Official Score Prediction for BYU vs Utah in Top 10 Rivalry Game

It's finally here. The most anticipated game in the history of the BYU-Utah rivalry. The stakes couldn't be higher for no. 9 BYU. The Cougars used their mulligan in a road loss at UCF. They would lose control of their own destiny if they don't beat Utah. On the other hand, a win over Utah could propel BYU into the top five and in the drivers seat for a spot in the CFP.

To win this game, BYU needs to keep the game close in the first quarter. The Utes have outscored their opponents by more than 70 points and have not allowed a touchdown in the first quarter. Utah has scored touchdowns on its opening drive in seven out of eight games. Utah offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven has been brilliant with his opening scripted drives.

Given the emotions going into this game, the unusual kickoff time, and Utah's track record of strong starts, BYU needs to weather the early storm at Rice Eccles Stadium. If BYU can settle in and adjust to Utah's unique offense, the Cougars will have a great chance to pull off the upset.

BYU is expected to get LJ Martin back in the lineup for the first time since early October against TCU. How effective and how healthy Martin will be remains to be seen. On offense, Bear Bachmeier will have to carry another heavy load. Bachmeier will have chances to throw from clean pockets against a Utah defense that will give up explosive plays through the air. Bachmeier and his wide receivers, particularly deep threat Legend Glasker, need to have a big game.

BYU is the best defense Utah will have faced by a wide margin. Even though the BYU defense has struggled to bring ball-carriers to the ground, we like their chances to keep the Utah offense somewhat in check. Like it usually does, this game will come down to the wire. When it does, we like Bear Bachmeier's chances to find a way to win in the fourth quarter.

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BYU 27 | Utah 24

Previous 2026 Score Predictions

Before every game, we submit our official score prediction. We got off to strong start with a margin variance of three points after three games. We maintained a strong . Then, our prediction really went sideways for the BYU-UCF game. We expected BYU's defense to shut down a bad UCF offense. Instead, the Knights scored 24 points in regulation, only to score nine points one week later against Baylor. Below were our score predictions for every game compared to the actual final score.

Prediction	Final Score
BYU 62 \| Utah Tech 6	BYU 63 \| Utah Tech 7
BYU 31 \| Arizona 20	BYU 28 \| Arizona 17
BYU 41 \| CSU 20	BYU 41 \| CSU 23
BYU 31 \| TCU 17	BYU 17 \| TCU 10
BYU 31 \| Iowa State 17	BYU 24 \| Iowa State 10
BYU 20 \| Notre Dame 24	BYU 28 \| Notre Dame 24
BYU 31 \| UCF 17	BYU 31 \| UCF 39
BYU 34 \| ASU 16	BYU 27 \| ASU 20

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Prediction	Final Score
BYU 62 \| Utah Tech 6	BYU 63 \| Utah Tech 7
BYU 31 \| Arizona 20	BYU 28 \| Arizona 17
BYU 41 \| CSU 20	BYU 41 \| CSU 23
BYU 31 \| TCU 17	BYU 17 \| TCU 10
BYU 31 \| Iowa State 17	BYU 24 \| Iowa State 10
BYU 20 \| Notre Dame 24	BYU 28 \| Notre Dame 24
BYU 31 \| UCF 17	BYU 31 \| UCF 39
BYU 34 \| ASU 16	BYU 27 \| ASU 20