BYU's Mitch Mathews makes the winning catch. Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
BYU played 72 different teams and won almost 100 games from 2011-2022. Amongst those wins were game-winning drives, last-second defensive stops, and overtime wins. These Top 10 BYU wins were arguably the best during those 12 years.
10. Toledo 2016
BYU came into this game 1-3 making this game not too appealing on the outside. After just one quarter of play the score was 21-14 in BYU’s favor. This win took the big and strong games of Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams in order to make a comeback to get a walk off field goal to win this game. Jamaal Williams also had a record breaking game for single game rushing yards. This game may not have been the most elegant of the Cougars wins over the year but with how it ended I couldn’t leave it off this list.
9. Arizona State 2021
The Cougars came into this game 2-0 and won this game 27-17. Jaren Hall and Tyler Allgeier were the key players in this win for the Cougars. Allgeier had 69 rushing yards, one touchdown, and one forced fumble. Hall had 214 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 38 yards. The Cougar defense also had an amazing showing that night with 76 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles, and seven tackles for loss. With these stats and others BYU was able to win this game making it their third straight and also the third Pac-12 team of the year. This win made it here due to the pure thrilling performance of BYU.
8. Houston 2013
The Cougars came in against the Cougars 4-2. Both teams came out of the gates and put up 44 combined points in the first quarter. This game was a shoot out and ended 47-46 with BYU putting up 13 points in the final quarter of play. Taysom Hill and Cody Hoffman were the stars for the offense. Hill put up 417 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also rushed for 128 yards. Hoffman had 156 reiciving yards and one touchdown. The BYU defense forced three interceptions Sorensen, Hadley, and Fua each caught one of those interceptions. Another win for the Cougars in 2013 and for the indepedence era. This win makes it here becuase of the shoot out and the performance by both sides of the ball.
7. Tennessee 2019
BYU went into this game 1-1 and came out with the win in double overtime. Zach Wilson, Ty’Son Williams and Micah Simon led the Cougar offense down the field for three touchdowns. Wilson had 232 passing yards and one touchdown. Williams had 92 rushing yards and two touchdwons one of those came in overtime to win the game. Simon had 127 receiving yards in this game. The Cougar defense struggled in aspects of this game but came up clutch when it count. This defense had 79 tackles, one sack, one interception, and six tackles for loss. This thrilling overtime win was one of the biggest ones for BYU over the indepedence era which is why it made this list.
6. Boise State 2015
The BYU Boise State game has always been a good one to watch over the years. The 2015 matchup in Provo had to be one of the highlights of the independence era. BYU went into this game 2-0 and won it 35-24. This game was also won in the fourth quarter with the Cougars putting up three touchdowns. Tanner Mangum and Mitchell Juergens were the key to the Cougar offense putting up points in this game. Mangum threw for 309 yards, two touchdonws, and two interceptions. Juergens had 172 receiving yards, and two touchdowns one of those touchdowns were caught in the final seconds of this game. Mangum threw another hail mary to win BYU two games in the 2015 season. This game was a pure thriller and brought more excitement to the 2015 season and the independence era.
5. USC 2019
Now into our top 5 of this list. Coming in at number 5 is the BYU USC game in 2019. This game also went into overtime and ended with a game winning interception. Zach Wilson, Ty’Son Williams, and Gunner Romney were the stars for the Cougar offense in this game. Wilson threw for 280 yards and one touchdown. Williams rushed for 99 yards. Romney caught for 54 yards. The BYU defense had 79 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss, and 3 interceptions. This overtime thriller lasted only a few minutes in overtime as the BYU defense came up clutch to end this game with an interception. Another BYU overtime game that they won and left BYU fans sitting on the edge of their seats.
4. Texas 2014
BYU came in 2-0 and won this game 41-7. This game was not close but was a fun one to watch. Taysom Hill, and Jordan Leslie helped the Cougars to this big win. Hill threw for 181 yards, rushed for 99 yards, and three touchdowns. He ran over the Texas defense. Leslie had 85 receiving yards. This Cougar defense had the best showing though with 70 tackles, three sacks, seven tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups, and one quarterback hits.
3. Wisconsin 2018
BYU came into this game 2-1 and won it 24-21. The BYU run game came in clutch with 191 rushing yards. Squally Canada rushing for 118 of those and also two touchdowns. The Cougar defense had 83 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and three tackles for loss. BYU beat the Badgers in Madison Wisconsin and this was one of the biggest wins for BYU and also one talked about throughout the 2018 season. This game is in the top 5 becuase BYU wasn’t supposed to beat the Badgers on their home turf.
2. Utah 2021
The BYU Utah rivalry has ended in last second victories, blowout wins, and even fourth quarter comebacks. BYU came into this game 2-0 and won it for the first time in nine years 26-17. Jaren Hall, Tyler Allgeier and Puka Nacua were the keys to the Cougar offense that night and many nights over the 2021 season. Hall threw for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Allgeier rushed for 102 yards. Nacua had 37 receiving yards. The Cougar defense was the one to win this game they had 52 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for loss, and one interception. This came is number 2 becuase it was arguably almost the best win for BYU from 2011-2022
1. Nebraska 2015
Coming in at Number one is the BYU Nebraska game. The season opener for 2015 was a thriller and also turned out to be the most talked about win for BYU during the independence era. This game came down the final whistle and was even reviewed after the clock read zero. BYU won this game 33-28 on the final play of the game. Tanner Mangum, Taysom Hill, and Mitch Matthews were the offensive players to find the spark to win this game. Hill threw for 268 yards, one touchdown, one interception and also rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with a foot injury. Mangum the freshman quarterback came in and threw for 111 yards and one touchdown. Matthews had 69 receiving yards and two touchdowns including the Hail Mary to end the game. This is the number one game to be won during the independence era because of all that went on during this game and how it was won.
