BYU beat Iowa State 24-10 on Friday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium to move to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12. Bear Bachmeier threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a career-high 109.
He did it without the two running backs who were supposed to carry this offense.
The Backfield Is Empty
LJ Martin is out at least a month with an injury sustained against TCU. One report describes it as a lower-body injury, another lists it as an ankle problem with no timetable, so the exact diagnosis is unsettled. Safety R. Damuni is also out with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss an extended period.
Kalani Sitake did not pretend it was fine. “It’s not ideal going into games with having your first and second running back be out,” he said, before adding that he believes the team has the depth to compensate.
The compensation plan on Friday was simple: let the quarterback run it. Bachmeier’s 109 yards on the ground is the single most important number in the box score, more than the 329 passing.
The Defense Was the Real Story
Iowa State finished with 200 total yards and went 2-for-13 on third down. That is a complete shutdown of a team that came in 3-2 and 1-1 in conference play.
Two-of-13 on third down means Iowa State never once sustained a drive by converting in a neutral situation. BYU’s front controlled first and second down and let the secondary play with a cushion, and the Cyclones had no answer.
Where BYU Sits Now
Ranked eighth in the AP poll released October 4, at 5-0 and 3-0 in the Big 12, and the only team among the poll’s top twelve with three conference wins. The NCAA counted 15 undefeated FBS teams as of October 6 and that number shrinks every Saturday.
Bachmeier entered the game having completed 55 of 86 passes for 704 yards with six touchdowns and one interception, plus 27 carries for 130 yards and four scores. After Friday he has a signature performance to put on the resume.
The Honest Concern
A quarterback with 109 rushing yards is exciting in Week 6 and terrifying by Week 11. BYU has a long season left and is currently using its most valuable player as the run game. If Martin’s month off becomes two, Bachmeier takes a lot more contact than any staff would choose.
That is the trade Sitake has accepted and it is the right one for now. The Cougars are winning with defense and a quarterback doing two jobs. Both halves of that have to hold.
One Sourcing Note
Bachmeier’s 329-yard, two-touchdown and 109-rush line comes from NCAA.com; a second box score was not available at the time of writing. His class year and age have not been confirmed.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.