Perhaps the young freshman phenom allowed a few more smiles than normal, but was otherwise sharp, succinct and straight to the point with his answers, as has been his way since arriving in Provo just a little under six months ago.

How are your emotions following the win, Bear?

“It was crazy. It was exhilarating. There’s lots of emotions, but it’s good to get the win,” was his typically simple and direct response.

Can you take us through your 22-yard touchdown run, which proved to be the winning score and will subsequently become one of the most memorable plays in BYU-Utah rivalry history?

“I was just trying to get the first down, and I don’t know, I was standing, for some reason, after some guys tried to tackle me. So I just saw the goal line, and Weylin (Lapuaho) helped push me in. So it was a fun kind of deal,” he provided in his common ah-shucks sort of way.

You’ve just been immortalized in rivalry history, Bear, how do you stay level-headed?

“It’s a cliche,” he responded. “But you kind of stay off all the social media stuff and you just hang with your buddies. I say it a lot, but it’s a testament to my family and how I was raised…You just put your head down and get to work.”

More quotes were provided, but hopefully you get the point, and in so doing, perhaps can understand the mindset and demeanor involved in promoting Bachmeier’s truly extraordinary performance in Saturday’s win, and for the entire season, so far. It’s an approach that is grounded, pointed and not unnecessarily complicated, much like the quotes he provides in every interview session he’s conducted since joining the BYU program.

In case you missed it, Bachmeier finished Saturday’s win with relatively pedestrian numbers. He went 13-22 through the air for just 166 yards and a touchdown while adding 64 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, 22 of which came off a run with just 4:22 remaining to give the Cougars a 24-14 lead. Bachmeier left the pocket early on the run, dodged what seemed to be every single one of the 11 Ute defenders on the field and then bowled his way across the goal line, aided by big pushes from the aforementioned Lapuaho and center Bruce Mitchell.

“We just wanted to put it on his shoulders and it paid off,” said BYU Coach Kalani Sitake. “I mean, he’s tough and he’s a good player. I thought he made some guys miss and he’s super tough…the yards weren’t easy.”

Bachmeier’s touchdown run is certain to be the play most fans will remember, but it absolutely wasn’t his only standout play provided in the win.

There was a perfectly-executed 17-yard touchdown strike to Chase Roberts to open up the scoring in the first quarter, along with several other key completions and runs from scrimmage.

But perhaps one of his more impressive plays was actually an incompletion, where he effectively avoided a sack to fling the ball out-of-bounds before incurring a massive hit from Utah linebacker Lander Barton. The hit was flagged for targeting, which then gave BYU a first down and set it up on Utah’s 11 yard line. One play later saw Parker Kingston score a touchdown off of a fly sweep to give the Cougars back the lead at 17-14 early in the fourth quarter.

It’s the type of play few quarterbacks can have the wherewithal to execute, let alone a true freshman playing in one of the more heated rivalries in all of football.

“I thought he did a great job and this isn’t an easy game to prep for,” Sitake said of Bachmeier’s overall performance. “…I just saw this young freshman come to work every day, watch film, study, prep himself, and make mistakes in practice, but then correct them…I wish I could take credit for that, but that’s not me. That’s him…He’s been an amazing person to work with.”

Saturday’s win marked what should be just one of many memorable moments for Bachmeier, although the memories provided could prove tough to top, considering what the game meant for the Cougar faithful, many of whom rushed the field exuberantly after the game.

As for the Cougar seniors, such as Roberts and safety Tanner Wall, both of whom grew up dreaming of playing for BYU, the win couldn’t have been more satisfying.

“People ask what it’s like to lose the Holy War, and I guess I’ll never know, right?,” Roberts said with a big grin across his face. “It’s been fun playing Utah in the past four or five years, and it’s my favorite game…It’s unlike anything else…For me to be 3-0 against them is pretty special and it’s something that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

As for Wall, he helped secure the win in the fourth quarter by making a brilliant interception, which led to Bachmeier’s 22-yard touchdown run. The senior free safety played his centerfield position perfectly, tracking down a ball that perhaps floated a bit too much, leaped up and snatched it out of the air as if playing the receiver position he began his Cougar career playing at back in 2021.

“When (Utah quarterback Devon Dampier) let it go, I knew I was going to go get it,” Wall described. “…I’m just grateful to trust my instincts on the play and then go get the ball…The guys who make plays in this game become legends forever, so I’m just grateful to have made that play tonight and the way it shifted the momentum…It was definitely a great feeling.”

It’s a feeling that will likely permeate in Wall’s emotions long after he plays out his final season in Provo this season. But as a seasoned senior and team leader, Wall added some keen perspective on what BYU has been able to accomplish in recent years, on top of what Saturday’s win over Utah means for now and for the future of the program.

“A lot of props go to Kalani and how he’s running this program,” Wall summed up. “There’s been a great shift, even amongst recruiting in the state. We’ve seen that and we continue to win on big recruits who are being recruited by both us and (Utah.) I believe that this is the start of even a longer streak of wins for our program over them.”

But perhaps the most adept at adding perspective with regards to what Saturday’s win meant is Sitake himself, who played for BYU before moving on to coach for 10 years at Utah before returning as the Cougar’s head coach back in 2016. Sitake was understandably upbeat and deeply grateful when addressing the media while expressing a tremendous amount of optimism for the future, while expressing great admiration for the Utah program, and especially for Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham.

“It’s amazing and I never thought it would be possible that we’re in the Big 12 (Conference) together, and we get to play in this game, and be partners in this wonderful conference,” Sitake said. “With that being said, I’m really excited about the environment…It was a great game, and I’m glad we were able to get the victory.”

With the win BYU improves to 7-0 on the season and will next travel to take on Iowa State. the win also vaulted the Cougars to a No. 11 ranking in the AP Poll, which was released on Sunday.