The last time Iowa State came to Provo, BYU was still trying to figure out what life in the Big 12 was supposed to look like.
That Nov. 11, 2023 night turned ugly fast. BYU opened by fumbling the kickoff, got shoved around for 234 rushing yards and 443 total yards, and was buried 45-13 by an Iowa State team that, at best, looked ordinary. It was the kind of loss that invited the harshest kind of headlines and left a first-year conference member wondering how steep the climb really was.
Now the rematch arrives with the roles flipped.
No. 8 BYU is 4-0 and 2-0 in the Big 12, riding a run that has made the Cougars one of the league’s best programs since the start of the 2024 season. Iowa State comes in at 3-2 and 1-1, trying to steady itself after Matt Campbell’s sudden departure to Penn State and coming off a loss to Utah before beating West Virginia last week.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. MDT Friday night, with ESPN carrying the game.
For BYU, the bigger picture is hard to miss. The Cougars are 27-4 since the 2024 season began, a sharp contrast from where they were when Iowa State last walked out of Provo with a blowout win. Even with star running back LJ Martin reportedly out for at least a month with a lower leg injury, the Cougars have put themselves in a strong position.
They are also dealing with other injuries. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker is out, and defensive back/punt returner Cannon DeVries is doubtful.
There is another storyline hovering over the weekend, too: BYU’s Oct. 17 game against No. 3 Notre Dame. If both teams handle business, ESPN’s “College GameDay” will almost certainly be headed to Provo for a matchup of unbeatens.
Bear Bachmeier wasn’t interested in playing along when the Notre Dame talk came up Tuesday.
“No, just Iowa State,” said BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier on Tuesday, refusing to take the bait when reminded that last March he said the Notre Dame game was the one he was most looking forward to in 2026.
The Cougars know what they’re walking into. Iowa State’s offense has flashed plenty of punch, including a 45-point outing against West Virginia and a strong showing against No.
12 Utah in Ames. Sophomore running back Aiden Flora was especially dangerous against the Mountaineers, scoring three times on the ground and throwing for two more touchdowns.
BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga didn’t hide his respect for Flora.
“What makes this thing go is the running back, No. 21.
I think that dude is as good of a running back as there is in the country. He’s special, just with the speed that he plays with and the power that he has as well.
… We have our hands full to stop that guy.”
That challenge only gets bigger because BYU’s defense has had one fewer day than normal to get ready.
“They have had the same amount of time to prepare as us, but whoever prepares the best and is the most intentional this week will come out victorious,” said BYU edge linebacker Nusi Taumoepeau. “So that’s our plan for this week.
Nothing changes. Our mindset is the same.
We are ready to attack.”
Iowa State’s defense has also shown it can make life difficult. The Cyclones held then-No.
21 Iowa to one touchdown in a 16-13 loss on Sept. 12.
“Lots of respect for this coaching staff at Iowa State,” said BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick. “Their players play hard, and they’re tough, very physical guys who are well-coached.”
BYU’s offensive line has had to adjust, too. With Andrew Gentry lost for the season against Colorado State, the Cougars were forced to play freshman Bott Mulitalo.
Still, the focus inside the program remains on this week, not next week.
“In the offensive line room, we call it ‘process driven, not results driven,’” said starting guard Sonny Makasini. “Every week is a new matchup, and you have to prepare the same way. You can’t be up here or down here based on performance.
“We have a standard of how we practice and how we play the game of football, and I think every day we have to show up and play like that, regardless of who the opponent is,” Makasini continued. “So yeah, Notre Dame is a good team, but Iowa State also is, and that’s who we’re focused on this week.”
Jimmy Rogers, in his first year leading Iowa State, sees exactly how far BYU has come.
“What (Sitake) has been able to turn BYU into over the years has been incredible to see,” said first-year ISU coach Jimmy Rogers. “They’ve got a lot of skill, and they’re big up front.”
In Other News...
BYU Knows Exactly How Iowa State Will Try To Drag This Out
Iowa State comes into its trip to face eighth-ranked BYU with a winning record and the kind of season that still has bowl-game goals within reach, even as the roster has been reshaped by the transfer portal. The Cyclones know what they are up against in Provo, too, and their plan is likely to reflect that reality: shorten the game, keep the ball on the ground and try to make every possession count against a Cougars team that has earned its ranking.
Aiden Flora is expected to be a central part of that approach, giving Iowa State a chance to lean into the run game and control the clock if the offense can stay on schedule. For BYU, the matchup is less about mystery than discipline, because the Cougars understand the visitors will try to drag things out and reduce the number of chances the home team gets to separate itself. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Unbeaten Start Faces Its First Real Test Without LJ Martin
BYU heads into Saturdays home game against Iowa State trying to protect a strong start while adjusting to life without LJ Martin, the running back whose absence changes the feel of the offense. The Cougars have leaned on balance and efficiency early, and now the spotlight shifts to the players asked to absorb Martins workload while keeping the attack on schedule against a Cyclones team that has shown some vulnerability on defense.
Iowa State arrives at 3-2 with issues that BYU will try to exploit, especially around missed tackles and protecting the quarterback. For the Cougars, though, the bigger question is whether the offense can stay steady enough without one of its key pieces, and whether the defense can help control a matchup that carries a little more weight now that the unbeaten start is on the line. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads Into Iowa State With One Big Offensive Concern
Week 5 in the Big 12 turned the quarterback conversation into a moving target, with West Virginia-Iowa State drawing plenty of attention and several other signal-callers around the league making their own cases in a busy slate. BYU has reasons to keep an eye on all of it as the Cougars head into Week 6, when the conference schedule starts to sort itself out and every matchup feels a little more revealing than the last.
For BYU, the larger issue is less about what happened elsewhere and more about how its own offense stacks up against what is coming next. Week 6 brings a mix of compelling quarterback duels and a handful of teams sitting out on bye, which means the Cougars will need to be sharp entering a road test at Iowa State with one important offensive question still hanging over the trip. [Read more 🡒]