Looking Back At BYU Football’s History With Cincinnati
Nov 19, 2025, 12:49 PM
PROVO, Utah – When No. 11 BYU football travels to Cincinnati this weekend, the Cougars will be seeking their fourth consecutive win over the Bearcats and second on the road.
BYU is 3-0 all-time against Cincinnati in a series that began in 2015, when BYU was an independent and the Bearcats were members of The American Conference.
How To Watch, Stream, & Listen To No. 11 BYU Football Vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cougars and Bearcats meet for the fourth time in history Saturday 🔥
Will @BYUfootball keep the streak going in Cincinnati this weekend? pic.twitter.com/2wwY9Ar2NG
— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) November 17, 2025
BYU has a chance to clinch a spot in the Big 12 title game this weekend with a win and help. Cincinnati enters Saturday riding a two-game losing streak that began with a 45-14 loss at Utah on November 1.
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No. 11 BYU vs. Cincinnati
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Venue: Nippert Stadium
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
The Cougars (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) head east to face the Cincinnati Bearcats (7-3, 5-2 Big 12) on Saturday, November 22. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. MT.
2015 – BYU 38, Cincinnati 24
The first-ever matchup between these teams came at Nippert Stadium in a 2015 Cougar win.
Bronco Mendenhall led BYU into the Queen City against now-U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville and the Bearcats.
BYU fell behind 17-3 before running back Algernon Brown scored the first of two rushing touchdowns.
The Cougars never led until Tanner Mangum connected with Nick Kurtz for a one-play, 53-yard touchdown drive to take a 31-24 lead. BYU outscored Cincinnati 21-0 in the final period and 28-7 in the second half to claim the 28-24 victory.
The Cougars went 9-4 that season.
2016 – Cincinnati 3, BYU 20
The first season with Kalani Sitake at the helm included a commanding road win over Cincinnati.
BYU fell behind 3-0 in the first quarter before scoring 20 unanswered points to pull away for its fourth win of the year.
Tayson Hill and Squally Canada scored rushing touchdowns as the Cougars controlled the action with 207 rushing yards on 47 attempts.
BYU finished 9-4 for the second straight season.
2023 – BYU 35, Cincinnati 27
The Cougars’ eight-point win over the Bearcats in Provo was one of the program’s few bright spots during its first Big 12 season.
Cougar corner Jakob Robinson started the scoring with the first pick-six of his career. Robinson stepped in front of an Emory Jones pass and took it 42 yards to the house for a 7-0 lead.
RELATED: BYU Football Earns First Big 12 Conference Win By Beating Cincinnati
Chase Roberts caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Kedon Slovis, and LJ Martin powered his way for a team-high 66 rushing yards and two scores. Roberts ended the day with six grabs for 131 yards to lead the Cougars.
The Cougars stumbled to a 5-7 finish in their first Big 12 campaign.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
