No. 8 BYU walked into Friday night with plenty of reasons for this to get messy.
It was the first full game without star running back LJ Martin, the offense had questions after its previous outing once he went down, and the looming Top 10 showdown with No. 3 Notre Dame was sitting right there on the calendar.
Iowa State had trap game written all over it.
Instead, Bear Bachmeier took over.
The sophomore quarterback, who had been averaging just 176 passing yards per game through four outings, was asked to carry a much bigger load - and he answered with the kind of performance that can change the tone of a season. Bachmeier completed 22 of 30 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns, then added 109 yards on nine carries to keep BYU’s unbeaten run alive.
He spread the ball around, too, finding seven different Cougars through the air. Legend Glasker was the biggest beneficiary, finishing with five catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
BYU didn’t waste much time taking control. The Cougars punted only twice, moved the ball when they needed to, and beat Iowa State 24-10 in a game that never felt particularly close.
Now the attention shifts fully to October 17 and Notre Dame, with a matchup that carries real weight for both teams’ College Football Playoff hopes.
Both BYU and Notre Dame believed they belonged in the playoff picture last season and got left out. BYU finished 11-2, with both losses coming to Texas Tech, which went 12-2 and made the CFP. Notre Dame finished 10-2 and fell to Miami, a CFP finalist, and Texas A&M, another playoff team.
This time around, both teams have stayed perfect and should be ranked in the top 10 heading into next weekend. That makes the winner of this one a major winner with both voters and the CFP committee.
For BYU, the challenge is bigger than just one game. The Cougars need a result like this if they want the playoff to take them seriously now and down the line. They’ve had some trouble delivering under the brightest lights in recent years, and beating Notre Dame would be the cleanest way to start changing that story.
As for Bachmeier, the assignment looks simple enough: carry it again. His Heisman case may already be out of reach, but BYU’s playoff path is still alive.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Has A Bigger Stanford Concern Than Stanford
Notre Dame heads into its matchup with Stanford carrying a little more uncertainty on defense than it probably wanted this late in the season. Defensive back Leonard Moore is listed as questionable after suffering a concussion in the previous game, while linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has already been ruled out because of a left thumb injury. It is the kind of injury report that puts the spotlight on depth, especially with the Irish trying to keep their defensive rotation steady.
The good news for Notre Dame is that the staff has shown a clear willingness to be cautious rather than force players back before they are ready. That approach matters now, because Stanford is less of a concern than the bigger question of how healthy the Irish can be when they need all hands available. Moore's status will be watched closely, and Viliamu-Asa's absence only adds to the need for the next group up to handle its part without much drop-off. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Offense Has A Chance To Prove Something Against Stanford
Notre Dame heads into its matchup with Stanford carrying more than just another chance to win the Legends Trophy. The Irish are also looking at a familiar opponent as a useful measuring stick for an offense that has shown signs of improvement and now has a chance to turn that progress into something more consistent. A strong opening would help set the tone, but so would a performance that lets quarterback CJ Carr keep the passing game moving and, in turn, opens cleaner paths for the running attack.
The bigger test may come in the less glamorous parts of the game. Notre Dame needs to handle the line of scrimmage, sustain drives, and be sharper in the moments that decide whether promising possessions become points. Third downs and red zone trips have a way of revealing how complete an offense really is, and with a 16th straight win over Stanford in play, the Irish have a clear chance to show they can do those things against a conference foe that has long been on the schedule but is still worth taking seriously. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Pivotal Week That Could Reshape The SEC Race
Week 6 is shaping up as one of those turning-point Saturdays that can alter the feel of an entire college football season, with the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and other leagues all carrying playoff implications into the weekend. Alabamas matchup with Georgia is the headliner in a slate that also includes Boise State against Fresno State and the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, a mix of games that should help separate contenders from pretenders before the calendar turns deeper into October.
For Notre Dame readers, the bigger takeaway is how quickly the national picture can shift around them, especially with standings tightening and injury concerns beginning to matter more across the sport. A few of these games carry the kind of weight that can ripple into the College Football Playoff conversation, and by the end of the weekend the Irish could have a clearer sense of which teams are truly built to survive the grind ahead. [Read more 🡒]