yard touchdown to him, putting BYU ahead 28-21. BYU pulled off the upset. It was the second consecutive season that BYU defeated a top-four team.
27. Washington, 1985 (31-3)
There was certainly plenty of drama surrounding Washington and BYU in 1984. Although BYU is recognized by the NCAA as the 1984 “consensus national champion,” some media outlets voted for Washington to receive the honor at 11-1. There were rumors that the two teams might meet in a bowl game to determine the champion, but that never happened. Discussions simmered into the next season, when the two teams met in Provo. The Cougars left no room for doubt, dominating the Huskies 31-3 and eliminating any controversy surrounding the previous year’s national title.
26. Utah, 2007 (17-10)
Many of the greatest games of all time have a phrase that encapsulates the entire game. “The Ice Bowl.” “The Catch.” In this Holy War clash, it’s simply “4th and 18.” Fast forward to the end of the fourth quarter. Utah leads 10-9 with less than two minutes to play. BYU quarterback Max Hall tried to force BYU down to a point at the last second. With just a minute left in the game, BYU faced a 4th and 18 from its own 12-yard line. Things looked grim. If the Cougars didn’t convert, the game was over. Hall took the snap, rolled to his right and threw a long pass to the completely free Austin Collie, converting the improbable fourth down and gaining 49 yards. That was the catalyst BYU needed to make the comeback, and a rushing touchdown by Harvey Unga put BYU ahead 17-10. The defense sealed the win by preventing Utah from scoring in a desperate last-second drive.
25. Oregon, 2006 (38-8, Las Vegas Bowl)
Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti encouraged BYU before the game, saying that BYU was not good enough to compete against PAC-10 teams. The Cougars were on a roll, winning nine games in a row with veteran QB John Beck and winning the Mountain West. Beck passed for 375 yards, Brown had 120. The Cougars rushed for 548 yards and even led 31-0 at one point in the fourth quarter. BYU completely dominated Oregon after their coach suggested they were not worthy of competing at their level. The win was also the first of four consecutive seasons of double-digit wins.
24. UCLA, 2007 (17-16, Las Vegas Bowl)
BYU and UCLA had played each other earlier in the year, with the Bruins holding the upper hand. BYU led 17-6 and was back on the march before halftime. However, Harvey Unga dropped the ball, giving UCLA a chance to score a last-second touchdown before halftime. The two defenses held together in the second half, and BYU held on to a 17-16 lead. UCLA kicker Kai Forbath set up for a 28-yard field goal attempt with three seconds left in the game. BYU’s Eathyn Manumaleuna deflected the kick just enough that it didn’t go in the net as time expired, securing the win for BYU. This gave BYU its second consecutive bowl win.
23. State of Oregon2009 (44-20, Las Vegas Bowl)
That ended BYU’s appearance in five consecutive Las Vegas Bowls. 2009 got off to a good start (more on that later) and BYU reached No. 7 in the rankings. They finished the regular season 10-2 and entered the bowl game ranked 15th. Their opponent was the 16th-ranked Oregon State Beavers with star running back Jacquizz Rodgers. BYU wanted to make a statement after narrowly missing the BCS bowl party. BYU’s defense silenced OSU’s strong running attack. Max Hall threw three touchdowns and the defense forced three turnovers. BYU finished the season on a big note, picking up its 11th win and finishing 12th in the final AP poll.
22.Texas, 2013 (40-21)
Taysom vs. Texas Part 1. Texas came to Provo feeling confident, as it was the 15th-ranked team in the country. BYU had just looked helpless in a loss to Virginia the week before. The game plan was disrupted by sudden delays, which seemed to favor BYU. When the game finally started, it was just BYU and just Taysom Hill from start to finish. The Cougars led 27-14 at halftime, with Hill already having scored two rushing touchdowns. Hill threw for just 129 yards the entire game and barely had to put the ball in danger once. The BYU QB ran for an impressive 259 yards and scored three single-handed touchdowns. He wasn’t alone, as Jamaal Williams ran for 182 yards and Paul Lasike added 87. In total, BYU ran for a whopping 550 yards and Texas was so embarrassed that they fired their defensive coordinator immediately after the game.
21. Missouri, 1983 (21-17, Holiday Bowl)
This was Steve Young’s swan song at BYU. He was named MVP in this game after catching a touchdown pass, a touchdown run and a touchdown reception in a single game. It was a back-and-forth affair that saw Mizzou take a late 17-14 lead. In a surprise play, BYU pulled off one of the boldest trick plays in college football history, with running back Eddie Stinnett taking the handoff and then throwing it back across the field to Young. The pass was nearly intercepted, but Young caught it and scored the game-winning touchdown. This gave BYU its 11th win of the season and set the stage for the 1984 national championship.
