No. 8 BYU defeated Iowa State 24-10 on Friday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium, leaning on a stellar defensive performance and a career-best night from quarterback Bear Bachmeier. The win moves the unbeaten Cougars to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in Big 12 play ahead of a matchup with Notre Dame.
Friday night’s contest in Provo unfolded as a masterclass in defensive dominance and quarterback reliance. Missing star running back LJ Martin due to injury, the Cougars turned the offensive keys over to Bear Bachmeier, who delivered a historic dual-threat performance to secure the 24-10 victory over Iowa State.
Friday night’s contest at LaVell Edwards Stadium marked a significant test for the eighth-ranked Cougars, who entered the matchup as 10.5-point favorites under the lights. The stadium atmosphere buzzed as BYU prepared to host the Cyclones in front of fans in Provo, Utah, with kickoff set for 10:15 p.m. ET (8:15 p.m. local time) on an autumn evening.
Bear Bachmeier Carries BYU Offense With 438 Total Yards
Bachmeier shouldered the entire offensive burden in the absence of Martin, completing 22 of 30 passes for a season-high 329 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 rushing yards on the ground. The sophomore quarterback joined elite company by becoming just the third BYU quarterback in program history to throw for over 300 yards and rush for over 100 yards in a single game.
Reflecting on his quarterback’s stellar display after the final whistle, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake praised the signal-caller by stating to reporters, We know Bear can throw the ball, so I feel good about Bear throwing the ball.
Bachmeier himself credited his teammates for maintaining composure, noting that the defense never made it feel like something was wrong.
Wide receiver Kyler Kasper also lauded his teammate’s toughness on ESPN’s broadcast, declaring simply, He’s a dog.
Wide receiver Legend Glasker proved to be Bachmeier’s primary deep threat, hauling in a 75-yard touchdown dart late in the third quarter that extended the Cougars’ lead to 21-3. Glasker finished the night with 99 receiving yards, while Kyler Kasper contributed a five-yard touchdown grab just before halftime. Despite the offensive fireworks, BYU struggled to turn yardage into points, finishing 0-of-3 on fourth-down attempts with two failed conversions coming inside the Cyclones’ five-yard line.
Cougars Defense Stifles Iowa State Attack
While Bachmeier commanded the offense, the BYU defense wreaked havoc in the trenches. The unit collected three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and ten pass breakups, holding the Cyclones to a meager 200 total yards — Iowa State’s lowest single-game offensive output since 2018 according to game records.
We hit him; we took away his will to play football.
The defensive clampdown was especially severe in the second quarter, where the Cougars yielded a mere six total yards and just 0.5 yards per play while forcing three straight three-and-outs. Safety Faletau Satuala anchored the secondary with seven total tackles, a quarterback hurry, and a pass breakup as the defense forced six three-and-outs overall without intercepting a pass.
Commenting on the relentless energy displayed by his defensive unit throughout the contest, head coach Kalani Sitake explained during the ESPN broadcast, We can do really good things when the defense plays at that level.
Sitake added further praise for his squad’s gritty demeanor, noting, We can be tougher… I like the physicality of the game; they should be thriving in it.
Cyclones Suffer First Lopsided Defeat Under Jimmy Rogers
Iowa State dropped to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play following a night where the offense failed to find any rhythm under the direction of first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers. Running back Aiden Flora managed 86 rushing yards, but 75 of those came after halftime as the BYU front seven bottled up the Cyclone ground game early. Iowa State’s sole touchdown capitalized on a special teams miscue, when a muffed punt set up a short field that quarterback Jaylen Raynor converted with a one-yard touchdown pass to Christian Greenlaw.
I’m kind of at a loss of words because I felt like we were going to come into this and be competitive in so many ways, and we really weren’t in so many ways. 3-3 is where we’re at. Doesn’t mean that that’s where we need to be.
Coach Rogers did not mince words when assessing his team’s shortcomings in the postgame press conference. Pointing to the physical toll of the matchup and the team’s need for recovery, Rogers told reporters, We need to take this time for one to heal from a physical standpoint, and then we’ve got to be able to take the next step mentally.
He also remarked bluntly on the outcome against a formidable opponent, stating, You can’t give up explosive plays against a team like that and expect to win football games, we just weren’t good enough at all.
Despite the defensive struggles, Iowa State found rare bright spots in stopping BYU on fourth down, with linebacker Bradley Esser securing a key stop during the Cougars’ red-zone sequences. The Cyclones now head into a bye week before traveling to face Arizona on October 24 while BYU prepares to host Notre Dame at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 17.
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