PROVO -- For the first time in 4 years, 10 months and 1 day -- to be exact -- the Cougars have earned a spot in the Associated Press Top-25 poll.
With a 24-3 victory over Colorado State on Saturday, BYU picked up its sixth straight victory and improved to 7-2 on the season. The Cougars rank 25th in this week's poll, trailing Texas A&M (24), Maryland (23), Boston College (22), Oregon (21) and Virginia Tech (20).
"We appreciate the recognition of being considered a top-25 football program," BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "When you look back at the great tradition of BYU football, being ranked on a weekly basis is very much a part of that tradition. As we continue to improve and make progress, we expect this type of recognition for our program to continue. I'm very pleased with the direction this program is heading; however, we have a very important game this week. Our focus this week, as it is each week, will be on playing our next opponent."
BYU received 53 points and is ranked 27th in the USA Today Coaches Poll, trailing Clemson with 75 points. The Cougars were last ranked in the Coaches Poll on Sept. 8, 2002. The Cougars have not been ranked in either poll since that time.
BYU was ranked No. 27 in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll and was 26th in the Harris Interactive Poll. Both lists are used in the calculation formula for determining the BCS rankings.
The Cougars will play host to Wyoming on Thursday, Nov. 9 in Provo, Utah. The game will kickoff at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on CSTV.
- This is the first time BYU has been ranked in the AP Poll since the final poll
of the 2001 season -- January 4, 2002.
- The last time BYU was ranked (in any poll) was prior to the Cougars' 31-28 loss
at Nevada on Sept. 14, 2002. (After the loss, BYU was no longer ranked.)
- BYU has never been ranked in the Harris Interactive Poll.
- BYU has been ranked a total of 218 different weeks since the 1974 season,
including this week's ranking in the top 25.
- BYU is 131-41 (.761) when playing as a ranked team.
- BYU is 8-2 against Wyoming when playing as a ranked team.
- BYU received its first-ever national ranking on Nov. 25, 1974 after beating
Utah, 48-20, to improve to 7-3-1 on the season. The Cougars were ranked No. 20 in
the AP Poll and No. 18 in the now-defunct UPI Poll.