Rece Davis predicts a monumental upset as the unbeaten Rams look to snap a 27-game losing streak against ranked opponents in a hostile clash with the Cougars.
The 11th-ranked BYU Cougars hit the road for the first time in the 2026 football season. Kalani Sitake's team will rekindle with an old conference flame on Saturday night in Fort Collins against the Colorado State Rams.
While some have speculated if this was a trap game for BYU, ESPN host Rece Davis went all in, predicting the Rams would pick up a major upset at home. He cited what Jim Mora Jr. has been able to do with CSU this season. This will be the first time the Cougars will face a hostile crowd in 2026. Davis could be an outlier in the situation with oddsmakers riding with BYU as a double-digit point favorite against Colorado State.
There have been stranger things to happen, but the odds are truly stacked against the Rams. BYU is the highest-ranked opponent to play at Canvas Stadium, which opened ahead of the 2018 season. However, the bad history against AP Top 25 teams goes deep for Colorado State. The last time the Rams were able to secure a victory over a ranked opponent came during George W. Bush's first term in office.
Colorado State is riding a 27-game losing streak against ranked opponents. The last upset came in the 2002 Rocky Mountain Showdown battle with then No. 7 Colorado at Mile High Stadium in Denver. This isn't the time for BYU to be part of a bad statistic. Also, the last time the Rams were able to pull off an upset at home was in 1990 against then No. 19 Wyoming. Being able to end both streaks will be at stake for CSU on Saturday.
We'll get to see how Sitake's team responds to playing away from LaVell Edwards Stadium. This is a different CSU football team from years ago. Like BYU, the Rams moved away from the Mountain West Conference for a better shot at postseason glory and a bigger payout. Mora brings NFL experience to the table and has CSU off to a 2-0 start this season.
BYU will need to control the tempo of the game early. Under Sitake, the Cougars have a 90 percent win rate when leading at halftime (62-7), according to BYU's Greg Wrubell. "Opponents have a considerably lower 67% win rate when leading BYU at halftime (34-17). BYU has won 17 straight games when leading at the break, but is also 8-3 in its last 11 when trailing at half."
No. 11 BYU looks to make a statement in Fort Collins against Colorado State. Kickoff from Canvas Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
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