BYU football: The 10 best performances of the Independence era

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(Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) /

BYU football has been a FBS Independent since 2011. Some performances have stuck out more than others. But these are the best of the best.

ESPN 960 host Ben Criddle took to Twitter earlier in the week to ask about the greatest individual performances of BYU football’s Independent tenure.

So that got me thinking.

Right off the bat, some games come to mind. And if you’re thinking of one of those, don’t worry. They’ll make an appearance.

But even while BYU football’s recent history has been fairly mediocre, there have been some truly incredible players to come through Provo.

Let’s remember some of the most electric individual performances since 2011.

Against the Rainbow Warriors in 2012, Jamaal Williams gave BYU football fans a flash of what was to come for the eventual all-time leading rusher.

The Stats:

Williams took 15 carries for 155 yards and scored twice in BYU’s 47-0 win over Hawaii.

What They Said:

“Jamaal has great vision. He’s a great athlete and we have seen all of that in practice. He made the most of his time (tonight). It was fun.”

James Lark made his first career start a big one, picking apart the New Mexico State defense. We’ll see even more from this game later.

The Stats:

Lark completed 34-of-50 passes for 384 yards and six touchdown passes as the Cougars rolled NMSU.

What They Said:

Lark was fairly emotional in his post-game interview, telling the Deseret News:

“It’s a dream come true. That’s the only way I can really describe it.”