BYU coach Kalani Sitake leads No. 7 Cougars into top-10 Utah rivalry game
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The gist
BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake takes his 7-1 Cougars to No. 3 Utah on Saturday.
It is the rivalry's first top-10 matchup, with BYU chasing a fourth straight win.
Background
Kalani Sitake has been head football coach at Brigham Young University since July 2016, going 84-45 there including 23-4 over the past two seasons. His No. 7 Cougars (7-1) face No. 3 Utah, coached in his first year by Morgan Scalley and off to an 8-0 start, in what is described as the first-ever top-10 rivalry matchup against the Utes. Sitake has spent the week stressing consistency, saying he has not done a good enough job of getting the team to play at its best.
How it unfolded
- Aug 28, 2026BYU coach Kalani Sitake begins reporting to university advancement vice president Keith Vorkink instead of athletic director Brian Santiago, who still oversees the school's other sports.
- Oct 3, 2026Running back LJ Martin leaves the 17-10 win over TCU in the first quarter with a severe ankle sprain.
- Oct 24, 2026BYU loses to UCF in double overtime.
- Oct 31, 2026No. 7 BYU beats Arizona State 27-20 with 283 yards of offense; Sitake says afterward his focus is getting the team ready and being consistent.
- Nov 2, 2026At his weekly press briefing before the Utah game, Sitake twice calls Utah's Wayshawn Parker an NFL-caliber running back and says LJ Martin's status is still unclear.
- Nov 5, 2026Sitake appears on The Triple Option with BYU at 7-1 and No. 9 in the first College Football Playoff rankings.
- Nov 7, 2026No. 7 BYU is scheduled to play at No. 3 Utah at 10 a.m. MST, broadcast on ABC and KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM.
Key terms
- College Football Playoff rankings
- An annual single-elimination tournament determining the national champion of NCAA Division I FBS college football.
- MST
- A North American time zone seven hours behind UTC during standard time.
- double overtime
- An extra period played to break a tie when scores are equal after regulation time.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Coach
- Sitake says he needs to do a better job getting BYU to play at its best, calling the team inconsistent at 7-1 and saying the young players have to grow up.
- Official
- BYU advancement vice president Keith Vorkink says the school wants to provide more administrative support, not less, given a changing athletics landscape.
- Analysts
- Coverage frames BYU as an underdog to Utah but notes the Cougars have won three straight in the rivalry and are seeking their first four-game streak over the Utes since 1992.
Still unverified
LJ Martin's status for Saturday is still unclear after missing four straight games with an ankle injury; he is listed as questionable.