BYU had two big losses against Texas Tech, but there was plenty to be happy about.
BYU Football had a good 2025 season. No, they had a great season. True Freshman Bear Bachmeier took over after joining BYU in the summer after Jake Retzlaff’s departure. BYU had to adjust quite a bit, but they made it work. Some of the highlights were a close win at home against rival Utah, a four-takeaway comeback at Iowa State, a big win over UCF, and a thrilling win against Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. While the Big 12 Championship didn’t go our way, there are plenty of positives to take away. Let’s dive in.
BYU started hot, beating up on Portland State, Stanford, and East Carolina. BYU pulled off a win in a shootout against Colorado, and then ran away late against West Virginia. BYU then won in overtime at Arizona in a wet night that saw a prolonged weather delay. BYU then squeaked past Utah, and went off in the fourth quarter to knock off Iowa State. BYU suffered their first loss against Texas Tech, and bounced back by thumping TCU. BYU beat Cincinnati on the road, and then overcame a bad first half before smashing UCF.
Unfortunately BYU would fall to Texas Tech again in the Big 12 Championship Game, and miss the College Football Playoff. But they would win the Pop-Tart Bowl on a last-minute interception. BYU finished 12-2, and for a team with a true freshman quarterback, I’d say that is pretty dang good. BYU was expected to lose close to half their games, and they prove a lot of people wrong. BYU did not have a turnover problem that was nearly as bad as previous years, and they won a few big games.
BYU Football did a heck of a job this year, all things considered. The Cougars have a lot of time to prepare for the 2026 College Football season, and there is a lot of fun to be had. In his second year, Bear should be better, and make less freshman mistakes. Of course, there is a lot to be figured out with the departure of Jay Hill, but Kelly Popinga has a good plan, and BYU was right to promote him to defensive coordinator. There is still plenty of time before football starts, but we all can’t wait.
Rise and Shout!
