2012 Football Schedule Announced

PROVO, Utah — Brigham Young University today announced its 2012 football schedule. The 12-game schedule includes fellow independent Notre Dame and teams from the Atlantic Coast, Pacific-12, Mountain West, Western Athletic and Big Sky conferences.

 

The Cougars will open the 2012 season at home on Sept. 1 against Washington State of the Pac-12. BYU alumnus Mike Leach, who is entering his first season as head coach in Pullman, leads the WSU Cougars. The two schools have met three times previously with BYU holding a 2-1 advantage after winning the last meeting in Provo in 1990. The following week on Sept. 8, BYU will host in-state foe Weber State of the Big Sky Conference in the first meeting between the two schools since 1979. BYU has a 2-0 series record over the Wildcats.

 

The Cougars will play one of the toughest road schedules in school history in 2012. The first road game is at archrival Utah on Sept. 15 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Cougars and Utes have met 87 times since the Deseret First Duel began in 1922. Winning 34 of the first 40 meetings, Utah holds a 52-31-4 advantage in the longtime series. 

 

A trip to Boise, Idaho, on Sept. 22 will see the Cougars face the Boise State Broncos of the MWC in the first of 12 contests scheduled through the 2023 season. Featuring two programs that are top 10 nationally in wins over the past six seasons, BYU and Boise State will battle for the third time after back-to-back Bronco wins in 2003 and 2004.

 

After the two-game road swing, BYU returns to LaVell Edwards Stadium for three straight home games. Hawai'i of the MWC comes to Provo led by former BYU assistant coach Norm Chow on Sept. 29, followed by in-state rival Utah State in a Friday evening matchup on Oct. 5 and Oregon State of the Pac-12 on Oct. 13. The Cougars are 20-8 all-time versus the Warriors, 44-34-3 against the Aggies and 5-5 in matchups with the Beavers.

 

BYU goes back on the road when it travels to South Bend, Ind., to face Notre Dame on Oct. 20. The contest is the first of a six-game series scheduled between the two football independents through the 2020 season. The Fighting Irish hold a 4-2 series lead over the Cougars with each school earning home victories in the last two meetings in 2004 (in Provo) and 2005 (in South Bend).

 

The next week, BYU will head to Atlanta for a game versus ACC foe Georgia Tech on Oct. 27. The Cougars and the Yellow Jackets have met twice previously in a tied series after home wins by Georgia Tech in 2002 and BYU in 2003. 

 

Following a bye on Nov. 3, BYU will finish the 2012 season with three games against WAC opponents. The Cougars host the Idaho Vandals on Nov. 10 in Edwards Stadium. The two schools have met four times with the series tied at 2-2 after BYU’s win in Provo last season.

 

BYU will finish the year with road games at San Jose State on Nov. 17 and New Mexico State on Nov. 24. The Cougars are 6-9 all time versus SJSU and 1-0 against New Mexico State after victories over the two programs in Provo last season.

 

In all, the Cougars will play six home games and six road games in 2012. Eleven of 12 games are scheduled for Saturday, with one Friday night matchup against Utah State on Oct. 5. BYU will face seven teams that were on its inaugural independent schedule in 2011, including Utah, Oregon State, Utah State, Hawaii, San Jose State, New Mexico State and Idaho. The Cougars were 6-1 in those games. In 2012 BYU concludes a two-year scheduling agreement with the WAC designed to meet short-term scheduling needs after going independent. 

 

BYU is coming off a 10-3 season in 2011, its first as a FBS Independent. The Cougars finished the year ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, earning a spot in the final top-25 poll for the fifth time in the last six seasons. BYU is one of only 11 programs nationally to be ranked in at least one of the two major final polls five of the last six years.

 

Additional details including broadcast plans, game times and ticket information will be released at a later date. 

 

2012 BYU Football Schedule

Date	Opponent
Sept. 1	Washington State
Sept. 8	Weber State
Sept. 15	at Utah
Sept. 22	at Boise State
Sept. 29	Hawai'i
Oct. 5	Utah State
Oct. 13	Oregon State
Oct. 20	at Notre Dame
Oct. 27	at Georgia Tech
Nov. 3	BYE
Nov. 10	Idaho
Nov. 17	at San Jose State
Nov. 24	at New Mexico State