BYU’s win over Iowa State gave UCF fans a pretty clean look at what the Cougars can become when Bear Bachmeier is rolling.
In Friday’s 24-10 win, Bachmeier did damage both through the air and on the ground. He finished 22 of 30 for 329 yards and two touchdowns, then added 109 yards on nine carries. That rushing total accounted for 61.9% of BYU’s team rushing output, a sign that the offense can tilt hard in his direction when needed.
Iowa State’s defense had some fight in it, especially on fourth down, where the Cyclones stopped BYU three times. But that resistance never turned into enough offense on the other side.
Aiden Flora led Iowa State on the ground with 86 yards on 17 carries, while Jalen Raynor went 16 of 29 for only 98 yards through the air. The Cyclones never matched BYU’s pace, with the Cougars putting points on the board one quarter at a time and staying in control.
BYU’s run game was a different story without LJ Martin, who is out four to six weeks with a lower body injury, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The Cougars had to piece things together with three other backs, and that group managed just 54 yards on 17 carries. Even so, the passing game was more than enough to carry the night.
That’s the version of BYU UCF will need to be ready for when the Cougars come to Orlando on Oct. 24.
First, though, No. 8 BYU has a major test at home against No.
2 Notre Dame. Iowa State is also still on the Knights’ schedule, with the Cyclones set to visit the Bounce House on Nov.
Elsewhere in the AP Top 25, No. 25 Pittsburgh saw its winning streak end in a 21-17 loss to North Carolina.
The Panthers were again tough against the run, holding the Tar Heels to a net gain of 20 rushing yards, but North Carolina found its breakthrough through the air. Billy Edwards Jr. connected with Shamar Easter on a 75-yard go-ahead touchdown, and that was Easter’s only catch of the game.
Pittsburgh had taken a 10-0 lead by the second quarter, but two interceptions from Holden Geriner, who was filling in for the injured Mason Heintschel, kept the Panthers from building on it. The loss knocked Pittsburgh out of the AP Top 25. When the Panthers played UCF in Week 2, they also held the Knights to a net gain of just 20 rushing yards and won 12-7.
No. 22 Houston, meanwhile, bounced back from its comeback win over UCF with a 35-16 road victory at Kansas State.
Conner Weigman and tight end Patrick Overmyer were the engine there. Overmyer led Houston with eight catches for 83 yards, and half of his receptions went for touchdowns.
In other words, all but one of Houston’s touchdowns came on passes from Weigman to Overmyer.
The Cougars also controlled the ground game, finishing with 233 rushing yards to Kansas State’s 117. Re’Shaun Sanford II and Makhi Hughes did most of the heavy lifting, combining for 168 yards on 34 carries, and Hughes added the only rushing touchdown of the day. Kansas State, using a near-even split of run and pass, got 182 yards from Avery Johnson, who completed 16 of 30 throws.
Houston moved up two spots to No. 20 in the AP Top 25 after the win.
In Other News...
UCF Just Got A Needed Linebacker Boost Before BYU
UCF finally got a little more depth back in the middle of its defense, and the timing could not be much better with BYU next on the schedule. Fifth-year linebacker Cole Kozlowski had been waiting on the outcome of an eligibility case, and his return gives the Knights a seasoned option at a spot that has been thinned out by injuries.
Kozlowski first got on the field this season against Oklahoma State, and UCF now expects his role to grow as he works back into the rotation. For a linebacker group that has leaned on younger pieces and patchwork availability, simply getting a veteran presence back in the room matters, even before the full version of his impact shows up on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Hits A Crucial Midseason Crossroads After Brutal Stretch
UCF is heading into its bye week with the season at a true midpoint crossroads, sitting at 3-3 after a rugged run that included losses to ranked opponents. The timing could hardly be better for Scott Frosts group, which has spent the first half of the year trying to hold together through a wave of injuries while still staying in range for the second half of the schedule.
The break is giving the Knights a much-needed chance to recover, reset and map out the final six games, but the health picture remains a major storyline. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III is still without a return date, and the injury list has already stretched across the lineup with multiple starters missing time, leaving UCF hoping the bye week can do more than just rest tired bodies. [Read more 🡒]
Keyone Jenkins Just Raised UCFs Biggest Offensive Question
Keyone Jenkins has been trending up for UCF, and the latest step came in the form of another composed afternoon against Oklahoma State. The Knights starting quarterback completed 30 of 42 passes for 265 yards with one interception, building on the steady progression that has marked his run and adding to a recent stretch that already included a program-record completion percentage in an earlier game.
What has made Jenkins growth so notable is the way UCF has begun shaping the offense around him, leaning into his strengths while asking him to handle more responsibility in the passing game. The staff has already adjusted its play calling to fit what he does best, but the bigger question now is how far that approach can go as the Knights try to keep expanding what he is asked to do. [Read more 🡒]