Bear Bachmeier didn’t just bounce back against Iowa State. He put together the kind of night that changes the conversation around a quarterback.
The BYU signal-caller threw for 329 yards and added 109 on the ground in Friday night’s win, becoming only the third BYU quarterback ever to pass for more than 300 yards and rush for more than 100 in the same game. He joined Steve Young and Taysom Hill in that club.
That outing came only six days after what was described as the worst passing performance of Bachmeier’s two-year career against TCU. After that game, some analysts wondered whether he could really push the ball downfield without a rushing threat like LJ Martin drawing defensive attention. National analyst Bud Elliot even compared BYU to Iowa, calling it a team with great defense and bad offense.
Against Iowa State, Bachmeier answered all of it.
He was decisive, protected the football and made quick reads. More importantly, he delivered throws that showed a level of confidence and precision that hadn’t always been there before. It was the kind of passing display that suggested he can keep BYU’s offense afloat while LJ Martin recovers from injury.
A key moment came on third down, when Bachmeier dropped a perfect back-shoulder fade to Kyler Kasper. It was the sort of throw Bachmeier did not have in his arsenal last season. Kasper said in an interview with BYU On SI during Fall Camp that he worked with Bachmeier all summer on that route, and the payoff showed up in game action.
Bachmeier also made plays outside the pocket. On one snap, he escaped pressure and hit Roger Saleapaga in stride while throwing on the run across his body, something he rarely did last season.
Throughout the night, he kept finding tight end Walker Lyons and also capped one touchdown drive with a tight-window throw to Kyler Kasper for the score.
Two of his best throws didn’t even show up as completions. On a fourth down deep in Iowa State territory, Bachmeier fired to Legend Glasker through what was described as an 18-inch window.
The ball got there, but Glasker dropped what would have been a touchdown. Bachmeier later delivered another deep strike to Kasper that was also dropped, a pass placed perfectly over Kasper’s shoulder.
Then came the dagger.
Bachmeier stepped into the pocket and launched a perfect deep ball to Legend Glasker, who had gotten behind the defense and never looked back on a 75-yard touchdown. That was the kind of throw that turned Bachmeier’s night from impressive to unforgettable.
By the end of it, Bachmeier looked like one of the best passers in the Big 12, and maybe one of the best in the country, against Iowa State. Now he heads into what could be the biggest game in LaVell Edwards Stadium history against Notre Dame.
In Other News...
BYU's Biggest Offensive Concern Didn't Go Away In The Iowa State Win
BYU got a much-needed Big 12 win over Iowa State, and Bear Bachmeier was a big reason why. The quarterback accounted for 329 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 yards on the ground, helping carry an offense that played without injured running back LJ Martin and had to lean more heavily on its quarterback than it likely wanted to.
Kalani Sitake had plenty to like about the result, but the broader issue did not disappear just because the Cougars handled Iowa State 24-10. The running game beyond Martin still needs help, and the way BYU had to patch together production in his absence only sharpened the concern about whether enough other backs are ready to take pressure off Bachmeier as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Got The Breakout It Needed Before Notre Dame
BYU got the kind of win that can steady a season and sharpen the conversation around what comes next, beating Iowa State 21-10 while playing without its top offensive player, LJ Martin. The Cougars still found enough balance to control the game, leaning on a productive day from sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier and a passing attack that featured tight ends Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga II.
Bachmeier finished with 329 passing yards, a touchdown and a career-high 109 rushing yards, the sort of dual-threat effort that can change how opponents prepare for BYU in the weeks ahead. With Notre Dame still looming, the timing of the breakout matters just as much as the result, because the Cougars needed proof they could generate offense even when the game plan loses a centerpiece. [Read more 🡒]
BYU's Win Exposed Two Risky Problems Kalani Sitake Can't Ignore
BYUs 24-10 win over Iowa State came with the kind of mixed signals coaches usually spend the next week sorting through. Kalani Sitake got the result he wanted, but the game also put a spotlight on some choices and tendencies that deserve a hard look, from the aggressiveness of the fourth-down calls to how the offense functioned without LJ Martin. Bear Bachmeier still gave the Cougars enough at quarterback to control the game, but the win also made clear that the margin for error can shrink quickly when the run game isnt fully intact.
Tiger Bachmeiers work on punt returns added another layer to the discussion, giving BYU useful field position and a spark in a game that was often defined by possession and patience. The bigger question now is how Sitake wants to balance all of that moving forward, especially if he continues to lean into high-leverage decisions while trying to stabilize an offense that looked better in some areas than others. The win counted in the standings, but it also left behind a few coaching puzzles that wont go away on their own. [Read more 🡒]