BYU 41, Northern Iowa 17: After leading just 27-17 in the third quarter against a Division I-AA opponent, the Cougars scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to earn a win in the season-opener at home. Quarterback Max Hall passed for 486 yards and tight end Dennis Pitta caught 11 passes for 213 yards.

BYU 28, Washington 27: The Cougars snapped a nine-game, non-conference road losing streak, but just barely. Huskies quarterback Jake Locker scored a touchdown with two seconds remaining, then drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after throwing the ball high into the air in celebration. On the ensuing 35-yard extra-point attempt, Jan Jorgensen blocked the kick to preserve BYU's win.

BYU 59, UCLA 0: In a rematch of the 2007 Las Vegas Bowl, Cougar quarterback Max Hall threw six first-half touchdown passes and finished with seven total to tie a school record. BYU's defense forced four turnovers while the offense rolled up 521 yards.

BYU 44, Wyoming 0: The defense pitched its second consecutive shutout and scored the first touchdown of the game on Scott Johnson's 64-yard fumble return. The Cougars scored 20 points in the second quarter and cruised from there.

BYU 34, Utah State 14: After building a 24-0 first-quarter advantage, including a 76-yard touchdown catch by Austin Collie on the Cougars' first possession, BYU lost interest and allowed the Aggies to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, much to the delight of the USU crowd. BYU's offense sputtered for much of the final three quarters.

BYU 21, New Mexico 3: On a cold day in Provo, the Lobos managed to stay close with their ball-control offense. Fortunately for the Cougars, backup tight end Andrew George came up big, catching two touchdown passes, while Collie had nine receptions for 155 yards.

TCU 32, BYU 7: The Cougars' shot at a BCS berth was all but shattered in Fort Worth. The highly motivated Horned Frogs jumped out to a 26-0 lead and dominated the game from start to finish. TCU's speedy, athletic defense sacked Hall six times and forced four turnovers. Frog quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 170 yards and two touchdowns while receiver Jeremy Kerley rushed nine times for 77 yards.