No. 10 BYU (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) at TCU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12)
- Kickoff: Saturday, 5 pm MDT
- Venue: Amon G. Carter Stadium (capacity: 46,000)
- TV: ESPN
- Live stream: espn.com/live or Disney+
- Radio: KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM/BYU Radio Sirius XM 143
- Series: TCU leads, 7-6
The trends
For BYU: The Cougars are 3-0 for the fourth straight season, but more importantly, they’re well-rested after last week’s early bye.
BYU is scoring 42 points per game, allowing 15.7 points per game defensively, and is +4 in the turnover margin.
The Cougars blasted TCU 44-11 a year ago, but they haven’t won in Fort Worth since 2006.
For TCU: The Horned Frogs have taken a step back in 2026, starting the season 2-2 with a pair of deflating losses to UNC and UCF.
TCU is scoring 29.3 points per game, allowing 12.5 points per game on defense, and ranks among the most penalized teams in college football by drawing 30 flags in four games.
The Horned Frogs desperately need an upset win to turn their season around, especially considering they haven’t started 0-2 in Big 12 play since 2013.
What to watch for
BYU has had its share of post-bye week slow starts under Kalani Sitake, so pay attention for if the Cougars are sluggish or locked in right out the gate.
TCU has held opponents to just 76.0 yards rushing through four games, while BYU is averaging nearly 200 yards more than that per game. Watch to see if the Horned Frog defense or Cougar offense can win the ground battle.
Additionally, TCU has fumbled nine times already this season, so pay attention to how BYU’s havoc-minded defense attempts to attack TCU’s shaky ball security.
Bear Bachmeier has been outstanding thus far as a sophomore, but he has yet to take on a Big 12 road challenge. Watch for if he can continue putting up such impressive passing numbers in a conference road setting.
Player to watch
Bott Mulitalo, freshman, offensive tackle, BYU: With veteran Andrew Gentry now sidelined indefinitely due to ankle surgery, BYU will turn to a freshman platoon of Siosiua Latu-Finau and Bott Mulitalo to man its right tackle position moving forward.
Mulitalo has been excellent in 40 snaps off the bench this season, but Saturday against the Horned Frogs will mark his first true opportunity for extended playing time.
For all of TCU’s struggles, the Horned Frogs have proven capable of getting to opposing quarterbacks, recording nine sacks thus far and grading as the Big 12’s second-best pass rush, according to Pro Football Focus.
Given his relative inexperience, TCU will likely try to target Mulitalo for sack opportunities. How he responds will not only determine Bear Bachmeier’s comfort in the pocket, but also how BYU’s offensive line can hold up in the coming weeks without Gentry.
Quotable
“We feel like our guys accomplished what we wanted to get done last week for the bye. We were ready to play a game. We just didn’t play one, but the guys put in time and they put in a lot of work, and we got some bodies healed. But we still practiced with the intention of playing a game. The intensity and everything was still there in terms of our practice. … We are looking forward to seeing them play this weekend.” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake
“We’re disappointed, we’re hurt, but we realize if we sit around and pout about it, that’s not going to make it better … We obviously are evaluating every aspect of our program, trying to figure out why we’re not playing as well as we need to play to win games.
“We talked about this when the season started, a big point of emphasis for us is the number of one-score games that we’re going to play in and the formula to win those games, and that’s win the turnover battle and limit penalties and mistakes.
“Unfortunately for us in those two (losses), we haven’t done those things. So we’ve got to figure it out as a staff and investigate every reason why that’s been the case.” — TCU coach Sonny Dykes
Next up
- BYU: vs. Iowa State on Oct. 9
- TCU: at Baylor on Oct. 17
