Don't sleep on Colorado State. That's good advice for the average college football fan and No. 11 BYU.
The Cougars are coming off a key Big 12 win over Arizona, but they can't afford a letdown as they travel to Fort Collins for a nonconference matchup against the Rams. BYU has looked like a conference championship contender. The Cougars have controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and quarterback Bear Bachmeier has operated the offense at a high level, especially when it comes to pounding the rock.
Then again, Hauss Hejny has done the same thing for Colorado State. Hejny's nine touchdown passes are second in the country behind USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, but he leads all FBS signal callers with 4.5 touchdown passes per game. A former four-star recruit, Hejny has found some rhythm with the Rams. Sticking with the offense, UConn transfer running back Jayden Brown is averaging a jaw-dropping 13.4 yards per carry through two games.
This will be a fun, nonconference matchup on Saturday night, and BYU should be tested before its open date in Week 4. Here's everything you need to know.
Where to watch BYU vs. Colorado State live
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Canvas Stadium -- Fort Collins, Colorado
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Streaming on Paramount+ Premium
BYU vs. Colorado State: Need to know
Hauss is the boss: Hejny has breathed new life into an offense that averaged just 18.5 points per game last season (124th nationally). Through just two games in 2026, the Rams are averaging 46.5 points per game (22nd nationally) while Hejny is averaging 10.7 yards per attempt. The tricky part for opposing defenses is that Hejny has done a nice job of spreading the ball around. Three different receivers have at least eight receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Granted, the BYU defense will be the greatest challenge Hejny faces all season.
BYU is a bullying team: Football is won in the trenches, so it's no wonder BYU is a popular pick to win the Big 12 and reach the College Football Playoff. The Cougars are pushing teams around at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Offensively, BYU is averaging 228 rushing yards per game, and the team is allowing just 73.0 rushing yards per game on defense. If there's any reason to believe the Cougars will handle business with relative ease, it's that they are bigger and stronger than the Rams where it matters most.
Rams' own lengthy top-25 losing streak: If Colorado State is going to pull off the upset, it has to reverse its fortunes against top-25 teams. Colorado State is riding a 26-game losing streak against those teams, and its last victory over a ranked opponent came against No. 7 Colorado in 2002. The vast majority of students at Colorado State haven't seen the Rams beat a ranked team in their lifetimes. Will that change this weekend? It will be a tall task, but Jim Mora Jr. has his team off to a strong start.
BYU vs. Colorado State prediction, pick
The Cougars looked great in last week's win over Arizona, in which they covered the 8.5-point spread. There's certainly a world in which BYU overwhelms Colorado State with its size and physicality, but I'm kind of buying what the Rams are doing on offense through two weeks. Hejny looks very comfortable behind center, and Colorado State is running the ball efficiently. There won't be an upset in Fort Collins, but the Rams can keep it within the number as the Cougars exhale rolling into an early open date. Pick -- Colorado State +17.5
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYU -18 |  |  | | | | | | | |
| SU | | | | | | | | |
SportsLine's proven computer model has simulated every Week 3 college football game 10,000 times. Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that's on a 33-21 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks since the 2024 season.
