No. 11 BYU controls its own destiny for a spot in the Big 12 championship game, but UCF is ready to play spoiler with its own postseason berth on the line as the two teams clash Saturday afternoon in Provo, Utah.
It’s simple for the Cougars (10-1, 7-1 Big 12): win and in.
For the second straight week, BYU is listed as the first team out of the College Football Playoff, so the conference championship — which would be BYU’s first as a member of the Big 12 — is key for the Cougars to keep their CFP hopes alive.
The Cougars can also punch their ticket to the title game before they even kick off if Arizona State loses to Arizona. BYU can also get in with a loss through a combination of wins by Utah and Arizona State, as well as a loss by Texas Tech.
But the Cougars and coach Kalani Sitake are focused on handling the Knights (5-6, 2-6) and doing the dirty work themselves, especially on senior night.
“I look at all these (seniors) and it’s awesome. I’m so proud of what they’ve been able to build here and the culture that’s thriving with them,” Sitake said on Monday. “They’ve had a lot of wins and they’ve ushered us into the Big 12 and had some success now the last couple years. We just have to finish it strong for them.”
BYU is coming off a 26-14 win over Cincinnati in which Big 12 leading rusher LJ Martin set a career high with 222 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns.
Martin has 1,134 rushing yards this season on nearly six yards a carry to go along with eight touchdowns.
Bear Bachmeier’s 127 passing yards were his fewest since his first game, but he still recorded a rushing touchdown, his seventh in his last seven games. His freshman campaign has been solid, with 2,304 yards passing, 525 yards rushing and 24 total touchdowns.
The defense for the Cougars really showed out against the Bearcats, holding them to season-lows in points and rushing yards. They forced a fumble in the red zone and took advantage of three missed field goals.
BYU will look to continue feasting on a UCF offense that has struggled to move the ball. The Knights rank in the bottom half of the Big 12 in yards per game (386.3, 11th) and points per game (24.6, 13th).
UCF showed some grit last weekend, overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit to secure a 17-14 victory over Oklahoma State. It was the Knights’ first win in over a month and kept their slim hopes for bowl eligibility alive.
They did so thanks to Tayven Jackson and Dylan Wade, who connected four times for 145 yards, two touchdowns and a 50-yard throw-and-catch that set up the eventual game-winning field goal.
Jackson, who’s been shaky as the starter, produced one of his best starts of the season. He bounced back after throwing two first-half interceptions by completing 16 of 25 passes for 271 yards and the two touchdowns.
It’ll be a physical contest for coach Scott Frost’s bunch, who will try to claim the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2023.
“It’s a good team,” said Frost of BYU. “They’re probably the biggest team we’ve played up front and their linebackers are big. They just have a lot of grown men on the team because of their age and body types. That’s what they’re recruiting for. We’ve got to be ready for a physical game.”
BYU beat UCF 37-24 last season and is 3-1 all-time against the Knights.
