PROVO, Utah (Jan. 30, 2019) — Brigham Young University today released its 2019 football schedule that features three matchups with top-25 teams, road trips to both coasts and one of the best home schedules in school history.
The Cougars’ home schedule gets underway against in-state rival Utah in LaVell Edwards Stadium on Aug. 29. The rest of BYU’s home games include matchups against USC (Sept. 14), Washington (Sept. 21), Boise State (Oct. 19), Liberty (Nov. 9) and Idaho State (Nov. 16).
BYU’s six road games will include four different trips to the Eastern time zone for games at Tennessee (Sept. 7), Toledo (Sept. 28), South Florida (Oct. 12) and UMass (Nov. 23). The Cougars will also face in-state foe Utah State (Nov. 2) in Logan before finishing the regular season in the Pacific time zone against former conference opponent San Diego State (Nov. 30).
In all, the 12-game slate features teams from nine different states and six conferences—SEC, Pac-12, American, Mountain West, Mid-American and Big Sky—as well as fellow independents UMass and Liberty. BYU opponents in 2019 represent the states of California, Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Washington (No. 13 AP, No. 13 Coaches), Utah State (No. 21 AP, No. 22 Coaches) and Boise State (No. 23 AP, No. 24 Coaches) finished 2018 in the final top-25 polls, while seven opponents earned a bowl invitation and nine won six or more games last season. BYU opponents earned a collective 88-65 (.575) record this past season.
BYU is the only FBS team in 2019 to start the season with four games against teams from a Power 5 conference. After opening the 150-year-anniversary season of college football at home against Utah of the Pac-12 on Aug. 29, the Cougars travel to face Tennessee of the SEC on Sept. 7 before returning to Provo to face two other Pac-12 teams, hosting USC on Sept. 14 and Washington on Sept. 21.
The Cougars finish the month of September in Ohio when they make their first trip to Toledo to face the Rockets of the MAC on Sept. 28. After a bye the first week of October, BYU travels to Tampa, Florida, for its first-ever meeting with the USF Bulls of the AAC on Oct. 12 in Raymond James Stadium, also home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cougars host regional-rival Boise State of the MW for homecoming on Oct. 19 before another bye week in advance of a five-game month of November.
The in-state matchup with Utah State of the MW takes place in Logan on Nov. 2 before BYU hosts its final two home games against independent Liberty on Nov. 9 and the Big Sky’s Idaho State on Nov. 16. The Cougars finish the regular season with trips to both coasts, meeting independent UMass in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Nov. 23 before going to San Diego, California, to face former conference-foe San Diego State of the MW on Nov. 30.
The Cougars have a bowl agreement to play in the 2019 Hawai’i Bowl if bowl eligible and not selected to participate in a New Year’s Six bowl or the College Football Playoff.
Television plans and kick times are yet to be announced (select the schedule link below to see broadcast plans and game times once they are announced). Dates are subject to change to accommodate television plans.
Go to BYUTickets.com for ticket information and to purchase tickets.
Select the following link to see the 2019 BYU schedule. Updated
2019 BYU FOOTBALL OPPONENT & SERIES INFORMATION
UTAH UTES (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — August 29
- Utah is coming off a 9-5 season and Pac-12 South Division title after going 6-3 in league games. The Utes played in the Holiday Bowl, losing to Northwestern, 31-20.
- For the first time in the history of the rivalry, BYU and Utah meet to open the season.
- The game will take place just 279 days since the two teams met in the 2018 regular-season finale.
- BYU’s series record: 31-58-4
@ TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (Neyland Stadium) — Sept. 7
- Tennessee is coming off a 5-7 record overall and 2-6 SEC mark in 2018 in its first season under Jeremy Pruitt, who took over a 4-8 team that went winless in the SEC the prior season. Pruitt previously served as the defensive coordinator at Alabama, Georgia and Florida State.
- BYU visits SEC country for the just the third time in 10 years with the program’s first matchup against Tennessee.
- BYU last played in an SEC stadium in 2017 at Mississippi State, after playing at Ole Miss in 2011. BYU split those two contests.
- BYU’s series record: First meeting
USC TROJANS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Sept. 14
- USC is coming off a 5-7 season, including a 4-5 Pac-12 record.
- USC visits LaVell Edwards Stadium for the second time as the Cougars and the Trojans play for only the third time in history.
- BYU have never defeated USC, falling to the Trojans in 2003 and 2004 led by Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Both Leinart and Bush took a turn winning the Heisman Trophy.
