Is BYU’s Bear Bachmeier carrying an unsustainable load?

Given the way Bear Bachmeier dominated last week’s Iowa State game, there’s one looming, overarching question for BYU heading into the long-anticipated showdown with Notre Dame: Is this what life is going to be like without LJ Martin?

In other words, can the Cougars continue to thrive on offense if they’re a one-man show?

Martin, BYU’s all-conference running back, went down with an injury the previous week in the rain against TCU, just a week after he led a BYU 332-yard rushing performance against Colorado State. He was expected to miss four to six weeks.

If Bachmeier, who was once described as a “centaur” by an opposing coach, was a novelty act as a freshman who came out of nowhere last season — the burly build, the weird jersey number, the physical play, his youth — he’s fast taking his place among the greats at Quarterback U.

Without Martin, the offense consisted of Bachmeier, Bachmeier and more Bachmeier during a 24-10 win over Iowa State. He threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 109 yards on just nine carries, accounting for 438 of the team’s 506 yards. He did everything but direct traffic and sweep up the stadium afterward.

“When you get (Bachmeier) on the move, you’ve got to be able to tackle him,” said ISU coach Jimmy Rogers. “He had 109 yards rushing on nine attempts. We knew that he could use his legs. We expected him to run the ball, we just didn’t stop them.”

It also fell to Bachmeier to save the day a week earlier against TCU after Martin was injured in the first quarter. Early in the third quarter, he crashed and churned through multiple defenders to score a 21-yard touchdown on a designed quarterback draw. TCU couldn’t tackle him either.

But is this steady diet of Bear sustainable, especially against the No. 2-ranked team in the country? Watching the ISU showing, a Notre Dame scout might have left the stadium with a question of his own: What else you got?

It’s been a one-man show on offense lately, and that makes the Cougars easier to defend. If the Irish contain Bachmeier, they contain the Cougars.

The game plan is obvious. Bachmeier is a beast, and he’s going to attract a lot of attention from the Irish.

If Bachmeier, who was once described as a “centaur” by an opposing coach, was a novelty act as a freshman who came out of nowhere last season — the burly build, the weird jersey number, the physical play, his youth — he’s fast taking his place among the greats at Quarterback U. Bachmeier’s performance last week made him only the third BYU quarterback to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a game, the others being eventual NFL stars Steve Young and Taysom Hill.

Other than Hill, there hasn’t been anyone like him. Bear is a football player first, one who happens to play quarterback. For many players at the position, quarterback is the only place they could play; Bear, a mobile 6-foot-2, 230-pound sophomore who seems to seek out contact, could play linebacker, tight end, running back, defensive end or strong safety.

He was made in the same mold as Tim Tebow and Taysom, except he is a better passer. In five games this season, he’s passed for 1,033 yards and eight TDs and run for 239 yards and four TDs; he averages a healthy 8.9 yards per pass attempt, with just one interception. He is carrying the team.

Bachmeier has carried the team for most of the season. He ran and passed for four touchdowns against Utah Tech and Arizona to open the season, then gave the ball to Martin against Colorado State and let someone else do the work. But then he led the team in rushing and passing the last two games, against TCU and Iowa State.

That kind of dependence can be a double-edged sword.

All eyes will be on the young quarterback Saturday night, especially those on the other side of the ball.