Watch: 3 plays that helped BYU storm past the Cyclones

Watch: 3 plays that helped BYU storm past the Cyclones

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Watch: 3 plays that helped BYU storm past the Cyclones
BYU Cougars wide receiver Legend Glasker (1) looks back over his shoulder at Iowa State Cyclones safety Brody Miller (24) after making a catch as BYU and Iowa State play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
BYU Cougars wide receiver Legend Glasker (1) looks back over his shoulder at Iowa State Cyclones safety Brody Miller (24) after making a catch as BYU and Iowa State play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
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Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

A penalty, a collision and a bomb — three plays that set the tone, broke the game open and sealed a 24-10 victory for No. 8 BYU over Iowa State on Friday night. While the stat sheet showed a rout, the fight on the field was electric as the Cougars improved to 5-0 and won for the 28th time in 32 games.

The penalty

Iowa State running back Aiden Flora spent the week in the national spotlight after amassing 260 yards of total offense and accounting for five touchdowns in Iowa State’s 45-42 victory against West Virginia.

At 6-foot-0, 195 pounds, the legitimate game changer had BYU fully charged to get after him — maybe a little too charged. At the tail end of Flora’s second run for no gain, Tausili Akana picked him up and drove him into the ground.

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BYU defensive lineman Tausili Akana (13) lifts Iowa State Cyclones running back Aiden Flora (21) into the air and throws him to the turf as BYU and Iowa State play at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Akana was flagged on the play.
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Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Akana’s aggressiveness earned a justified 15-yard penalty. The play gave Iowa State a first down at midfield but it also sent a message — college football’s national player of the week was in a much different place and facing a much better defense.

The Cougars pounced on his every move, holding the former walk-on to just 11 yards on eight carries in the first half and 86 yards for the game (with most of those coming late) — and most importantly, five fewer touchdowns than he had six days prior.

“They’re really good up front,” said Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers. “They move the front a bunch, creating communication issues with how they stem and move and then the noise of it all here, not being able to sustain blocks. We couldn’t get anything going.”

The collision

Frustrated by a pair of turnover-on-downs, BYU marched late into the second quarter with a vulnerable 7-3 lead. Facing second-and-7 at the Cougars 32, Bear Bachmeier rolled out to his left and with three Cyclone defenders closing in on him, he spotted tight end Roger Saleapaga II roaming free in the secondary.

How was the 6-4, 235-pound junior so wide open? Seconds after the snap, Saleapaga charged down the field and collided with 5-foot-10, 187-pound Iowa State safety Eddie Lemos. It was like a semi-truck meeting a Yugo — or any prize fighter facing Mike Tyson in his prime.

Lemos went down and left Saleapaga primed to make the longest catch of his career – 63 yards to the Iowa State 5. The Cougars scored two plays later to take a 14-3 lead into halftime.

“It was good to see the tight ends get involved a little more but also to have the offense clicking as a unit,” said Walker Lyons, Saleapaga’s tag-team partner at tight end. Together, the two combined for 133 yards on seven receptions. “It was good.”

The bomb

Leading 14-3 with 1:18 to play in the third quarter, Bachmeier took the shot gun snap at the BYU 25 and waited for the fastest player on the field to make his move. Being double-teamed in the secondary didn’t matter for Legend Glasker as the freshman zipped past the Cyclones and Bachmeier hit him for a 75-yard touchdown.

For Glasker, who finished with five receptions for 99 yards, it was his third and longest bomb of the season (61 vs. Arizona) and (70 vs. Colorado State).

“It’s awesome. He’s fast,” said Bachmeier who followed up last week’s rain-soaked 62 yards passing at TCU with 329 yards against Iowa State. “We have a lot of guys that can go on the perimeter, and when you mix in our tight ends, we’re just dynamic — and I think that’s hard for defenses to scheme against that.”

Bonus moments

During pregame warmups, Jamaal Williams, BYU’s all-time leading rusher, was spotted on the field giving freshman runner Journee Tonga a pep talk as the Cougars prepared for life without star senior LJ Martin. Firing up the defensive backs was former star DerwinGray, who had 13 interceptions during his time in Provo.

As the Cougars huddled just before going to the locker room, the entire team turned and waved up at President Dallin H. Oaks, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and former BYU president, who was watching from the press box. During BYUtv’s pregame show, James The Mormon (James Curran)performed his hit song ‘Tellin You Y.’ BYU recently purchased the rights to the song to use at its athletic events.

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.

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