BYU Football’s History When Ranked In AP Top 25

By Mitch Harper, KSL Sports | September 30, 2020 at 5:57 pm
UPDATED: October 18, 2020 at 9:58 am

PROVO, UT - SEPTEMBER 12: Tight shot of a Brigham Young Cougars football helmet shown during their game against the Boise State Broncos at LaVell Edwards Stadium on September 12, 2015 in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)

PROVO, Utah – BYU has been playing football at the collegiate level since 1922, and in 29 of their seasons, the Cougars have appeared at least one week in the AP Top 25.

This year’s 2020 team is the 29th season that BYU has been ranked at some point during a college football season.

BYU’s record as a ranked team is 156-42-1, dating back to 1974 when BYU made its first appearance in the AP rankings.

Here’s the list of results for BYU in the AP Top 25.

2020

Troy	No. 18	48-7
LA Tech	No. 22	45-14
UTSA	No. 15	27-20
Houston	No. 14	43-26
Texas State	No.

Record: 4-0

FINAL: No. 18 @BYUfootball 48, @TroyTrojansFB 7.

Cougars are 2-0 for the first time in the Kalani Sitake era.#BYU | #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/gqpz7yrpop

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 27, 2020

Final. #BYU is 3-0 for the first time since 2014.#LTvsBYU #GoCougs #BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/jtz16nVYQM

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 3, 2020

FINAL

No. 15 @BYUfootball – 27@UTSAFTBL – 20#BYU moves to 4-0 for the first time since 2014.#BYUFootball #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/TKqZMC2lKZ

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 10, 2020

2018

McNeese State	No. 25	30-3
at No. 11 Washington	No. 20	7-35

Record: 1-1

2015

at No. 10 UCLA	No. 19	23-24
at Michigan	No. 22	0-31

Record: 0-2

2014

Houston	No. 25	33-25
Virginia	No. 21	41-33
Utah State	No. 18	20-35

Record: 2-1

September 20, 2014
–
Adam Hine takes the kickoff and returns it 99 yards for the touchdown. This TD sealed the 41-33 win over Virginia and propelled the Cougars to a 4-0 start to the season.
–#gocougs #byu #byufootball #byufootballthrowbacks pic.twitter.com/icLy3t9lQY

— BYU Football Throwbacks (@ByuThrowbacks) July 29, 2020

2012

at Utah

No. 25

21-24

Record: 0-1

2009

vs. No. 3 Oklahoma	No. 20	14-13
at Tulane	No. 9	54-3
Florida State	No. 7	28-54
Colorado State	No. 19	42-23
Utah State	No. 20	35-17
at UNLV	No. 18	59-21
San Diego State	No. 18	38-28
No. 8 TCU	No. 16	7-38
at Wyoming	No. 25	52-0
at New Mexico	No. 22	24-19
Air Force	No. 19	38-21
No. 21 Utah	No. 18	26-23 (OT)
No. 18 Oregon St.	No. 15	44-20

Record: 11-2

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 12

2008

Northern Iowa	No. 16	41-17
at Washington	No. 15	28-27
UCLA	No. 18	59-0
Wyoming	No. 14	44-0
at Utah State	No. 8	34-14
New Mexico	No. 9	21-3
at No. 24 TCU	No. 9	7-32
UNLV	No. 18	42-35
at Colorado State	No. 17	45-42
San Diego State	No. 17	41-12
at Air Force	No. 16	38-24
at No. 7 Utah	No. 16	24-48
Arizona	No. 17	21-31

Record: 10-3

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 25

2007

Utah	No. 23	17-10
at San Diego State	No. 21	48-27
UCLA	No. 19	17-16

Record: 3-0

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 14

2006

Wyoming	No. 25	55-7
New Mexico	No. 23	42-17
at Utah	No. 21	33-31
Oregon	No. 19	38-8

Record: 4-0

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 16

#PlayOfTheDay (2006): BYU defeats Utah on the final play, Beck to Harline #HolyWar pic.twitter.com/hYb2tbzdVk

— Pick Six Previews (@PickSixPreviews) May 15, 2016

2001

at UNLV	No. 20	35-31
Utah State	No. 20	54-34
at New Mexico	No. 18	24-20
Air Force	No. 18	63-33
at San Diego State	No. 16	59-21
Colorado State	No. 13	56-34
at Wyoming	No. 9	41-34
Utah	No. 8	24-21
at Mississippi St.	No. 10	41-38
at Hawaii	No. 9	45-72
Louisville	No. 19	10-28

Record: 9-2

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 25

1999

Colorado State	No. 25	34-13
Virginia	No. 17	40-45
California	No. 24	38-28
at New Mexico	No. 21	31-7
at UNLV	No. 19	29-0
Air Force	No. 16	27-20
at San Diego State	No. 15	30-7
at Wyoming	No. 15	17-31
Utah	No. 19	17-20

Record: 7-2

1997

Washington	No. 19	20-42
at SMU	No. 23	19-16 (OT)
Utah State	No. 24	42-35
at Rice	No. 21	14-27

Record: 2-2

1996

Arkansas State	No. 19	58-9
at Washington	No. 14	17-29
SMU	No. 24	31-3
at Utah State	No. 21	45-17
UNLV	No. 19	63-28
Tulsa	No. 18	55-30
at TCY	No. 15	45-21
UTEP	No. 13	40-18
Rice	No. 12	49-0
Hawaii	No. 10	45-14
Utah	No. 8	37-17
Wyoming	No. 6	28-25
Kansas State	No. 5	19-15

Record: 12-1

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 5

This 41-37 win over No. 12 Texas A&M launched a special season for @BYUfootball in 1996. I firmly believe that the 1996 team is the most talented in #BYU history. @Chadlewis89 https://t.co/8YXOUFMNpJ pic.twitter.com/CXrG7IQMq5

— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) March 16, 2020

1994

Colorado State	No. 22	21-28
at UTEP	No. 21	34-28
Arizona State	No. 20	15-36
NE Louisiana	No. 25	24-10
San Diego State	No. 23	35-28
at Utah	No. 20	31-34
Oklahoma	No. 22	31-6

Record: 4-3

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 18

1993

at New Mexico	No. 19	34-31
Hawaii	No. 20	41-38
at Colorado State	No. 19	27-22
Air Force	No. 21	30-3
at UCLA	No. 19	14-68

Record: 4-1

1992

at UTEP	No. 24	38-28
San Diego State	No. 25	38-45
Kansas	No. 25	20-23

Record: 1-2

1991

Florida State	No. 19	28-44
at UCLA	No. 25	23-27
at San Diego State	No. 23	52-52

Record: 0-2-1

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 23

1990

at UTEP	No. 16	30-10
No. 1 Miami	No. 16	28-21
Washington State	No. 5	50-36
San Diego State	No. 4	62-34
at Oregon	No. 4	16-32
Colorado State	No. 13	52-9
New Mexico	No. 9	55-31
at Air Force	No. 10	54-7
at Wyoming	No. 8	45-14
at Utah	No. 5	45-22
Utah State	No. 4	45-10
at Hawaii	No. 4	28-59
Texas A&M	No. 13	14-65

Record: 10-3

Final Top 25 Ranking: No. 22

#OnThisDay 30 years ago: @BYUfootball took down the No. 1 ranked @MiamiHurricanes.

The win catapulted @TyDetmer14 to stardom and Heisman glory.#BYU | #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/GwZdBSlQ4f

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 9, 2020

1989

1989 was the first year the AP rankings featured 25 teams.

at New Mexico	No. 19	24-3
Washington State	No. 24	41-46
at Colorado State	No. 25	45-16
UTEP	No. 21	49-24
at Hawaii	No. 18	14-56
Oregon	No. 23	45-41
Air Force	No. 21	44-35
Utah	No. 21	70-31
at San Diego State	No. 21	48-27
Penn State	No. 19	39-50

Record: 7-3

On this day 30 years ago, @BYUFootball sophmore QB Ty Detmer passed for 470 yards and 3 TDs for the 23rd-ranked Cougars in a 45-41 win over @OregonFootball.

BYU was down 33-21 at the end of the 3rd but outscored the Ducks 24-8 in the 4th for an exciting come-from-behind victory. pic.twitter.com/ZZrqZUlVAi

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 5, 2019

1988

at San Diego State

No. 20

15-27

Record: 0-1

1986

Utah State	No. 18	52-0
New Mexico	No. 11	31-30
at Washington	No. 11	21-52

Record: 2-1

1985

Boston College	No. 10	28-14
UCLA	No. 8	24-27
Washington	No. 16	31-3
at Temple	No. 13	26-24
at Colorado State	No. 15	42-7
San Diego State	No. 11	28-0
at New Mexico	No. 9	45-23
at UTEP	No. 7	16-23
Wyoming	No. 17	59-0
at Utah State	No. 18	44-0
Air Force	No. 16	28-21
Utah	No. 11	38-28
at Hawaii	No. 9	26-6
Ohio State	No. 9	7-10

Record: 11-3

Final Top 20 Ranking: No. 16

1984

Baylor	No. 13	47-13
Tulsa	No. 8	38-15
at Hawaii	No. 6	18-13
at Colorado State	No. 7	52-9
Wyoming	No. 5	41-38
at Air Force	No. 7	30-25
at New Mexico	No. 5	48-0
San Diego State	No. 4	34-3
at Utah	No. 3	24-14
Utah State	No. 1	38-13
Michigan	No. 1	24-17

Record: 12-0

Final Top 20 Ranking: No. 1 (National Champions)

September 8, 1984: Robbie Bosco threw six touchdown passes leading 13th ranked @BYUfootball to a 47-13 win over Baylor. #KSLSportsArchive #BYU pic.twitter.com/Ow3ERDXl7P

— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) September 9, 2020

1983

at Wyoming	No. 20	41-10
New Mexico	No. 20	66-21
at San Diego State	No. 18	47-12
Utah State	No. 15	38-34
at UTEP	No. 12	31-9
Colorado State	No. 8	24-6
Utah	No. 9	55-7
Missouri	No. 9	21-17

Record: 8-0

Final Top 20 Ranking: No. 7

1981

at Long Beach St.	No. 16	31-8
Air Force	No. 15	45-21
at UTEP	No. 13	64-8
at Colorado	No. 11	41-20
Utah State	No. 10	32-26
UNLV	No. 8	41-45
at San Diego State	No. 17	27-7
at Wyoming	No. 13	20-33
Utah	No. 18	56-28
Washington State	No. 14	38-36

Record: 8-2

Final Top 20 Ranking: No. 13

1980

at Hawaii	No. 19	34-7
UTEP	No. 17	83-7
North Texas State	No. 13	41-23
Colorado State	No. 13	45-14
at Utah	No. 13	56-6
at UNLV	No. 12	54-14
SMU	No. 14	46-45

Record: 7-0

Final Top 20 Ranking: No. 12

Former BYU linebacker Kyle Whittingham recalls how the Cougars completed a miracle comeback against SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl. pic.twitter.com/zqwvL4OFXI

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 13, 2020

1979

Hawaii	No. 20	38-15
at Utah State	No. 16	48-24
at Wyoming	No. 13	54-14
New Mexico	No. 11	59-7
at Colorado State	No. 11	30-7
at Long Beach State	No. 11	31-17
Utah	No. 10	27-0
at San Diego State	No. 10	63-14
Indiana	No. 9	37-38

Record: 8-1