Playing in its final regular season game as an Independent, BYU (7-5) closed it out on a high note as the Cougars held on for a 35-26 victory over Stanford (3-9) Saturday night.

The win gave the program its first three-game winning streak of the season. It was also notable in that it gave the Cougars their first victory over Stanford. After coming up short in the two previous meetings, the third time was the charm for the Cougars who rolled out to a 35-12 lead in the second half before holding on for the win.

The win also meant that BYU has now defeated every current Pac-12 team. And during the Independence run, the Cougars have now won 98 of its 154 games, and have played against 70 different teams from 36 different states. The win also assured the fifth consecutive winning season under Kalani Sitake.

BYU Football: Give The Ball To Jaren Hall

Led by Jaren Hall, BYU’s offense couldn’t be stopped in the early going as the Cougars scored touchdowns on its first four possessions. And while Hall didn’t have a big game throwing the ball (93 yards), the junior dual-threat quarterback more than made up for it on the ground as he rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown before being taken out of the game in the second half after appearing to sprain his ankle.

Running back Chris Brooks ran for 164 yards — a new season high — Hinckley Ropati added 85 yards and a touchdown, and wide receiver Puka Nacua ran for 38 yards and a touchdown as well. BYU’s 358 rushing yards were also a season-high and were the most since the program racked up 385 yards against Virginia. The 50 rushing attempts are the most since 56 against South Florida in 2019.

In another milestone, Saturday’s contest was also the first time since 1972 that the Cougars did not have a single penalty. This was great to see after the team racked up 132 yards in penalties the week before.

On the defensive side of the ball, BYU came in ranked second to last in sacks per game. However, with Saturday’s performance, the Cougars will likely be moving up after recording three sacks on the night. The three sacks (Gabe Jeudy-Lally, Lorenzon Fauatea, and Tyler Batty) were the most since the Cougars had four against then-No. 9 Baylor at the start of the season.

Here’s how the media and fans reacted after the win:

 

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