3 Areas Where BYU Football Has Grown the Most in 2026

Last season, BYU was 12-0 against teams not named Texas Tech. While the Cougars made a run to the Big 12 championship game and managed multiple comeback wins, there were still areas where BYU needed to improve to make another run back to Arlington in 2026. So far, BYU has shown progress in a few key areas. In this article, we will break down where BYU has improved the most.

In this article, we will exclude garbage time. That will matter less as the season progresses, but it matters a lot right now since nearly two of BYU's three games have met the garbage time criteria. Think of garbage time as when 1) an offense kneels the ball or 2) the starters can be pulled because the game is out of hand. For the Cougars, that means the second halves against Utah Tech and Colorado State meet the garbage time criteria. Additionally, BYU's final drive against Arizona is considered garbage time since BYU kneeled the ball instead of trying to score.

Keep that in mind as we dive in.

1. Red zone offense

So far this season, BYU ranks ninth in points per drive. Last season, the Cougars ranked 27th in yards per drive. However, BYU ranks 23rd in available yards gained and it ranked 25th in the same category last season.

Said differently, BYU is gaining yards at the same clip as last season. The reason why BYU is scoring more points is because of better red zone execution. Red zone scoring was BYU's primary weakness on offense last season. The Cougars ranked 73rd in red zone touchdown rate.

This season, BYU has 11 non-garbage time red zone trips. All 11 red zone trips have resulted in touchdowns for a perfect 100% red zone touchdown rate. That is, logically, first in the country.

Is this a function of BYU's schedule so far? Perhaps. Although if you think about BYU's personnel compared to last year, it is built for better red zone efficiency. The Cougars have one of the nation's top running backs in LJ Martin. Bear Bachmeier is also a threat with his legs in the red zone. What makes this year's team different in the red zone, however, is 6'6 wide receiver Kyler Kasper. Kasper has a size advantage over any cornerback he faces. It's not a coincidence that when the Cougars had the punch the ball in the end zone against Arizona, it was Kyler Kasper that Bear Bachmeier looked for.

Speaking of Bachmeier, he has been much more efficient in the red zone in 2026 compared to 2025. Throwing windows close quickly in the red zone - that's why most freshmen struggle to throw the football in that area of the field. With another year of experience, Bachmeier is better equipped for red zone efficiency in 2026.

2. Better defense between the 20's

Some BYU fans may be surprised to know that the Cougars were below average last season in terms of preventing yards and getting off the field. The Cougars ranked 81st in scoring position drives allowed. What is a scoring position drive? It's when and opponent reaches your 40-yard line or closer. In other words, it's when an opponent reaches field goal range.

Despite allowing a lot of scoring position drives, BYU ranked 35th in points per drive allowed. How? The Cougars ranked 10th in touchdown rate per scoring drive. When an opponent reached scoring position, BYU allowed a touchdown only 40% of the time.

This season, BYU ranks 13th in scoring position drives allowed. The Cougars have been getting off the field at a much higher rate. After allowing a score on the first drive against CSU, the BYU defense held the Rams scoreless for the rest of the non-garbage possessions.

What remains to be seen is whether the Cougars can sustain that number against better competition. In the first half against Arizona, BYU was not only allowing yards, they weren't tightening up in the red zone either. The Wildcats sustained multiple long drives and scored 17 points. Noah Fifita's mobility completely neutralized BYU's pass rush, and the Cougars struggled to get stops.

In the second half, BYU shutout Arizona and pulled away for a 28-17 win. If the second half version of the BYU defense shows up in conference play, the Cougars will be back in Arlington play for a Big 12 title.

If the first half of the Arizona game was a sign of things to come, the Cougars will need to outscore some of the best opponents on their schedule to win.

3. Explosiveness on offense

One national pundit (if you have been on X this week, you will know that we're talking about Bud Elliot) compared BYU to Iowa: a team that has good defense with bad offense. While we believe that says more about Elliot and the amount of time he's spent watching BYU in non-Texas Tech games, the numbers prove that simply isn't true.

BYU has ranked better in points per drive on offense the last two seasons than points per drive allowed.

This year, what's separated BYU's offense compared to last season is the explosiveness. The Cougars rank seventh in explosive play rate on offense. Last season, the Cougars ranked 28th in explosive play rate. The numbers don't tell the full story, either. Legend Glasker gives BYU a deep threat that wasn't in the repertoire last season.

With Glasker, BYU can make defenses choose to either stack the box to stop the run, or play two safeties to prevent passes over the top. Before Bear Bachmeier's deep shot to Legend Glasker against Arizona, the Wildcats were stacking the box and daring BYU to throw. That's exactly what BYU did, and that was the difference in the game. Even after the Bachmeier-Glasker connection, the Wildcats put nine in the box to stop BYU in the red zone. That opened up the easy touchdown from Bachmeier to Kasper to seal the game.

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