Bear Bachmeier powers No. 8 BYU past Iowa State, 24-10

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Bear Bachmeier threw for a season-high 329 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 8 BYU to a 24-10 victory over Iowa State on Friday night.

Bachmeier completed 22 of 30 passes en route to his fourth career 300-yard game. He also ran for a career-best 109 yards to help the Cougars (5-0, 3-0 Big 12) overcome the absence of running back LJ Martin.

It was the second straight season Bachmeier threw for more than 300 yards against Iowa State (3-3, 1-2) and his first career 100-yard game on the ground.

“We know Bear can throw the ball, so I feel good about Bear throwing the ball,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “Whether they take away the run or take away the pass, I trust Bear and his ability to get us on the right call and to make the right decisions. Bear’s talented, so we put a lot on him to make decisions.”

Jaylen Raynor threw for 98 yards and a touchdown to lead the Cyclones. Aiden Flora added 86 yards on the ground but had only 11 yards rushing before halftime.

Iowa State finished with only 200 yards on offense — its lowest single-game total since 2018.

“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,” Cyclones coach Jimmy Rogers said. “3-3 is where we’re at. Doesn’t mean that that’s where we need to be.”

Bachmeier completed his first seven passes and generally played with more confidence and efficiency as a passer after struggling against TCU. He went 4 of 4 on BYU’s opening drive, and added a 26-yard run, to power the Cougars to their first touchdown. Journee Tonga weaved past defenders on a 6-yard scamper to finish off the scoring drive.

Bachmeier rolled out on a misdirection and hit Roger Saleapaga in stride for a 63-yard pass to set up BYU’s second scoring drive. Kyler Kasper scored two plays later, backpedaling across the goal line to help the Cougars take a 14-3 lead with 1:51 left before halftime.

BYU used stingy defense to keep Iowa State from ever threatening to close the gap. The Cougars allowed six total yards in the second quarter, yielding only 0.5 yards per play.

“They never made it feel like something was wrong,” Bachmeier said. “Testament to the defense. They’ve been playing their tails off here.”

Bachmeier’s second TD pass, a 75-yard dart to Legend Glasker, extended BYU’s lead to 21-3 with 1:09 left in the third quarter.

The takeaway

Iowa State’s offense sputtered badly against BYU. The Cyclones totaled only 49 yards before halftime, their fewest since 2017, and went three-and-out on three straight second-quarter drives.

With Martin sidelined, seven players had at least one carry for BYU and helped the Cougars finish with 177 yards on the ground.

Fourth-down failures

Despite rolling up 506 total yards, BYU did not easily convert yards into points after going 0-of-3 on fourth down. Two failed conversions occurred inside the Cyclones 5. Bachmeier threw incomplete passes in the end zone on both occasions.

“I like to be aggressive, but I like to see those turn into points,” Sitake said.

Late offensive spark

The Cyclones were given new life on offense in the fourth quarter after Tiger Bachmeier fumbled on a punt return and Torrence Sanders recovered the ball at the BYU 49. Iowa State turned the BYU turnover into its lone touchdown when Raynor threw a 1-yard pass to Christian Greenlaw to cap off the drive.

Iowa State ultimately totaled 131 yards and seven first downs on three fourth-quarter drives after struggling to move the chains through the first three quarters.

“We just didn’t really have a sense of urgency,” Raynor said. “We came out slow.”

Up next

Iowa State: At Arizona on Oct. 24.

BYU: Hosts Notre Dame on Oct. 17.