- BYU’s series record: 0-2
WASHINGTON HUSKIES (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Sept. 21
- Washington won the 2018 Pac-12 title and finished the year ranked No. 13 in the nation with a 10-4 record and 7-2 Pac-12 resume. The Huskies played in the Rose Bowl, losing to Ohio State, 28-23.
- The Huskies return to Provo for the first time since 2010.
- BYU fell to the eventual Pac-12 champs in Seattle last year, but in the last contest in Provo the Cougars beat Washington 23-17. BYU is 3-1 against the Huskies in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
- BYU’s series record: 4-6
@ TOLEDO ROCKETS (Glass Bowl) — Sept. 28
- Toledo is coming off a 7-6 season and second-place tie in the MAC West Division with a 5-3 record. The Rockets were invited to the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, losing to FIU, 35-32.
- BYU will make its first trip to the Glass Bowl to take on Toledo.
- The two teams met in Provo in 2016 in a high-scoring thriller. The Cougars ended up edging the Rockets 55-53 thanks to a historic 286-yard, 5-touchdown performance from Jamaal Williams.
- BYU’s series record: 1-0
@ USF BULLS (Raymond James Stadium) — Oct. 12
- USF recorded a 7-6 record and 3-5 mark in the American Conference in 2018. The Bulls played in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl, losing to Marshall, 38-20.
- The Cougars play against the Bulls in Raymond James Stadium, also home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This matchup will be the 12th game BYU has played in an NFL stadium since 2009.
- BYU travels to Tampa for the first matchup between BYU and the South Florida Bulls. The Cougars will be looking to achieve their first win in the state of Florida. BYU is 0-6 in previous games in the Sunshine State.
- BYU’s series record: First meeting
BOISE STATE BRONCOS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Oct. 19
- Boise State is coming off a 10-3 season that saw the Broncos finish No. 23 in the nation. BSU finished 7-1 to claim the MW Mountain Division title and were invited to play in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl against Boston College but the game was cancelled due to severe weather.
- After coming up just short from the 2-yard line last year, BYU will have a chance to avenge its 21-16 loss to Boise State this season at home in Provo.
- The Cougars have fared better at home than on the blue in Boise, holding a 2-2 record in Provo.
- BYU’s series record: 2-7
@ UTAH STATE AGGIES (Maverik Stadium) — Nov. 2
- Utah State achieved a No. 21 national ranking after an 11-2 season in 2018. The Aggies tied with Boise State at 7-1 for the top record in the MW Mountain Division and were invited to play in the New Mexico Bowl, defeating North Texas, 52-13.
- BYU has lost the last two games to the Aggies since a 28-10 victory in 2016.
- The Cougars have not lost three in a row to Utah State since the Aggies had a streak of four wins against the Cougars from 1971 to 1974.
- BYU’s series record: 48-37-3
LIBERTY FLAMES (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Nov. 9
- Liberty, an independent, went 6-6 in their first FBS season and ranked No. 34 in scoring offense, averaging 33.3 points per game in 2018.
- The Flames, in their second season at the FBS level, visit LaVell Edwards Stadium for the first time.
- BYU’s series record: First meeting
IDAHO STATE BENGALS (LaVell Edwards Stadium) — Nov. 16
- Idaho State finished 2018 with a 6-5 record, including a 5-3 mark in the Big Sky Conference.
- BYU hosts FCS member Idaho State for the fourth time.
- The Cougars defeated the Bengals 59-13 in the last matchup in 2013, with BYU rushing for 431 yards, including a pair of 100-yard rushers in Adam Hine (141) and Jamaal Williams (131).
- BYU’s series record: 5-0
@ UMASS MINUTEMEN (McGuirk Alumni Stadium) — Nov. 23
- UMass, an independent coming off a 4-8 season, will be in its first season with new head coach Walt Bell, who previously served as the offensive coordinator at Florida State, Maryland and Arkansas State.
- For the second-straight year, BYU travels east to take on UMass. BYU topped UMass 35-16 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough last season.
- This year the Cougars play at the Minutemen’s home stadium in Amherst.
- BYU’s series record: 2-1
@ SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS (San Diego County Credit Union Stadium) — Nov. 30
- San Diego State is coming off a 7-6 season and 4-4 MW record. The Aztecs were invited to the DXL Frisco Bowl, losing to Ohio, 27-0.
- San Diego State and BYU will meet in the regular season for the first time since 2010 when the two were both members of the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars beat the Aztecs 24-21 in 2010.
- The last meeting between the two teams was in the 2012 Poinsettia Bowl, with BYU claiming the Poinsettia Bowl trophy by a score of 23-6.
- BYU series record: 28-7