PROVO — Utah had won nine straight in the series with no end in sight. BYU’s 2021 upset win was a shocker and the 2024 win had some controversy in the final minutes.

But Saturday night in Provo, BYU made it three straight over the Utes, marking the school’s longest rivalry streak since 1989-92.

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said it best: “Three games is officially a win streak.”

They did it with a timely defense that stopped Utah three times in the red zone — three fourth-down attempts, three stops, 0 points.

Then on the other side of the ball, LJ Martin posted his fifth 100-yard game of the season, and true freshman Bear Bachmeier became a BYU legend with his physical touchdown run, dragging Utes defenders into the end zone for a decisive score.

The 24-21 win extends BYU’s undefeated season and marks the first time in school history they have started 7-0 in consecutive seasons. Their sights are on the Big 12 title game and beyond. But first, they need to re-focus and travel to Ames, Iowa, for a tough test against Iowa State (1:30 p.m. MDT, FOX).

Game Grader

(Opponent-adjusted statistical dominance via Pick Six Previews)

3-year average (2022-24): BYU 49.3 (36th of 68 Power 4) | Iowa State 57.6 (21st)
2024 season: BYU 70.0 (10th) | Iowa State 64.3 (16th)
2025 season: BYU 61.7 (21st) | Iowa State 54.9 (38th)

My Game Grader formula is a measure of statistical dominance that adjusts for opponent strength and is a key piece of my preseason and in-season evaluation.

In my annual season preview magazine Pick Six Previews, I selected BYU to finish eighth in a wide-open Big 12 race. They have exceeded expectations through the first half of the season and are now projected to finish 8-1 in league play.

At Big 12 media days, the coaches selected Iowa State as a Big 12 finalist. I disagreed, and selected Iowa State all the way down at seventh in the Big 12. They have one-score wins over Kansas State, Iowa, and Arkansas State, but are now on a two-game Big 12 losing streak (Cincinnati and Colorado). They check in at No. 38 in 2025 Game Grader.

BYU with the ball

(Rankings out of 136 FBS teams)

BYU offense: 35.6 points/game (30th), 5.5 yards/carry (17th), 8.0 yards/attempt (40th)
Iowa State defense: 19 points/game (27th), 4.4 yards/carry (88th), 6.7 yards/attempt (48th)

BYU held a 17-14 lead with four minutes left but faced a third-and-10 against Utah. Bachmeier delivered one of the rivalry’s all-time moments. On a quarterback draw, he ran through and around eight Utah defenders, got the first down, and then carried the pile the final 5 yards for the game-sealing touchdown.

As the FOX television announcers said: “There’s a Bear on the loose in Provo.”

The true freshman continues to pass every test with flying colors. His offensive line has been just as impressive; they are in the top 40 of both my offensive line metrics with a No. 17 ranking in OL run rush and No. 32 ranking in pass protection, allowing a sack on just 4% of pass attempts.

Line coach TJ Woods continues to impress.

This week, the game plan will shift more to the pass game as Iowa State lost both their starting cornerbacks to season-ending injuries. Both Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper were All-Big 12 standouts, and now Iowa State is 0-2 without them.

In my opponent-adjusted pass defense stat, Iowa State was top 25 with Williams and Cooper, but are bottom 10 without them. Their playmaker in the trenches, Domonique Orange, is listed as “questionable” on Thursday’s injury report. BYU’s offensive success will continue.

Iowa State with the ball

(Rankings out of 136 FBS teams)

Iowa State offense (2025): 29.3 points/game (66th), 4.2 yards/carry (76th), 8.1 yards/attempt (38th)
BYU defense (2025): 15.6 points/game (14th), 3.6 yards/carry (40th), 5.7 yards/attempt (10th)

The word clutch is overused in the sports world, but if one player deserves the label it is Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, who led four last-minute, game-winning scoring drives last season. That continued into 2025 with close wins over Kansas State and Iowa.

He is on pace for a third straight 3,000-yard passing season, and is chasing Brock Purdy’s school records. But from a per-play, efficiency perspective, Becht falls to 11th in the Big 12 in QB rating.

BYU has already defeated three quarterbacks ahead of him on the leaderboard — Noah Fifita (Arizona), Kaidon Salter (Colorado) and Devon Dampier (Utah). They held all three below their season averages and, fittingly, BYU ranks No. 16 nationally in my opponent-adjusted pass defense stat.

Jay Hill earned “coordinator of the week” honors in my Pick Six PLUS stats/info package. His transformation of the BYU defense from 2023 to 2024 (and again here in 2025) has been simply unbelievable.

Game prediction

It was actually the 2023 matchup against Iowa State where BYU’s defensive collapse fell to the proverbial rock bottom. The 45 points allowed was their worst showing in a season that involved a midseason coordinator firing.

The defense, and this program, look completely different two years later. Iowa State lost star power on defense, has lost two straight Big 12 contests, and is trending down in my Game Grader ratings.

BYU is undefeated again, and trending up.

BYU 27 | Iowa State 23