BYU Football Makes Big Climb Up AP Top 25 Rankings After Virginia Win
Oct 31, 2021, 12:10 PM | Updated: 12:20 pm
BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake has a lot to smile about as his team rose up the AP Top 25 rankings after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers. (Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
(Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – With a resume that features five victories over Power 5 opponents, BYU football is trending upwards again in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
The week ten Top 25 rankings were released and BYU, now sitting at 7-2 on the 2021 season after a memorable 66-49 win over Virginia, made some climbs in the polls.
#BYU makes big jump up the AP Top 25.
Cougars are now No. 17 in the rankings.#BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/Lmh1xMqu2K
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 31, 2021
BYU was the biggest riser in the AP Top 25 poll this week as the Cougars jumped up from No. 25 to No. 17 in the week ten rankings. The only other team that was close to that big of a leap was undefeated UTSA who moved seven spots from 23 to 16.
BYU’s offense had a complete performance in the win over Virginia. Running back Tyler Allgeier is one of the nation’s top running backs as he rushed for a career-high 266 yards on 29 carries. He found the endzone five times, tying a school record for most touchdown runs in a game.
Quarterback Jaren Hall is fully recovered from the rib injury he suffered in September. The sophomore signal-caller passed for a career-high 349 yards and rushed for 42. Hall accounted for four touchdowns with three through the air and a rushing TD to get BYU’s 66-point night started in the first quarter.
During the Kalani Sitake era at BYU (since 2016), the Cougars are 15-4 in games played as a nationally-ranked AP Top 25 team. The win over Virginia put BYU at 166-45-1 all-time in games played as a ranked squad dating back to 1974.
Next up for BYU is a Senior Day matchup at LaVell Edwards Stadium against Idaho State from the FCS ranks. Idaho State is 1-7 overall this season.
The AP Top 25 poll will start to take a backseat beginning this week as the College Football Playoff committee unveils its first rankings this Tuesday. BYU appeared in the CFP rankings in each of their releases last season.
AP Top 25 Poll
Week 10 rankings
1. Georgia (8-0)
2. Cincinnati (8-0)
3. Alabama (7-1)
4. Oklahoma (9-0)
5. Michigan State (8-0)
6. Ohio State (7-1)
7. Oregon (7-1)
8. Notre Dame (7-1)
9. Michigan (7-1)
10. Wake Forest (8-0)
11. Oklahoma State (7-1)
12. Auburn (6-2)
13. Texas A&M (6-2)
14. Baylor (7-1)
15. Ole Miss (6-2)
16. UTSA (8-0)
17. BYU (7-2)
18. Kentucky (6-2)
19. Iowa (6-2)
20. Houston (7-1)
21. Coastal Carolina (7-1)
22. Penn State (5-3)
23. SMU (7-1)
24. Louisiana-Lafayette (7-1)
25. Fresno State (7-2)
Others receiving votes: Pitt; NC State; Wisconsin; Mississippi State; Arkansas; Minnesota; San Diego State; Appalachian State; Utah; Iowa State; Nevada.
#BYU jumps into this week’s Coaches Poll from unranked to No. 20.
Future Big 12 rival Houston cracked in as well at No. 19. #BYUFootball @kslsports pic.twitter.com/xG5siZIdhd
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 31, 2021
Coaches Poll Rankings
Week 10
1. Georgia
2. Cincinnati
3. Alabama
4. Oklahoma
5. Ohio State
6. Michigan State
7. Oregon
8. Notre Dame
9. Wake Forest
10. Michigan
11. Oklahoma State
12. Texas A&M
13. Baylor
14. Auburn
15. Ole Miss
16. Iowa
17. Kentucky
18. UTSA
19. Houston
20. BYU
21. Coastal Carolina
22. NC State
23. Penn State
24. SMU
25. Pitt
Receiving Votes: Louisiana; Fresno State; San Diego State; Arkansas; Minnesota; Wisconsin; Mississippi State; Utah; Appalachian State; Air Force; Liberty; Iowa State; Clemson; Arizona State.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
