Analysis: Inspired BYU takes its post-Texas Tech frustrations out on old rival TCU, earns some needed style points

How did the supposedly overrated BYU Cougars respond to last week’s face plant on the South Plains of Texas?

By putting a pounding on a team that has historically handed them similar embarrassments, naturally.

In their best overall performance of the season, the No. 12-ranked Cougars thoroughly thrashed unranked TCU 44-13 Saturday night in front of 64,447 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

While improving to 9-1 for the second-straight season and putting themselves back into the conversation for an at-large berth in the College Football Playoff, the Cougars answered the critics in a big way, albeit far from the national spotlight, unfortunately.

“Really proud of the way the guys bounced back from last week,” said head coach Kalani Sitake. “I felt like there was a sense off urgency from them all week long. … TCU is a really good team. It was just a matter of us putting it all together in all three phases.”

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The Cougars got some revenge for that 44-11 crushing they took in Fort Worth two years ago, but more importantly showed the nation that the 29-7 loss at now-No. 6 Texas Tech wasn’t the real BYU in 2025.

Of course, TCU’s defense isn’t close to Tech’s, as BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier and company feasted on the Horned Frogs and put up more points on them than any team has this year.

Also, Sitake’s squad ensured that this November wouldn’t be like last year, when it had a two-game losing streak in the final month of the regular season to derail its CFP hopes.

BYU (6-1, 9-1) heads to Cincinnati next week with its confidence having been restored, its swagger securely in place.

“Not perfect enough,” Sitake said, lamenting a couple of penalties and a fumbled punt snap by a backup. “There’s still a lot of room for improvement.”

It was a complete mauling, with BYU’s offense putting up 447 yards and not punting until 10:44 remained in the game. The Cougars’ defense held TCU to under 300 yards (298) and one of the best QBs in the Big 12 — Josh Hoover — to his worst outing of the year.

The best QB on the field Saturday night was Bachmeier, the 19-year-old freshman who bounced back from the forgettable two-turnover outing against the all-world Red Raiders with a solid, even spectacular, at times, showing in Provo.

“I felt like it was just good to let Bear throw the ball,” Sitake said. “…. Just open the playbook and do our thing and mix in the run, too.”

Bachmeier completed 23 of 33 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown, for a passer rating of 155, while Hoover was 10 of 23 for 183 yards and no touchdowns, with two interceptions.

Those two picks were huge, in terms of style points, of which the Cougars were and should be hunting. Blossoming superstar Faletau Satuala picked off Hoover late in the third quarter, the third interception of the year and fourth of Satuala’s career.

Then, after BYU’s only miscue of the game, backup punter Fuller Shurtz’s fumbled snap, senior safety Tanner Wall snagged a deflected pass and returned it 68 yards for the first pick-six of the former walk-on’s brilliant career.

Credit Wall for giving the Cougars some style points — important at this time of year — when Sitake always refrains from running up the score. That’s just not his way, CFP rankings be darned.

“I just want to win the game. Winning is the best style to me,” Sitake said. “So, yeah, I wasn’t thinking about any of that stuff. We’re just trying to grind the clock (at the end).”

After losing by 22 at Texas Tech, BYU dropped from No. 7 to No. 12 in the CFP rankings, and would be on the outside looking in if the season ended today.

Asked if his team was treated fairly by the selection committee, Sitake took his usual approach to anything remotely controversial.

“Yeah, I don’t get involved in that,” he said. “We are just gonna keep playing ball. I’m probably the wrong guy to ask about that stuff.”

The win should earn the Cougars some respect, as TCU is a quality program that played in the national championship game three years ago. It snapped a five-game losing streak to TCU, and was BYU’s first over the Frogs in Provo since 2007.

It was BYU’s largest margin of victory ever over TCU. Thirteen points is a season-low for TCU.

“We try not to focus on (disrespect), on the outside noise,” said tight end Carsen Ryan, who had his best game as a Cougar with four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.

“We can control our own destiny at this point. If we just keep winning, nothing is going to change.”

TCU entered as the second-best defense against the run in the Big 12, but the Cougars’ offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage and BYU ran for 151 yards.

Junior LJ Martin had 88 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, and Bachmeier picked up 59 yards on the ground and was never sacked.

Add it all up, and it was just what the doctor ordered for a team that limped out of Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock having been exposed, according to outsiders, and humiliated.

“I think it was phenomenal. I think it feels great. The boys recognize that it started on Monday, and we were down and frustrated, but we put our heads down and went to work,” said defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa, who had one of BYU’s four sacks.

“That’s Kalani’s culture. The celebration is just grand. The boys are happy, but far from satisfied. We’re still humble and hungry.”

Not much went wrong in the first half for the Cougars, at least offensively. They opened the half with a nice drive for a 52-yard field goal by Will Ferrin, and ended the half with a last-minute drive for a 35-yarder by Ferrin, taking a 27-10 lead at the break.

In between the field goal drives, they had touchdown drives of 91, 75 and 75 yards, as both the running game and the passing game clicked with precision.

Bachmeier was 17 of 24 for 239 yards and a touchdown — a 43-yarder to Ryan — for a passer rating of 168.2 in the first half. He also ran six times for 46 yards and a score. The first TD was scored by Parker Kingston on an 11-yard jet sweep.

While BYU was putting up 344 yards in the first half, TCU’s offense was slowly revving up after punting on its first two possessions.

After Ryan’s TD, set up by outstanding downfield blocking by Tiger Bachmeier and Reggie Frischknecht, gave BYU a 24-3 lead, the Frogs drove 75 yards in 10 plays to get back into the game.

They scored on a 13-yard run by backup RB Jon Denman on a well-designed 4th-and-inches play with 1:14 remaining in the half.

Eric McCallister’s receptions keyed the drive, but the big-play receiver was shut down in the second half, getting just one reception in the final 30 minutes.

Without timeouts, BYU drove 58 yards in 1:14, and Ferrin’s short field goal made it 27-10 at the first-half buzzer.

Trailing 27-10 at halftime, TCU quickly made it a two-score game. The Frogs took the second-half kickoff and drove 59 yards to the BYU 17 before settling for a 34-yard field goal.

BYU’s opponents have gotten inside its 20-yard line 36 times this season, but scored only 14 touchdowns.

Outstanding red zone defense kept the Cougars reasonably close the first three quarters last week against Texas Tech, and they picked up where they left off in Lubbock.

The Cougars answered quickly after TCU made it a two-score game, matching the field-goal drive with one of their own to make it 30-13 with 4:08 left.

It was the 53rd field goal of Ferrin’s career.

Then Satuala — the hero of the Iowa State win — made the play the Cougars were looking for, picking off Hoover at the TCU 42.