No. 2 BYU goes from hunter to hunted at UCF this weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — In the first game between top-10 teams at LaVell Edwards Stadium, BYU eked out a 28-24 win over No. 8 Notre Dame thanks to a Bear Bachmeier 6-yard touchdown pass to Walker Lyons with 1:47 left.

The Cougars (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) climbed to No. 2 in the AP Poll, their first top-5 ranking since the final poll in 1996 and their highest ranking since finishing the 1984 season at No. 1.

Suddenly the Cougars have a lot of buzz surrounding them, but coach Kalani Sitake is trying not to pay any attention to that.

“Never cared about it before, so why would I start now,” Sitake said. “We’re talking about humble and hungry, talking about rankings is not going to get us there.”

But there is no denying the buzz of the No. 2 team in the country, which will visit UCF (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday.

The Cougars will be the highest-ranked team to travel to the Acrisure Bounce House in the stadium’s 20-year history.

And BYU will have to get used to a new position now: Being the hunted.

“It’s the Big 12. Everybody is pretty close. I think BYU is the best of the bunch,” UCF coach Scott Frost said. “It’s an awesome opportunity for us on homecoming to shoot our shot. I think our kids will be excited.”

Even amid their new status as potential conference favorites, BYU is not looking past UCF.

“We’re expecting their best,” Sitake said. “We have to make sure our best shows up. Stay humble, stay hungry and keep working our culture of live and learn.”

Health concerns

UCF is coming off its bye week, hoping that the time off will bring players back from injury.

Quarterback Alonza Barnett III is expected to return to practice this week after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury. But he is not expected to be available this week, according to ESPN.

“I think he’s making really good progress,” Frost said. “He looks good. He is doing a lot of things. I want to make sure he is ready to go before we put him out there.”

Keyone Jenkins is expected to make his fifth straight start at quarterback.

The Knights have been without linebacker Lewis Carter since their Sept. 19 game against Georgia State. He is fifth on the team in tackles despite missing the last three games.

Returning leading receiver Duane Thomas Jr. has yet to play. And the Knights were missing center Jacob Maiava during their loss to Oklahoma State on Oct. 10.

Settling in on offense

Despite BYU’s undefeated record, the team does not have the strongest offense.

The Cougars rank 11th in the Big 12 in total offense with 421.2 yards per game and ninth in scoring with 33.5 points per game. They have leaned on their defense, giving up just 15.2 points per game and 274.7 yards per game.

Much of BYU’s struggles stem from losing star running back L.J. Martin after he suffered a lower body injury against TCU on Oct. 3.

Since then, the Cougars have relied more on Bachmeier. It has taken them some time to find their footing again.

“I think now we’re more settled in,” Lyons said. “We’re playing in games where we can get more of a flow. I don’t think we necessarily started slow, it was just kind of what happened in the first couple of weeks of the season. I feel like the last couple of weeks are more realistic of what it will be going forward.”

Bachmeier accounted for 224 yards passing and 45 yards rushing last week. He also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass in the victory.

Win for the Big 12

BYU is ready to move on from last week’s game against Notre Dame. But its conference rivals are basking in the victory and what it means for the Big 12.

“It was a really good win for BYU and our league,” Frost said. “I was happy for Kalani and that group. Really good game against two really good teams.”

Notre Dame and BYU scheduled the home-and-home series because of an opening in each team’s schedule. The game lived up to the billing. The Cougars will make a return trip to South Bend next season.

Familiar foes

Both UCF and BYU joined the Big 12 in 2023. But among the teams in the current Big 12, the Knights have only played former American Conference opponents Houston and Cincinnati more than BYU.

The Cougars are 4-1 all-time against the Knights, including wins in the last two seasons.

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