BYU

BYU Football and the Pursuit of Quality Wins

By: Tyson Whiting (Twitter: @TysonOnSports)
ESPN 960 Reporter

Part of the reputation for BYU, whether it’s fair or not is how predictable they are as a football program. They win on a consistent basis, beat the teams they are supposed to beat, and lose to the teams that are better than BYU.

Just look at the numbers.

BYU’s overall record since the start of the 2000 season is 140-74.

BYU versus Group of Five teams is 113-39.

Since 2000, BYU is 27-35 vs Power 5 opponents. The big wins of note were 2009 versus Oklahoma in Arlington, Texas, 2007 Las Vegas Bowl game against UCLA and the 2004 opener in Provo versus Notre Dame.

Since BYU went to independence in 2011, they are 13-17 vs Power Five opponents.

Last year, BYU was 3-3 vs Power Five opponents. It was a decent record compared to the 13-17 overall record since becoming independent but the three teams BYU defeated had a combined record of 12-25.

In fact, of the 13 Power Five teams that BYU has defeated since becoming a football independent, only two of those teams ended the season with a winning record. Both of those teams were in the 2013 season. Texas ended the year 8-5 and Georgia Tech was 7-6. In 2012, Georgia Tech ended the year with an even .500 year at 7-7.

The combined records for those 13 Power Five teams BYU has beaten since becoming independent is 64-99.

BYU has lost to 17 Power Five opponents since joining independence.

The combined records of those 17 teams is 132-84.

Of those 17 teams that defeated an independent BYU, only five ended the season with a losing record. 2012 Utah (5-7), a pair of losses in 2013 to 2-10 Virginia and 5-7 Utah again.  Then in 2015 BYU lost to Missouri (4-8) and 2016 vs UCLA (4-8).

Four of the 17 teams ended the year with 10 or more wins. The most notable of those teams was Notre Dame in 2012, who appeared in the National Championship game that season.

Year-by-year vs Power Five opponents since 2000.

2000: 1-3  

2001: 2-0

2002: 1-1

2003: 1-3

2004: 1-2

2005: 0-3

2006: 1-2

2007: 2-1

2008: 2-1

2009: 2-1

2010: 1-1

2011: 2-2

2012: 2-3

2013: 2-5

2014: 3-0

2015: 1-4

2016: 3-3

Comments
To Top