BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier delivered the performance of his career Friday night against Iowa State, throwing for 329 yards and rushing for 109 yards in a statement win that silenced his doubters.
Bachmeier became just the third BYU quarterback in program history to surpass 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a single game, joining legends Steve Young and Taysom Hill in the record books.
Redemption After a Rough Week
The career night came just six days after the worst passing outing of Bachmeier's two-year tenure, a loss to TCU that prompted national analysts to question his ability to throw downfield without a reliable rushing presence.
One national analyst, Bud Elliot, went so far as to compare BYU to Iowa, characterizing the Cougars as a team with a strong defense but a struggling offense. Bachmeier took that criticism personally.
Against Iowa State, he protected the football, made quick reads, and delivered some of the best throws of his college career. He made the kind of big-time throws that few quarterbacks in the sport can consistently make.
Throws That Showed Real Growth
On a critical third down, Bachmeier delivered a perfect back-shoulder fade to Kyler Kasper, a throw he simply didn't have in his arsenal last season. Kasper told BYU On SI during Fall Camp that he and Bachmeier worked on that exact throw all summer long, and the work paid off in a big way.
Later, Bachmeier escaped pressure and hit Roger Saleapaga in stride while throwing on the run across his body, another play that was rarely in his repertoire a year ago.
He consistently found tight end Walker Lyons throughout the evening and capped off one touchdown drive with a tight-window throw to Kasper for the score.
Even His Incompletions Were Impressive
Two of Bachmeier's best throws were actually incompletions. On a fourth down deep in Iowa State territory, he fit a ball into an 18-inch window intended for Legend Glasker, who dropped the would-be touchdown. Glasker made up for it later, but the throw itself was a thing of beauty.
Another deep ball to Kasper was dropped after Bachmeier placed it perfectly over his shoulder downfield. Those were the kind of throws he was making all through Fall Camp.
The Dagger
The exclamation point came when Bachmeier stepped into the pocket and delivered a perfect deep ball to Glasker, who got behind the defense and raced 75 yards for the touchdown to seal the game.
Bachmeier looked not only like one of the best passers in the Big 12 but one of the best in the entire country against Iowa State. His performance sets up what will be arguably the biggest game in LaVell Edwards Stadium history against Notre Dame.
With LJ Martin still recovering from injury, this version of Bachmeier can carry the BYU offense through the next month.