BYU moves up to No. 20 and No. 21 in national rankings

PROVO, Utah — BYU moved up in the national rankings released Sunday, receiving a No. 20 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 and a No. 21 placement in the USA Today Amway Coaches Poll. 

The Cougars are coming off a 41-33 home win over Virginia to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2008 and only the eighth time in school history. BYU started the year with road victories over Connecticut (35-10) and Texas (41-7) before a home-opening win over Houston (33-25).

BYU has been ranked for three consecutive weeks in the AP poll and moved up one spot in this week’s rankings. The Cougars advanced two places in this week’s Amway Coaches Poll after a No. 23 rating last week. BYU has received a national ranking during eight of 10 seasons under head coach Bronco Mendenhall.

The Cougars were among 11 teams to be moved up this week by the AP voters and one of 13 teams to advance by vote of the national coaches panel.

Eight of the top-10 teams in the AP poll maintained their positions, with Notre Dame moving up one spot to No. 8, Michigan State climbed two positions to No. 9 and LSU falling nine places to No. 17. The Coaches, meanwhile, kept six of their top-10 teams in place this week. Oklahoma and Oregon traded positions, with the Sooners taking over the No. 3 spot from the Ducks, while Notre Dame and Michigan State, like the AP poll, moved up one and two spots, respectively, to No. 8 and No. 9.  Missouri and Clemson dropped out of both major polls this week.

Florida State again tops both the AP and Amway Coaches rankings with Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma and Auburn rounding out the AP’s top five, while the Coaches ordered the same teams as Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon and Auburn.

The Cougars maintained its No. 17 rating in the ESPN Power Rankings, which is voted on by a 13-member ESPN panel. The ESPN voters moved Oklahoma to the top spot this week with Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Texas A&M filling out the top five.

BYU has a bye this week before returning to action against Utah State on Friday, Oct. 3. ESPN will televise the in-state rivalry between the Cougars and Aggies to a national audience at 8:15 p.m. MT.