No. 10 BYU left Fort Worth with a 17-10 win over TCU on a rainy Saturday night, and that was the only part of the night that mattered. The Cougars hadn’t won in Fort Worth since 2006, and they did it while losing players, struggling through the passing game, and spending most of the evening in survival mode.
It was ugly. It was conservative.
It was not the kind of performance that wins style points. But BYU did enough to get out with the result, and in a game like this, that’s the whole story.
The Cougars lost star running back LJ Martin to injury in the first half, then watched starters Isaiah Glasker and Cannon DeVries leave as well. Add the weather and a TCU team that was clearly fired up at home, and this had the feel of a game where neat football was never going to be on the menu.
Aaron Roderick’s approach matched the conditions. The play calling stayed cautious, especially on long third downs, and the offense never found much rhythm through the air.
For most of the night, that kept BYU from moving the ball cleanly. But it also kept the Cougars away from the kind of mistakes that could have flipped the game the other way.
The defense held up its end. BYU’s pass rush answered a lingering question from the bye week with a strong night against TCU, producing four sacks, and every one of them came on third down.
That pressure helped the Cougars get the ball back to the offense, and even when the sack didn’t arrive, TCU quarterback Jaden Craig was still feeling it. On the fourth-down pass that ended up in Faletau Satuala’s hands for an interception, it was Isaiah Glasker’s pressure that forced the throw.
A few new names showed up in the backfield, too. Nusi Taumoepeau recorded his first sack of the season, true freshman Braxton Lindsey got the first sack of his career, and Jake Clifton picked up his first sack in a BYU uniform. For the first time this season, the pass rush looked like it belonged on a playoff-caliber team.
That matters because BYU’s depth is being stretched thin. Raider Damuni, Sione Moa, and Siale Esera have not been available the last few games, and Andrew Gentry is already out for most of the season after ankle surgery.
Against TCU, Martin left injured and did not return, and the same went for Glasker and DeVries. The Cougars have not been derailed yet, but the list keeps growing.
Bear Bachmeier had the roughest passing line of his career, finishing 11-for-24 for 68 yards. Still, the game ended up as one of the most impressive showings of his career because of what happened when BYU needed a drive. The Cougars took over with eight minutes left holding a 10-7 lead, and up to that point their longest drive had covered just 32 yards before ending in a field goal.
With 72 yards in front of him, Bachmeier delivered the only long touchdown march of the night. He ran for 8, 9, 10, and 21 yards on the drive, then finished it himself by dragging TCU defenders into the end zone. That was the knockout blow.
With the win, Bachmeier improved to 16-2 as BYU’s starting quarterback. He remains undefeated against unranked teams and undefeated against every team not named Texas Tech. His teammates made sure the celebration matched the moment, lifting him into the air after the game like a star who had just carried them home.
In Other News...
BYU Won At TCU But A Bigger Concern Just Took Over
BYU left Fort Worth with a win, but the bigger takeaway from the 17-10 victory at TCU was how hard the Cougars had to work for every yard. The offense never really found its rhythm, finishing with just 216 yards while dealing with injuries to key players, and for long stretches it was the defense that kept BYU in control.
Bear Bachmeiers late touchdown run supplied the margin, but the performance also raised a broader question about how close this team is to the level it expected to reach before the season. A road win in the Big 12 is never easy, yet BYU will likely need a cleaner showing on offense if it wants to keep pace with those preseason expectations. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Dykes Said What BYU Keeps Doing Is A Real Problem
TCU came away from its 17-10 loss to BYU with plenty to feel good about on defense, but not nearly enough on the scoreboard. The Horned Frogs held the Cougars to 17 points and just 62 passing yards, yet still dropped to 0-2 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2013 because the offense could only manage one touchdown.
Sonny Dykes pointed to the obvious issue afterward: the Horned Frogs have to be better on offense if they want to get out of the early hole. He also gave BYU credit for the way Bear Bachmeier helped move the ball on the ground, another reminder that the Cougars keep finding ways to stress opponents even when the passing game is limited. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Proved It Can Win Even When Things Get Uncomfortable
TCU gave BYU a much tighter game than the rankings suggested, and for long stretches in Fort Worth it looked like the kind of test that can expose a teams flaws. The Horned Frogs kept it even at halftime and made the Cougars work for every yard, leaning on a defense that held up well against the pass and stayed sturdy against the run.
What stood out, though, was that BYU still found a way to leave with the road win even without a clean, comfortable offensive night. TCUs offense never found the consistency or explosive plays it needed to turn that defensive effort into an upset, and the result sent the Horned Frogs into their bye week with plenty to sort through after a home loss to a top-10 team. [Read more 🡒]