PROVO, Utah -- Bear Bachmeier threw for 289 yards and a touchdown to help No. 11 BYU beat UCF 41-21 on Saturday.
LJ Martin added 95 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for the Cougars (11-1, 8-1 ) who clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game next Saturday where they will face Texas Tech for a second time this season. Parker Kingston added 181 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
BYU is playing in a conference championship game for the first time since battling Air Force for the WAC title in 1998.
"Last year, we were kind of feeling sad that we weren't in this championship game because it came down to a tiebreaker and all that stuff," BYU Coach Kalani Sitake said. "It just felt good to have this game and make sure that we lock it up. Now we can get back on the redemption trail and try to get back a game (where) we didn't do so well in Lubbock."
Tayven Jackson threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns to lead UCF. The Knights (5-7, 2-7) did not qualify for a bowl game for a second consecutive season after giving up 31 unanswered points to the Cougars and totaling just 154 yards over the final three quarters.
Jackson picked apart BYU's secondary in the first quarter, throwing for 110 yards while completing 10 of his first 12 passes. He tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Wade to put the Knights on the board and followed with a 20-yard strike to Agyeman Addae, giving UCF a 14-0 lead. Both receivers were wide-open on their respective scoring plays.
"We just weren't playing our best," Bachmeier said. "We knew we had to bounce back and I thought we responded well."
BYU rallied before halftime after allowing UCF to gain only 16 total yards during the second quarter. The Cougars forced an interception on a trick play and allowed only minus 4 yards on the ground.
Meanwhile, Martin punched it into the end zone twice from a yard out to level the score. Will Ferrin then gave BYU its first lead at 17-14, connecting on a 26-yard field goal right before halftime.
"I think we kind of surprised them with our energy and they settled into the game and probably overall have a better team than we have right now," UCF Coach Scott Frost said. "That's where I want our team to be a little tougher. When we do get up 14-nothing, we get the next stop and we find a way to move the ball again."
The Cougars extended their lead in the third quarter on Martin's third touchdown carry. Martin dragged several would-be tacklers to the goal line with him on a 4-yard run off a direct snap. Kingston made it 31-14 midway through the third quarter after returning a punt 55 yards for a touchdown.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, center, runs the ball during the first half an NCAA college football game against UCF, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)BYU running back LJ Martin (4) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the first half an NCAA college football game against UCF, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)UCF quarterback Tayven Jackson looks the throw the ball during the first half an NCAA college football game against BYU, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)UCF wide receiver Waden Charles (19) rotates his body mid-air to make the catch defended by BYU safety Tanner Wall (28) during the first half an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)