No. 7 Texas battles one of the new teams in the Big 12 for the second-consecutive week when the Longhorns welcome BYU to Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Saturday. The Longhorns and Cougars have met five previous times, but even though this will mark the first time they've played as conference opponents, it is likely to be the last time, too, with Texas heading to the SEC in 2024.
The Longhorns are firmly a factor in both the Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff hunts amid a 6-1 start to coach Steve Sarkisian's third season, marking the program's best record through seven games since 2018. However, a cloud of uncertainty looms overhead at quarterback after Quinn Ewers suffered a shoulder injury against Houston that is expected to sideline him for at least this Saturday, if not longer.
BYU, meanwhile, has fared the best of the Big 12's four rookie members. The Cougars are 5-2 overall with a 2-2 mark in conference play, featuring Big 12 victories at home against Cincinnati and Texas Tech. Although a healthy underdog Saturday, BYU holds a 4-1 edge in the series between the schools, and Saturday brings an opportunity for the Cougars to throw a wrench into Texas' championship pursuit.
Storylines, viewing information and predictions for the Texas-BYU game can be found below.
How to watch Texas vs. BYU live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 28 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium -- Austin, Texas
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Texas vs. BYU: Need to know
Eyes on Texas' QB situation: Ewers is listed as week-to-week, but he will not start start against BYU amid reports of a Grade 2 AC sprain to his throwing shoulder. That puts Maalik Murphy in the driver's seat for Saturday -- it was Murphy who subbed in for Ewers at Houston -- though much has been made about the potential opportunity for touted five-star freshman Arch Manning. The nephew of retired Super Bowl champions Eli and Peyton Manning has yet to play a snap in his first season on the Forty Acres. That could change as soon as this weekend amid reduced depth at quarterback, even if Manning only sees action sparingly behind Murphy.
Cougars holding their own: BYU's first go-around in a power conference has been far from flawless, but the Cougars have fared the best of the Big 12's four newcomers by a comfortable margin. Their two Big 12 wins are more than the other three new teams combined. BYU is also the only team in that group sitting above .500 on the season. The Cougars find themselves in that position despite an offense that is averaging 301.9 yards -- last in the Big 12 -- and a modest 27.6 points per game. That unit has been highly opportunistic, scoring on 91.3% of its trips to the red zone for a mark that ranks third in the conference.
BYU's success against the Longhorns: No matter how you spin it, series history leans heavily in BYU's favor. The Cougars swept a pair of home-and-homes with Texas, first from 1987-88 and again from 2013-14. Even the lone win for the Longhorns in the series was close: Texas posted a 17-16 home win against BYU in 2011. However, none of those Texas teams finished in the AP Top 25. Call it favorable timing if you wish. These Longhorns appear different in that regard, but a loss to Oklahoma, an upset scare at Houston and the injury to Ewers have all made for a bumpy road in recent weeks.
Texas vs. BYU prediction, picks
Odds via SportsLine consensus
It's easy to think Texas, back on home turf for the first time since September, will "wake up" Saturday after a rather turbulent two-game stretch. Even if the passing game is wobbly due to the quarterback situation, the Longhorns offense is still a far superior unit compared to what BYU brings to the table. If all else fails, Texas can lean into a rushing attack headlined by Jonathon Brooks, who ranks seventh nationally among FBS players with 825 yards rushing. True freshman running back CJ Baxter has also flashed potential, and both could have a big day against a BYU defense that ranks a pedestrian No. 9 among Big 12 teams against the run. All things considered -- and this has been said before -- Texas' biggest potential enemy in this one is itself. Pick: Texas -17.5
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