No. 10 BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier delivered two crucial rushing touchdowns on a rainy Saturday night, including a clinching 21-yarder with just 2:06 left, to lead the Cougars to a gritty 17-10 victory over TCU. This win happened even with the team battling without their injured star running back, LJ Martin. Talk about gutting it out when it matters most.
Bachmeier’s Clutch Runs Kept BYU Undefeated
Seriously, Bachmeier was all heart out there. He wasn’t merely scoring, he was making plays when everything else felt stuck. That 21-yard clincher? He bounced off one of his own teammates at the line, then just bulldozed through multiple TCU defenders inside the 10-yard line to put BYU up 17-7. It was pure determination. Earlier, after Faletau Satuala snagged a huge fourth-down interception and returned it 59 yards, Bachmeier made a 9-yard keeper on third-and-goal, lunging into the end zone. Before that, he even had to chase down a bad snap that sailed past him, then wisely threw it out of bounds to save a huge loss. He also converted third down twice with his legs, including an 8-yard gain after a fumbled snap. He finished with 66 yards rushing on 15 carries, and honestly, every single one of those yards felt like it counted double.
Where’s the Offense? Martin’s Absence Looms Large
Let’s be real, the scoreboard tells you everything you need to know about the offensive struggle. BYU was scoring 44 points a game coming into this, with LJ Martin averaging a whopping 109.3 rushing yards. But Martin, last season’s AP Big 12 offensive player of the year, got hurt early. He had two carries for 16 yards in the first quarter, then he was done with an apparent lower leg injury. Losing a guy like that? It changes everything. Both teams really struggled to move the ball, with BYU only racking up 216 total yards, and 72 of those came on that final, crucial drive. Bachmeier’s passing game wasn’t sharp either, completing just 11 of 24 for 62 yards. Luckily, Matthias Bunn saved the day with a monster 49-yard field goal on BYU’s first drive after halftime, giving them the lead for good.
TCU’s Season Is Already on Thin Ice
For TCU, this one stings. Quarterback Jaden Craig, the Harvard transfer who was averaging 303.3 passing yards per game, completed 18 of 25 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. But that costly interception, the game’s only turnover, set up BYU’s first score. Craig did manage a 13-yard TD pass to Kari Ashley with 27 seconds left in the half to tie it up, capping an 8-play, 76-yard drive, but overall, the Frogs offense was mostly stuck. They managed only 259 total yards. Nate McCashland hit a 44-yard field goal late, but they couldn’t recover the onside kick. This loss drops TCU to 0-2 in Big 12 play, a rough start they haven’t seen since 2013, when they finished 2-7 in conference. This team needs to find answers fast, or it’s going to be a long season.
Up next, No. 10 BYU is back home for a Friday night game against Iowa State, who sit at 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. For TCU, they’ve got an open date to figure things out before heading to instate rival Baylor on October 17. The Cougars are still undefeated, but they’re gonna need more than Bachmeier’s heroics if Martin’s injury keeps him sidelined for long. Can they keep the streak alive?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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