REACTION: BYU Defense Smothers Iowa State - And Bear Bachmeier Does It Again!

BYU is still undefeated, but somehow the Cougars managed to turn a dominant performance against Iowa State into one of the sweatiest 24-10 wins imaginable. The biggest story was BYU’s defense. The Cougars completely suffocated Iowa State, getting consistent pressure , dominated up front and made it almost impossible for the Cyclones to establish either the run or the pass. It looked like a championship level defense. Then there was Bear Bachmeier. With LJ Martin still out and BYU struggling to generate a consistent traditional running game, Bachmeier once again became the answer. He threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns, added 109 yards on the ground and repeatedly made plays when BYU needed them. But this game could have been much more comfortable. Failed fourth-down attempts, red-zone struggles and costly special-teams mistakes repeatedly allowed Iowa State to hang around. Now everything points toward Notre Dame. BYU has the defense. It has an incredible home-field advantage. And it has Bear Bachmeier. But without Martin, the Cougars may need Bachmeier to deliver his best performance yet. Can BYU clean up the mistakes and take down Notre Dame? ========================================================== Reacting to the latest football action. Saturday vs Sunday is a dedicated football podcast breaking down the biggest games and headlines across both college football and the NFL. We analyze weekly gridiron strategies, team rosters, and post-game news.