Cougars dominate Cyclones in second half to remain unbeaten

AMES, Iowa — After falling behind, and facing early adversity, the Cougars put together a strong second half performance to pull out a victory in one of the Big 12’s loudest venues.

BYU absorbed all of the punches that Iowa State could deliver, but made the right adjustments, and executed at a high level over the final 30 minutes to win the game 41-17. The victory wasn’t easy for the Cougars because the Cyclones never gave up. Not to mention the sold out crowd at Jack Trice Stadium was a factor throughout the contest, but once the smoke cleared, BYU made a statement to the rest of the conference.

Coach Kalani Sitake was eager for his team to get revenge after the Cyclones scored 45 points on them in Provo in 2023.

“We had to make some adjustments, and things like that, but I’m glad our guys were able to hold their composure and knew that it was a long game,” Sitake said. “We just kept plugging away, I thought it was a great environment and I enjoyed being here.”

The Cyclones drew first blood after quarterback Rocco Becht connected with wideout Brett Eskildsen for a 75-yard touchdown on their first play from scrimmage. However, BYU responded with a five-play, 68-yard drive, that ended with running back LJ Martin in the endzone to tie the game up.

After Iowa State running back Carson Hansen rushed for two touchdowns, and both teams exchanged a pair of field goals, the No. 11 Cougars found themselves down by seven points at halftime. It didn’t help BYU’s offense that Martin went down with an injury either. Sitake knew he had to adjust his game plan, and his players responded in a big way in the second half.

The Cougars scored the first 10 points of the second half to take their first lead of the game, including two 11-play scoring drives. Gunslinger Bear Bachmeier came alive, and looked like a seasoned veteran behind center, instead of a deer in the headlights freshman, with the way he commanded the offense.

BYU (8-0) played complimentary football throughout the second half. After all, the defense took over and eventually forced four turnovers on the afternoon. The Cougars blanketed the entire field, sacked Becht four times, and picked off three  of his passes, including one that safety Faletau Satuala returned 40 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

All Iowa State (6-4) did was generate a field goal over the final two quarters. Meanwhile, BYU outscored the opposition 24-3 in the second half, including two touchdowns from Bachmeier. Sitake was proud of the way his players persevered, delivered in the clutch, and left Iowa State scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“Overall it took all three phases, and I thought the poise that are leaders had, and the poise are coaches had was awesome,” he said. “Really happy about the second half to be honest with you, with the way that we turned that around and it felt like we were in control with a lot of the clock.”

Although the Cyclones led the Cougars in total offense, yards per play, first downs, third down efficiency and time of possession, four costly turnovers turned out to be their downfall. Sitake understands that his team was fortunate, especially after only converting one of their 11 third down attempts.

Regardless, BYU proved the game is never over until it’s over. Bachmeier completed 22 of his 35 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Cougars with 49 yards on the ground, and a score. Wideout Chase Roberts hauled in a team-high, eight passes for 138 yards. Parker Kingston led BYU with 133 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Cougars had a bend, but don’t break mentality Satuala tallied a game-high, 10 tackles, including six solo and an interception. Defensive back Tanner Wall added nine stops. Edge rusher Bodie Schoonover made Becht eat grass twice. Villami Po’uha, and Anisi Purcell each contributed a sack too.

Now BYU will have the week off, and Sitake plans on ironing out all of the wrinkles before resuming Big 12 play on the road at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are arguably one of the best teams in the country, and a win over them will likely be for Big 12 supremacy. Still, Sitake is going to enjoy the hard-fought victory over Iowa State, and BYU will have to play its’ best football as it navigates through the rest of the Big 12 gauntlet.

“Now we have a bye coming up, we’ll take advantage of it and get an early start on Texas Tech, and use our second bye differently than we used our first bye because the science tells us to.”