BYU had about as bad of a game on offense as you can and still came away with a win in their game against TCU. Soggy weather and injuries slowed BYU as much as the TCU defense. The Cougs had over 100 fewer yards rushing (262.6 to 154) than they had been averaging this season.
The passing was even more sparse. They threw for 62 yards when they had been averaging 219. Their average of 481.6 yards per game was reduced to 216! Less than half of what they had been averaging. Scoring was similar. BYU put up only 17 points when they had been averaging 44.6 per game. The conditions and struggle to move the football did make the fact that the offense didn’t turn the ball over that much more impressive. BYU only has two turnovers through four games and is turnover-free in three of four so far.
One of the things that went right for BYU when it came to scoring points was the kicking game. The Cougars’ kicker Matthias Dunn was an underrated weapon in this contest. Dunn has had to replace the reliable Will Ferrin this season, and he has been good. He was needed to be good against TCU. Dunn made a big 49-yard field goal in the third quarter in the rainy and swampy conditions. Special teams have been a big advantage for BYU in their past two and a half seasons and was again against TCU.
Most of BYU’s big offensive weapons were quiet. LJ Martin might have had a big game had he not exited with an injury after only two carries for 16 yards. The rest of BYU’s running backs had 15 carries for 49 yards. Legend Glasker, the freshman phenom, had four carries for 26 yards and three catches for nine yards. JoJo Phillips and Walker Lyons only had a catch each, and Kyler Kasper had only two. That left one big playmaker for the Cougars. Bear Bachmeier.
Offensive Play of the Game
Bear Bachmeier still came through with special moments in this game despite the offensive struggles. None were more special than his performance on the final drive of the game, where he had 40 rushing yards and capped off the drive with a 21-yard rumble for a touchdown. It was one of those drives and plays that get added to highlight reels at the end of a season when a case is being made for the player to bring home some big individual awards.
These are the kinds of drives that show a player's leadership and his and the team's character. BYU's been beat to crap with injuries tonight, and getting away with a win is big when you're that depleted. https://t.co/m8oVODHcsT
— Phillip Riggs (@phillipriggs85) October 4, 2026
Offensive Player of the Game
Bear Bachmeier was the player of the game for BYU. BYU only had 216 total yards, but 128 of them came from Bachmeier. He had 62 yards passing, but when all else failed, he was able to go back to what he did so well last season and run the football. Bear would have 15 carries for 66 yards and two huge touchdowns. When BYU had to have points in the red zone, they went to Bear Bachmeier. He’s BYU’s Tim Tebow.
Bachmeier looks at his receivers, sees they're covered, and takes himself for a BYU touchdown! I love having mobile quarterbacks on my teams! https://t.co/4iV80ND9fq
— Phillip Riggs (@phillipriggs85) October 4, 2026
BYU will want more points and a smoother offense in the future. They’ll need games where they can get style points, too. It’s what they’ll need for the College Football Playoff, its seeding and rankings alike. Yet, this win was a gutsy one that could be worth way more than if it had been a blowout win with 500 yards of offense and 42 points.
Knowing that when guys go down and things aren’t going right on the field, you can rally together and power through to victory can do wonders for a team that’s competing in their biggest games with the biggest stakes. That is a huge credit to Coach Kalani Sitake and the culture he has cultivated over 11 seasons. BYU will look to have a sharper game against Iowa State this Friday before battling Notre Dame in two weeks.
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