​BYU Cougars wide receiver Legend Glasker (1) runs with the ball during a game against Utah Tech at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026.
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Lukas Katilius, Deseret News
There was little doubt prior to kickoff that BYU’s season opener against Utah Tech wasn’t going to go exactly as it went. The No. 14-ranked Cougars, a seven-touchdown favorite, overwhelmed the Trailblazers in all phases of the game to win by eight touchdowns, 63-7.Along the way, there were three key plays that set BYU on a course to quickly turn opening night into a glorified pre-game workout for next week’s Big 12 opener against Arizona. Here they are: DeVries 100-yard kickoff returnCannon DeVries had dreamed about just such a moment growing up in North Ogden and playing football at Weber High — he wanted to get to LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo and return a kickoff for a touchdown.SHOT OUT OF A CANNON (DEVRIES) 💥💥📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/zbxB8gS3OF— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) September 6, 2026Saturday night against Utah Tech — his moment came.Determined for a return, DeVries fielded the second-half kickoff a couple of steps inside his own end zone. Once he reached the 7-yard line, he veered away from the right side to the left. On the way, he shook off a would-be tackler around the 15. “After the first guy missed, I made a couple of more guys miss and saw the comeback open, so I made a move,” said DeVries. By the time he reached the Y logo at midfield, “it was green grass from there. I knew I was gone.”Gone. Yes. But not without a last push.“You don’t feel your legs the last 20 yards,” he said. “It’s like a 400-meter dash. You are just running with whatever is left in the tank.”The 6-foot-0, 184-pound sophomore, who also started at cornerback, had more than enough fuel to get him there to give BYU a 49-0 lead.“It’s definitely a dream come true.”Legendary startTrue freshman Legend Glasker made quite a first impression at BYU, scoring three touchdowns in his debut, including two on his first two touches — a 9-yard run and a 26-yard reception in the first quarter. However, it was his third touchdown, a 33-yard grab in the second quarter, that put him in a rare place.Legend Glasker is LEGENDARY 😤📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/SWfmxkZGmn— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) September 6, 2026“The people around me, the coaches and players, they bought into me a lot, and they trust me,” said the former Lehi High star. “So, I feel like when they entrusted me, I can just really go out there and do this with their trust. I feel like I can do anything.”Glasker became the first BYU freshman to score three or mo