BYU’s march to its first Big 12 championship game is one step closer after Saturday’s 26-14 win on the road at Cincinnati. The No. 11 Cougars invaded a hostile Nippert Stadium and did what it took — they ran the ball, controlled the clock, played solid defense, made their field goals and won the turnover margin.
Along the way, BYU (10-1, 7-1) strengthened its narrative in the debate for the College Football Playoff. The Cougars have defeated six bowl-eligible teams who are no worse than 7-4, including four on the road with their lone defeat at No. 5 Texas Tech.
A victory Saturday would give BYU a legitimate case for an at-large bid, but with two more wins (UCF and Big 12 title game), the Cougars can take the inflated power out of the hands of the SEC-goggled selection committee and walk in on their own merits.
Beating the struggling Knights is probable, but nothing in the Big 12 is guaranteed and everything comes with a challenge. The formula for a win on Saturday must closely follow how BYU beat the Bearcats. Here are the three plays that helped them get it done.
Tanuvasa toughness
Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter and facing fourth-and-one at the BYU 3-yard line, Cincinnati opted against a field goal and decided to go for it. The decision pitted the Big 12’s top red-zone scoring offense against the top red-zone scoring defense.
Bearcats running back Tawee Walker took a direct snap in the shotgun formation and charged into the line — only to collide with 6-foot-4, 300-pound Keanu Tanuvasa who, with some help from his friends, dropped Walker for no gain and the Cougars took over possession of the football.
The big tackle put an exclamation point on Tanuvasa’s late-season surge.
“Sometimes we want the results immediately and unfortunately I have not had that this year but staying consistent and diligent to the process — that’s been the biggest thing and now I’m reaping the seeds,” said the Utah transfer. “God is the King of the Harvest so when he decides, I just put my head down and go to work.”
Turnover time
In a game that had been turnover-free until the first series of the third quarter, BYU safety Tanner Wall found a way to turn the tide. On third-and-10 at their own 25-yard-line, Bearcat quarterback Brendan Sorsby rolled to his right to avoid the rush and fired a deep pass intended for Cyrus Wall, but it was caught by BYU’s Wall.
“We were in bracket coverage. I was to the single receiver side — that’s where he looked initially,” said Wall. “As he progressed through his read, I felt the slot receiver on the other side pressing deep. I tried to get some depth to cover. By the time I got my head (turned) around the ball was already in the air and I thought, ‘I’ve got to go and get that.’ It was a sweet play.”
Wall intercepted the pass at the BYU 34. The Cougars cashed in the turnover for a touchdown on the ensuing series to extend their lead to 17-7.
Motoring Martin
LJ Martin’s career night in rushing attempts (32) and rushing yards (222) produced several big plays, but a 5-yard run late in the fourth quarter was the biggest. Leading 20-14 with 2:10 remaining, the Cougars faced second-and-3 at their own 43.
With two timeouts of their own and the two-minute timeout, Cincinnati’s fate for getting the ball back hinged on preventing a BYU first down. They knew Martin was going to get the football and when he did, the bullish Bearcat defense was ready and they hit him hard at the line of scrimmage, but Martin absorbed the blow and bounced to the right for 6 yards and a first down.
“That’s my guy,” said Tanuvasa. “I was the first one out there — right after he ran that guy over and got the first down. I told him, ‘There are no redos. Just finish the game’ and I promised I’d pay for his massage.”
Martin left the Iowa State game (Oct. 25) with a shoulder injury and hasn’t been 100% since. On Saturday, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior from El Paso, Texas, took the best hits that Cincinnati could offer and he just kept coming.
“At this point in the year, I think everybody is going through something,” Martin said. “The guys up front are going through (it), so, I don’t want to be the one to tap out before them. If they are giving their all, I want to give my all too.”
Honorable mention
Trailing 20-7, Cincinnati drove to the BYU 17 with 11:25 to play in the fourth quarter. Cyrus Allen caught a short pass from Sorsby and was ankle-tackled by junior cornerback Tayvion Beasley.
The twist of the tackle was so painful for Allen that he dropped the ball and linebacker Isaiah Glasker scooped it up and took off for the end zone. However, assuming Allen’s knee was down before he fumbled, the closest official blew the play dead.
BYU challenged the ruling and won. It didn’t give Glasker a touchdown, but it did turn the Bearcats away.
“Most definitely,” Glasker said about the possibilities of him scoring on that play. “I came off the edge and read screen. Tayvion made a great tackle. I saw the ball on the ground. I picked it up with one hand and hopefully was going to take it to the promised land.”
Martin’s 33-yard touchdown run with 1:02 remaining in the fourth quarter accomplished several things. Not only did the score give BYU some needed style points, but the 33 yards pushed Martin over 200 for the night — a first by a Cougar running back since Tyler Allgeier did it against Virginia in 2021.
“It’s exactly what we needed from him,” said coach Kalani Sitake. “I appreciate him. He played with the mentality that we wanted — a monster mentality. Even though he’s not 100%, he showed he can play at a high level.”
Martin’s efforts also produced his first 1,000-yard season at BYU (1,134).
With his 6-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, Bear Bachmeier made program history. Bachmeier passed Steve Young, Taysom Hill and Zach Wilson for the most touchdown runs by a freshman quarterback (11).
Considering the unstable state of BYU’s quarterback room after Jake Retzlaff left last summer, Bachmeier’s arrival and consequent production (and lack of turnovers) has produced one of the most surprising stories in college football. With a win on Saturday against UCF, the teen from Murrieta, California, who boldly dared to wear No. 47, can be the first to lead the Cougars into the Big 12 championship game.
Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.