PROVO, Utah – Nobody would have guessed in the preseason that BYU vs UCF would be a high-stakes game to close out the 2025 regular season.
There’s no shortage of stakes in this clash between the Cougars and Knights.
BYU enters the game ranked No. 11 in the College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings. Kalani Sitake’s squad is 10-1 overall and 7-1 in Big 12 play.
A win and BYU automatically punches its ticket to the Big 12 Championship Game and keeps its College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Meanwhile, UCF enters the game with a 5-6 overall record. The Knights, under first-year head coach Scott Frost, need one more win to clinch a berth in the Bowl Season.
No. 11 BYU vs. UCF
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
Kickoff: 11 a.m. (MST)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended pregame begins at 8 a.m.
Three Game Day Thoughts
1. Big 12 Championship Game is already in the bag
When BYU was navigating a 5-7 campaign in its first year as a Big 12 member two years ago, it was hard to imagine this same program two years later emerging as the winningest program in the league.
However, the belief has always been there among players in the program. Even after Jake Retzlaff’s departure in the summer, BYU players felt confident they had a team built to get over the hump and reach Arlington for a shot in the Big 12 Championship Game.
That moment is here. Regardless of what happens on Saturday is going to the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington.
2. UCF will show some fight
Don’t be surprised if the Knights hang around in the first quarter. UCF isn’t great, but they have a stingy defense that can keep things competitive for a little bit.
Everyone expects the Knights to get blown out, so they will likely come out loose, trying to spring the upset. Actually pulling that off is another story. But earlier on, I expect the Knights to hang around.
3. Senior day memories
BYU football will honor 18 players on Senior Day. It’s a group that has helped establish BYU as a winning program in the Big 12 Conference.
Who will be the seniors who have a highlight-worthy moment in their final home game as BYU Cougars? If BYU can blow out the Knights, maybe all 18 seniors, besides Chase Roberts, can get some playing time in their final game in front of the home fans at LES.
Two BYU vs UCF Questions
1. How many carries will BYU give LJ Martin this week?
Last week, in the win over Cincinnati, BYU gave LJ Martin 32 carries, resulting in a career-high 222 rushing yards. It’s hard to picture BYU giving Martin that big of a workload again.
As Martin said in an interview with KSL Sports this week, the El Paso, Texas, native has been sore.
Still, Martin is BYU’s best offensive player. Maybe the sweet spot is somewhere between 22 and 25 carries.
Martin should have a lot of success as the Knights give up 153.6 yards per game on the ground.
2. Who steps up at wide receiver?
BYU senior Chase Roberts is “DOUBTFUL” after suffering an injury in the win at Cincinnati last week. That puts Parker Kingston and Jojo Phillips as Bear Bachmeier’s top two pass targets at wide receiver.
BYU’s receiver against the UCF secondary will be a good matchup to watch. The Knights have one of the best cornerbacks in the Big 12 with former Notre Dame/Syracuse transfer Jayden Bellamy and Antione Jackson.
It will be interesting to see if BYU QB Bear Bachmeier can find his brother, Tiger Bachmeier, who has yet to have breakout moments this year in his first season at BYU.
One Score Prediction for BYU vs UCF
BYU should win comfortably in this matchup. The intrigue lies in how BYU gets to the victory.
Look for UCF to battle for a quarter before BYU starts to put the hammer down and pull away.
The Cougars want to average three points per drive in a game. Last week, with a run-heavy attack against Cincinnati, they had 10 drives. I’ll call for a similar number of drives, aiming for three points per drive.
BYU makes it official and punches its ticket to the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington, Texas.
Score Prediction: BYU 31, UCF 10
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
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