BYU flips switch in remarkable comeback win over Iowa State

Maybe, just maybe, this BYU football team really is a legitimate top-10 team and more respect is due.

How else do you explain how the 8-0 No. 11 Cougars staged a remarkable comeback win over Iowa State in Ames on Saturday afternoon, the first victory by BYU over the Cyclones ever. Just when it was absolutely needed to keep remarkable momentum this season.

Critics declare BYU is lucky. Or had just stepped into wins without dominating.

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This game may prove all that to be moot and dead.

BYU delivered a made-for-TV performance in beating Iowa State 41-27 Saturday.

Facing a do-or-die ISU team with its season on the line and two weeks to prepare, BYU appeared ripe to fall in defeat for the first time this season when the Cyclone offensive and defensive lines bullied around the Cougars right out of the chute, building a 17-7 lead with 8 minutes left in the first quarter.

That’s a disaster path, right?

That’s a recipe for a major trip-up? Gotta be.

Then the Cougars lost the heart of their offense when LJ Martin left the game at the end of the first quarter, essentially blowing up the game plan and allowing Iowa State’s defense to worry only about stopping freshman QB Bear Bachmeier.

It also looked dire when the Cougars lost middle linebacker Siale Esera early on.

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But what happened next, trailing 17-7 was, well, magic.

BYU outscored Iowa State 31-3 when it mattered most.

It was one of the most dominating middle-of-the-game beatings administered by a Cougar team in recent memory, maybe the best considering what hung on the outcome.

“Eventually you are going to get sick of people pushing you around,” said head coach Kalani Sitake on KSL Radio’s postgame show.

The Cougars gained four turnovers while losing none. Those turnovers enabled BYU to score 17 points.

Those turnovers included interceptions by defensive end Logan Lutui, corner Evan Johnson and safety Faletau Satuala, whose thievery of a Rocco Becht pass out of the hands of a tight end turned into a pick-six and 41-27 lead.

With that pick-six and Parker Kingston’s 27-yard touchdown catch, BYU scored 14 points in 97 seconds when the game was tied at 27 in the fourth quarter. It became a 41-27 BYU advantage faster than a bear chasing honey.

Two reasons why:

First, without Martin available, BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick had to switch to a downfield passing game. He had to take the wraps off Bachmeier and put the game on his back.

That ploy unleashed a bear on ISU’s defense. And he bit hard.

Bachmeier had career highs in attempts (35) and completions (22) for 307 yards, two touchdowns, 63% completion percentage, and 155.4 rating. It was the first 300-yard passer Iowa State had allowed in 22 games.

Conversely, Bachmeier’s performance outperformed ISU’s veteran passer Becht (24 of 36, 311 yards, one TD, three interceptions and 131.7 rating.)

Secondly, ISU brought an intimidating physicality to this game after kickoff. It took BYU two quarters to take it personally and punch back. In the final half of this game, BYU’s defensive line attacked the Cyclones at the line of scrimmage and ISU wilted.

Bodie Schoonover had two huge sacks on Becht as Villiami Po’uha and Anisi Purcell each had another. It was a Becht chase circus.

Satuala, burned on the first play of the game for a 75-yard Iowa State touchdown, turned into Iowa State’s worst nightmare. His fourth-quarter pick-six was a spike in the heart. He was a tackling machine.

What BYU needed, it got.

It was like the push of a button or a pull of a lever.

Bachmeier was asked to put the sputtering offense on his back. The entire unit responded.

He hit receivers Parker Kingston seven times for 133 yards and two touchdowns, a long bomb of 45 yards included.

Senior Chase Roberts caught eight passes for 128 yards, converting huge third and fourth down plays. He had a long catch of 45 yards.

The Bear himself clawed his way to being BYU’s leading rusher in the game with 12 runs for 49 yards and a touchdown.

This wasn’t just a needed win to keep Big 12 title hopes alive, protect that No. 11 ranking, and undefeated win streak. It was a confirmation that this team wins in all three phases, can put the hammer down on opponents in tough fourth quarters when conditioning and stamina are demanded.

It sustains the thought that this is a playmaking team that trusts one another, a pillar of head coach Kalani Sitake.

BYU needed huge, almost miracle plays to win this Iowa State game, and the Cougars had almost no margin of error to get it done.

But we’ve seen this before, at Colorado, Arizona, against rival Utah, and it’s a characteristic that is almost available on demand.

This isn’t a fluke.

It was another drive-over.