The game was the final warm-up before the Cougars host visiting Notre Dame this coming Saturday which will include a visit from ESPN’s College Gameday pregame show and a lot of eyes on televisions throughout the country during the game’s primetime slot on the ABC network.

As to what the Cougars will pose come Saturday’s matchup was at least partially revealed during the win over Iowa State, and overall, there’s a lot to be optimistic about.

From the tremendous defensive pressure and execution to a reborn passing attack led by Bear Bachmeier, who riddled the Iowa State secondary to the tune of 329 yards and two touchdowns on just 30 attempts, the Cougars looked primed to take on the Irish in key areas. But then there’s the concerns, beginning with a flagging rushing attack in the absence of LJ Martin, which contributed heavily to short-yardage and redzone execution, on top of some rather shocking foibles displayed in what is normally solid special teams execution.

“We obviously saw some really good things and also saw some things that we could get better at,” summed up BYU coach Kalani Sitake. “The efficiency on offense wasn’t good enough. We were 0-for-3 on fourth downs. I like being aggressive, but I’d like to see those turn into points. Overall, I’m just happy with a team win. I know there were some mistakes in all three phases, but I’m really proud of how the team played and with how the defense played, especially. We put a lot on them, and I thought they responded the right way.”

Courtesy BYU Photo

As far as the defensive execution goes, it was on point throughout.

From the jump BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga’s unit flashed aggressive and impactful, limiting the Cyclones to just 49 yards of total offense during the first half as the Cougars built a 14-3 lead that appeared to be even more insurmountable than the margin would indicate. Especially impactful were the Cougar defensive backs in laying big hits from the defensive backfield, which had the always loquacious Therrian Alexander beaming during the postgame press conference.

“I think this secondary is immensely talented, and I feel like we are putting our best foot forward right now,” the junior cornerback said. “We’re starting to hit our flow and our rhythm, and it’s going to help us … From the front, it’s the best pass rush I’ve had since I’ve been here … They dominate the run game, and they can’t be blocked. From Nusi (Taumoepeau) to Braxton (Lindsey) to Tausili (Akana) … all our guys up front are getting home. We’re playing with such a level of physicality that makes it so hard for teams to throw the ball. I feel like it’s one of the greatest things as a defense.”

“K-Pop has done a great job,” Sitake added of Poppinga’s coaching on the defensive end. “He knows how to run a defense. He knows how to work with his staff. I’ve been really pleased with this entire defensive staff and how they got the team ready for this game. We knew going into it that we were going to have to play solid. I mean, this is kind of what we expect our defense to be doing from here on out.”

Just prior to Alexander taking the postgame podium was the always short and to-the-point BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who was typically evasive and understated when asked about his tremendous performance on Friday, which included 329 yards passing on just 30 attempts and 109 yards rushing, both of which were career highs for the young sophomore.

“It felt good, playing the game that you love with the guys that you love,” was all Bachmeier offered regarding his remarkable performance one week after the massive struggles he incurred during a 17-10 win over TCU in rainy and wet conditions.

Even shorter was Bachmeier’s response to taking a higher-than-normal physical toll on his body, which left him noticeably grimacing after one particular hit during the second half. Without the presence of LJ Martin in the backfield, along with a group of running backs of which none proved even close to spelling everything Martin provides effectively on Friday, Bachmeier stands as the team’s best running option currently and is likely due to take on even more hits until Martin returns in about a month’s time.

“I’m feeling good,” was all Bachmeier offered regarding the hits he incurred on Friday, which is fairly typical given his proclivity to downplay or downright avoid any suggestion of him playing with any ailments.

“Bear’s a good player, and I thought he ran the ball quite a bit today and took some shots, but he’s a tough kid,” said Sitake. “I don’t know if we want to keep depending on him to get yards for us. I think we’ve got to see the other guys — Preston (Rex),  Journee (Tonga) and Devaughn (Eka) — really grow up quickly here, but they had some moments. They had some good things going on. I think Iowa State was really committed to stuffing the run. That’s why they loaded the box.”

As Sitake mentioned, BYU was 0-3 on fourth down conversions, which conspired to keep the game closer than it should have been given the massive disparity in total yards where the Cougars out-gained the Cyclones by 506 yards opposed to yielding just 200.

Courtesy BYU Photo

Also making the game far more interesting during the second half than it should have been otherwise was the failure to simply secure the football on punt returns. Filling in for the injured Cannon DeVries, BYU senior receiver Tiger Bachmeier proved inconsistent in fumbling two returns while showing poor field awarness in attempting the field a punt at the goal line, which almost went for an Iowa State safety.

“It’s got to be better than that,” Sitake said. “It felt like Tiger fielded some balls that he probably should have let go in the end zone, and then muffed the one. So we’ll just have to keep working on it. We’ve had that be a problem for us in the past, and then the game didn’t work out the wayit did tonight. Luckily, the defense was able to play and get some stops, but we can’t keep giving up freebies like that to other teams, and so we’ll fix that area. We’ll be able to be in a better position next time we have punt return out.”

The miscues, whether it be the failed 4th-down conversions or the special team foibles could prove disastrous come next week’s game, which is certain to be much more competitive given the strength of Notre Dame’s current squad. All of that was certainly present in Sitake’s mind as soon as Friday’s game concluded, along with in the minds of his players.

“I’m excited. I’m ready for it, and I think our guys are ready for it,” Sitake said. “We knew going into the season that we had some good talent, and I wanted to show it off a little bit. Some of the talent’s young. Some of it needs to develop really quickly in the next few days before we get to next week’s game. I think when the lights are on and it’s time to shine, that’s when we’re going to see a lot of the gamebreakers. I hope we get a lot of them in blue next week. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see them work through it and prep for this week.”

BYU receiver Kyler Kasper celebrates scoring a touchdown against Iowa State in a Big 12 football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on Friday, October 9, 2026.

BYU defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa (57) blocks a pass attempt against Iowa State in a Big 12 football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on Friday, October 9, 2026.

BYU football players salute the fans after in a Big 12 footba game against Iowa State, a 24-10 victory, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on Friday, October 9, 2026.