The quarterback supplied a large share
Bear Bachmeier passed for 329 yards and ran for 109 in BYU’s 24–10 win over Iowa State on October 9. His versatility gave the Cougars another answer while running back LJ Martin was unavailable. It also made the quarterback an important part of the rushing workload, not simply the player distributing it.
Martin is out for the Notre Dame game, according to KSL’s reporting of Kalani Sitake’s update. The Deseret News reported October 14 that Sione Moa had been cleared and practiced fully, but whether he would play remained undecided. That leaves a distinction BYU must respect: medical clearance adds a possible participant; it does not establish Saturday’s rotation or a full-game workload.
A committee has several assignments
Preston Rex and Journee Tonga remain part of the backfield picture. Their contribution should not be measured only by the number of handoffs they receive. A back who identifies pressure correctly can preserve a passing play. A well-timed outlet can turn a difficult quarterback decision into an ordinary completion. Both can reduce the need for Bachmeier to solve a possession with another run.
The quarterback’s mobility should remain a weapon, but the offense is stronger if it can choose when to use it. There is a difference between a designed opportunity that exploits a defensive assignment and a scramble demanded by a failed protection. Spreading responsibility across the backs, receivers, and line helps BYU keep that distinction under its own control.
Preserve the third-down menu
No. 8 BYU is 5–0 before hosting No. 2 Notre Dame, 6–0, on October 17. The matchup will test whether the Cougars can reach important downs with more than one credible answer available. A committee can help even if no individual back produces a headline rushing total.
Watch who makes the passing game function when a defender arrives late, and whether the offense remains organized after the first rushing lane closes. Bachmeier has already shown he can produce through the air and on the ground in the same game. BYU’s next step is ensuring that the surrounding offense makes those choices sustainable. The backfield’s biggest contribution may be giving its quarterback fewer possessions on which he has to do both jobs by necessity.
Sources & reporting
- KSL’s report on LJ Martin’s Notre Dame availability ↗
- Deseret News’s October 14 Sione Moa update ↗
- BYU’s October 12 Bear Bachmeier honors report ↗
- BYU’s Notre Dame game-week notes ↗
This article adds independent analysis to publicly available reporting. We did not conduct the interviews or report the game firsthand. Report a factual error.