No. 2 BYU's perfect 2026 record ended in Orlando, Fla., after the UCF Knights defeated the Cougars 39-31 in double overtime on October 24, 2026. The loss marked the first defeat of the season for the Cougars, who entered the matchup holding the AP No. 2 ranking for the first time in school history.
In a high-scoring contest, UCF capitalized on multiple BYU miscues to secure the victory. The Knights held the Cougars to 116 rushing yards, a significant departure from BYU's season average of 223.8 yards per game. Defensively, BYU allowed 39 points during the contest, compared to their season average of 15.2 points per game.
Sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 16 of 32 passes for 257 yards, recording two passing touchdowns and one interception. Bachmeier also contributed 37 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown. Kyler Kasper led the receivers with six receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown, while Legend Glasker recorded 54 yards on four catches and a touchdown in overtime. On the defensive side, Cade Uluave led the Cougars with nine tackles, and Justin Kirkland recorded four tackles and the team's lone sack.
The game reached a tie at 31-31 at the end of regulation following a series of complex events, including a blocked field goal by Faletau Satuala and a subsequent review regarding a 10-second runoff. In the first overtime, Legend Glasker scored a touchdown to give BYU a 31-24 lead, but UCF responded with a touchdown from Keyone Jenkins to tie the game. In the second overtime, UCF scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion to reach 39 points, while BYU's final attempt to score ended when Walker Lyons failed to catch a pass in the endzone.
The Cougars entered the game with a previously undefeated record for the 2026 season.
BYU is scheduled to return home to face the Arizona State Sun Devils at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31. The game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MDT and will be broadcast live on FOX.
