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BYU Football: Top 10 Cougar wins of all time

By Shaun Gordon

MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 15: Isaiah Kaufusi #53 of the BYU Cougars celebrates with teammates after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. BYU won 24-21. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 15: Isaiah Kaufusi #53 of the BYU Cougars celebrates with teammates after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. BYU won 24-21. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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No. 5

2018 – BYU 24, No. 6 Wisconsin 21

Once again, this game could end up much higher or much lower on this list, depending on how both teams perform the rest of this year and beyond.

But as of now, this win is a mixture of toppling a giant and program rejuvenation.

Wisconsin entered the season as a College Football Playoff contender after being snubbed in 2017. They boast one of the best offensive lines and one of the best running backs in the nation, bullying the teams they play.

BYU beat the Badgers at their own game. The Cougars won the game in the trenches, and Squally Canada finished with more yards (and yards per carry) than Heisman candidate Jonathan Taylor.

After 2017’s nightmare of a season, this win rejuvenated Cougar Nation.

It’s also Kalani Sitake’s first win over a ranked team as the head coach, and it was a doozy.

No. 4

1996 – No. 5 BYU 19, No. 14 Kansas State 15

BYU’s capped off one if their most remarkable seasons in the biggest bowl game they’ve ever played in.

After upsetting No. 13 Texas A&M in their first game of the season, BYU went on a remarkable run, going 12-1 in the regular season (their only blemish a loss at Washington), followed by a win over Wyoming in the WAC Championship game in Las Vegas.

With the win, the Cougars sat at No. 5 in the nation and earned a spot in the Cotton Bowl. Even to this day, it’s the most high-profile bowl game that BYU has ever played in.

Their opponent was no slouch either. No. 14 Kansas State entered the game at 9-2, with their only losses coming against No. 7 Nebraska and No. 6 Colorado.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Cougars trailed the Wildcats 15-5, but quarterback Steve Sarkisian led BYU on two scoring drives to reverse the score and put the Cougars up by four.

With a minute left in the game the Wildcats found themselves on the Cougar 13-yard line with the chance to win the game, until Omarr Morgan picked off Brian Kavanagh to seal BYU’s 19-15 win.

For six years BYU’s 14 wins stood as the most in a single season in the modern football era.

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