Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) drops back to pass against Missouri during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) drops back to pass against Missouri during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. Michael Woods, Associated Press
Brandon Judd
By Brandon Judd

One of the perks of independence for BYU has been the ability to play teams it hasn’t previously.

The Cougars will have another opportunity to do that Saturday when they host Arkansas in the first meeting between the two schools.

All-time history for BYU football in home games against SEC schools

While BYU and Arkansas have never played before, this isn’t the first time that the Cougars have played a home game against a team from the SEC.

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  • BYU has played Mississippi State twice in Provo, losing to the Bulldogs in 2000 but beating them at LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2016.
  • Mississippi State used three defensive scores to beat the Cougars 44-28 in 2000.
  • BYU outlasted the Bulldogs in an overtime thriller in 2016, when Taysom Hill accounted for two overtime touchdowns and Fred Warner knocked away a pass in the end zone on the game’s final play.
  • BYU beat Texas A&M 41-37 in the Pigskin Classic at LaVell Edwards Stadium in 1996, though back then, the Aggies were a member of the Big 12 Conference. Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
  • The Cougars had a home game with Tennessee scheduled for next season — which will be BYU’s first as a member of the Big 12 Conference — but the Volunteers canceled that game earlier this year.
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