No. 8 BYU walked into Friday night with plenty of reasons to be wary.
It was the Cougars’ first full game without star running back LJ Martin, they were trying to sort out an offense that had looked shaky after his injury, and a massive Oct. 17 showdown with No. 3 Notre Dame was already waiting on the horizon.
Iowa State had all the makings of a trap game.
Bear Bachmeier made sure it never turned into one.
The sophomore quarterback was asked to carry more of the offense, and he answered with the best performance of his BYU career. After averaging just 176 passing yards per game through his first four outings, Bachmeier almost doubled that number against the Cyclones, finishing 22 of 30 for 329 yards and two touchdowns. He added nine carries for 109 yards on the ground, turning in the kind of all-around night that changes how a team looks at itself.
He also spread the ball around. Bachmeier completed passes to seven different BYU players, with Legend Glasker leading the way on five catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.
BYU didn’t waste many opportunities, either. The Cougars punted only twice, kept the offense moving when it mattered, and beat Iowa State 24-10 in a game that never felt especially close.
Now the spotlight shifts fully to Notre Dame.
That matchup carries real weight for both programs. Last season, BYU finished 11-2 and missed out on the College Football Playoff despite both losses coming to Texas Tech, a CFP entrant that went 12-2. Notre Dame was also left on the outside after going 10-2, with losses to Miami, a CFP finalist, and Texas A&M, another playoff team.
This year, both teams have stayed perfect and should be ranked in the top 10 when they meet next weekend. The winner will walk away with a major boost from both voters and the CFP committee.
For BYU, the moment is bigger than one October game. The Cougars have to show they can handle the pressure that has tripped them up before, and beating Notre Dame would be the clearest way to do it.
Bachmeier may need another carry-the-load night for that to happen. His Heisman path may be fading, but BYU’s playoff path is still there.
In Other News...
Utah Stayed Unbeaten But This Utes Concern Still Feels Very Real
Utah kept its unbeaten start alive Saturday with a 41-24 win over Kansas at Rice-Eccles Stadium, moving to 5-0 and continuing a run that has the Utes looking every bit like a team that expects to win. Devon Dampier managed the offense through a mixed afternoon, while Wayshawn Parker gave the ground game the kind of punch Utah has leaned on early in the season, helping the Utes steady themselves after a rough second quarter.
Morgan Scalley pointed to the resilience Utah showed in getting back in control, and that matters because winning in college football is never simple, even for a team with momentum. The larger question, though, is whether Utah can keep cleaning up the uneven stretches that let opponents hang around, because the unbeaten record is real and so is the concern about how costly those lulls could become later. [Read more 🡒]
Utah's Fast Start Suddenly Feels Very Real Heading Into Colorado
The early-season momentum around Utah has started to look less like a nice October story and more like a legitimate national arrival. With both BYU and Utah winning again to stay unbeaten at 5-0, the Utes kept pace with a Big 12 landscape that is already beginning to sort itself out, while also climbing in the AP Top 25 as the rankings adjusted after another busy weekend and a few bye weeks around the conference.
For Utah, the bigger picture is what makes the week ahead so interesting. The Utes have their best start since 2015, and they have topped 30 points in every game this season for the first time since 1994, a run that gives the offense a different kind of credibility heading into Colorado. The ranking rise is part of it, but the more meaningful test is whether this start holds up once the league schedule starts asking harder questions. [Read more 🡒]
Utahs Passing Attack Just Got More Dangerous After One Breakthrough Night
Utahs offense has spent this season leaning into shared responsibility, with Devon Dampier helping power a two-quarterback approach that also features Byrd Ficklin. In the recent win over Kansas, Ficklin continued to add value in more than one role, while the passing game got a timely lift from Ricky Johnson, the Mississippi State transfer whose emergence gave the Utes another threat to work with.
Johnsons night stood out because it fit the broader theme Morgan Scalley has been stressing: unselfish football and players embracing what the offense asks of them. For a group that has already shown it can spread the load, a breakthrough performance like that gives Utah a little more balance and another name defenses will have to account for as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]