BYU opened the Kevin Young era with a 72-61 exhibition victory over Nebraska at the Marriott Center on Friday, October 16, 2026. Colin Chandler led the Cougars with 19 points, while Robert Wright III added 17 points and seven assists in front of home fans.
The Cougars established control after halftime, outscoring the Cornhuskers 44-29 in the second half to secure the 11-point win. Nebraska entered the matchup having reached the Sweet 16 a season prior with a 28-7 overall record and a 15-5 mark in Big Ten play, but head coach Fred Hoiberg’s squad dropped its second consecutive exhibition following a 79-74 loss to Saint Louis on October 9.
First-Half Defense Gives Way to BYU’s Second-Half Surge
Nebraska’s defense set the tone early in Provo. The visitors held BYU to 34 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes while building an 18-11 lead behind baskets from Connor Essegian, Damon Wilkinson, and Trevan Leonhardt, a former Utah Valley point guard who adds experience following his transfer. BYU answered with a 10-2 run capped by a Chandler dunk, but Nebraska pushed its advantage back to seven points before intermission.
I thought in the first half they (Nebraska) did a really good job of rotating on the first drive.
Kevin Young, BYU head coach, via Heraldextra
That defensive intensity faded after the break. BYU opened the second half on a 5-of-8 shooting run from beyond the arc in the first 5:30, taking the lead permanently on a 3-pointer from Robert Wright III.
In the second half we started breaking them down a little bit more on the second drive and the extra pass.
Kevin Young, BYU head coach, via Heraldextra
Standout Performances From Chandler, Branch, and Lanier
BYU put four players in double figures. Chandler led all scorers with 19 points, while Wright contributed 17 points and seven assists.
For Nebraska, Cale Jacobsen scored a team-high 15 points, converting 9-of-10 attempts from the free-throw line alongside three rebounds and seven first-half points. Freshman Jacob Lanier provided an offensive spark off the bench, scoring all 11 of his points in the second half on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc in 14 minutes.
Roster Rotations and Upcoming Exhibition Slates
Exhibition games allow coaching staffs to experiment with lineups rather than lock into fixed rotations. Nebraska utilized 11 players and sat First-Team All-Big Ten selection Pryce Sandfort—who set a single-season program record for 3-pointers made and averaged 18.1 points per game last season—for the final 12-plus minutes of the contest. Hoiberg pointed to player development and extended bench minutes as priorities during the exhibition stretch.
The loss also highlighted turnover issues for the visitors, who committed 18 turnovers in Provo after giving the ball away 12 times in their 79-74 exhibition loss to Saint Louis. Tipoff for Nebraska’s next game against Kansas State from a sold-out BigIron Events Center in Grand Island is set for 6:30 p.m. on October 26, with coverage carried on the Huskers Radio Network, NPM, and B1G+.
The Cougars head to Las Vegas for their final exhibition game against the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels on October 24 at 2:00 p.m.
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