The Season That Could Have Been: BYU’s Bittersweet 2025 Campaign

BYU’s 2025 season was a story of incredible highs and crushing lows, marking both historic achievements and painful disappointments for the Cougars in their third year in the Big 12 Conference.

Pre-Season

It was announced that the BYU star quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, would be suspended for 7 games due to an Honor Code Violation. He then dropped out of school and transferred to Tulane. He led them to a Playoff appearance.

Pre-Season Polls

The preseason polls didn’t favor the Cougars all that much in the Big 12. I mean, they were ranked # 8 to finish the season. You can find that here

Even if they did finish 11-2, they finished 3 behind Arizona St and Iowa State.

They dropped to #8 in Pre-season. Kind of a slap in the face. Maybe due to the QB leaving.

What will BYU do? Never fear, the Transfer Portal is here.

Rise of Bear Bachmeier

The biggest story was undoubtedly Bear Bachmeier. The true freshman didn’t just win the job; he rewrote the record books. Bachmeier became the first BYU true freshman to start at QB, finishing with 3,033 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. However, it was his mobility that punished defenses—he set a BYU quarterback record with 11 rushing touchdowns.

He proved that he belongs. He came from Stanford along with his brother.

Backfield and secondary stars

While Bachmeier led the air attack, LJ Martin was the engine of the offense. Martin’s 1,305 rushing yards (6th in the nation) earned him Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. On the other side of the ball, the defense returned to its “No Fly Zone” roots:

Faletau Satuala (S): The sophomore breakout led the team with 83 tackles and earned second-team All-American honors.
Jack Kelly (LB): A transfer portal gem who recorded 10 sacks, the first Cougar to hit double-digits in the Sitake era.

Winning

Somehow BYU kept on winning. Despite being down in the 4th quarter at Colorado, Arizona, Utah, etc. They came back to win the game.

The regular season was a masterclass in winning close games. From a 24–21 thriller in the Holy War against Utah to a double-overtime victory at Arizona, BYU found ways to win when it mattered.

Though they struggled in two matchups against a dominant Texas Tech squad (their only losses), the Cougars capped the year in iconic fashion. In the Pop-Tarts Bowl, BYU rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat Georgia Tech 25–21, culminating in the team famously devouring the edible mascots on national television.

2025 Season

Was a good one for the Cougars; they finished second in the Big 12, making it to the championship game in their 3rd season and their first in conference history. Even if BYU got overlooked for the College Football Playoffs, they went out winners.