Patrick Kinahan: Bachmeier establishes himself as a top QB with gutsy performance

PROVO — Using the game's first possession as a barometer, BYU looked every bit the part of a football team capable of destroying Notre Dame's pursuit of a dream season.

As coach Kalani Sitake screamed during a pregame hype video the program recently released — they don't know, but they're about to find out. That speech applies to the team in general, but it specifically relates to BYU's rising star quarterback.

The second-ranked Irish had no answer for Bear Bachmeier, who almost flawlessly directed an opening drive that covered 75 yards in 11 plays and ended with his 5-yard scamper into the end zone. It was an individual statement drive of sorts, that Bachmeier belongs in the same paragraph as the nation's best quarterbacks.

He later added a rushing and receiving touchdowns, the latter coming off a trick double pass covering 15 yards. And with the game on the line, he directed the come-from-behind 10-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Walker Lyons to secure the thrilling 28-24 win on Saturday at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

"I know a lot of people were questioning if we belong in the top 10," said Sitake, whose team will move up from its No. 8 ranking.

Nearly halfway through his second college season, Bachmeier had established a bit of an identity as a rugged player. He was known primarily as a quarterback in a linebacker's body, befitting his chosen jersey number of 47.

All that stuff is true, of course, for the sophomore, who may not outrun a speedy defender but can bulldoze any unsuspecting tackler with his weaving, powerful jaunts through the guts of a defense. But the country now understands what the locals already knew: The California kid is indeed a baller who doubles as a complete quarterback.

Playing in the biggest game of his life, Bachmeier was the Taysom Hill version of Mr. Everything in accounting for all four BYU touchdowns. Hill, who is patiently waiting a call from any NFL team that will allow him to his professional career after playing nine years for the New Orleans Saints, no doubt will happily pass his Swiss Army knife reputation to his fellow BYU quarterback.

One week after playing his college performance in the win over Iowa State, Bachmeier took his game even higher.

"You can hit him, but you can't break him," said Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman.

After two grievous miscues — another muffed punt and a foolish attempt of a run off a fake punt that put Notre Dame 24 yards away from the end zone — BYU looked about ready to break. Two field goals, both of which came off the BYU mistakes, and a fourth-quarter touchdown followed by a 2-point conversion gave Notre Dame a 24-21 lead.

"The fake punt — that's on me," Sitake said. "We thought we had a good call there. Notre Dame had a better one."

Shaking off a poor second half, the BYU offense rallied for the winning score. Bachmeier's pin-point passing was the difference.

For the moment, depending on the second half of the season, this win belongs in the top five all-time for BYU. Want to go even higher — no problem here, put it in the top spot.

Certainly, the 1990 win over then No. 1 Miami belongs on the list along with a few other notables. But the sports world has changed dramatically over the last 26 years; to put mildly, everything is multiplied substantially.

And we're talking about beating Notre Dame here. No offense to the historically notorious team down in south Florida, but nobody is bigger than sport's most popular program.

The Irish began the game fully aware that Auburn stunned top-ranked Georgia on a last-second field goal. The No. 1 spot was there for the taking, with only a double-digit underdog standing in the way.

ESPN's GameDay experts, who put on an entertaining show on the BYU campus for three hours before the game, took the safe route in going with the favorite. Celebrity picker Steve Young picked the Cougars for obvious reasons, as did ESPN personality Pat McAfee, who shouted to the partisan crowd: "I'm riding with the Mormons."

McAfee got it right and wrong at the same time. He rode with the Mormons, who in turn followed in tow BYU's Catholic quarterback.

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