Bear Bachmeier lifts No. 10 BYU to win over TCU after losing LJ Martin

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BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier ran for two touchdowns, including the eventual game-winning score from 21 yards out with 2:06 left for the 17-10 win over TCU in Fort Worth.

The No. 10 Cougars survived most of the game without running back LJ Martin. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year from last season had two carries for 16 yards before exiting with a lower leg injury. Martin's status is unknown at this point, but any time without him in the lineup is a tremendous blow for the Cougars.

Martin was averaging 109.3 yards rushing while the Cougars were scoring 44 points a game prior to the injury. BYU had 62 passing yards, which is the second-fewest for a BYU win in program history. Prior to Saturday, the last time the Cougars won a game when throwing for fewer than 100 passing yards was the 2022 New Mexico Bowl.

This game was ugly for both teams after unsuccessfully trying to move the ball down the field. For BYU, 72 of the 216 total yards came on the late drive. The Cougars stuck to Bachmeier carrying the load with Martin out, and it worked well enough to get the victory. TCU had the final possession to throw something together. But in the end, the Horned Frogs came up short of a possible upset bid.

Bachmeier called his own number for the go-ahead score. He bounced off one of his teammates at the line, then ran through several TCU defenders inside the 10 for a rugby-style touchdown. This was a moment when Bachmeier knew his worth to the team and put it all out there. Whenever BYU needed a spark, he was there to make it happen.

TCU got a 44-yard field goal from Nate McCashland with 32 seconds left, but was then unable to recover an onside kick. The Frogs had only 259 total yards. Jaden Craig, the Harvard QB transfer, was averaging 303.3 yards passing per game. He racked up 187 yards with a touchdown and a costly interception that was the game's only turnover.

Craig was picked off by Faletau Satuala, who returned it 59 yards midway through the second quarter. That set up Bachmeier's 9-yard keeper when he lunged into the end zone on third and goal. Despite the low passing yards, BYU did everything right to win. There will be some fans who will say the Cougars should've blown the door off and took a multi-score lead. This was BYU taking control without having to gain any style points.

TCU is 0-2 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2013, which was their second year in the league. They went 2-7 in the Big 12 and 4-8 overall, still their only eight-loss season since a 1-10 record in 1997.

BYU returns home for a Friday night game against Iowa State.