Watch: 3 plays that proved critical in BYU’s victory over TCU

Playing in wet circumstances that are more ideal for Frogs than Cougars, BYU (4-0, 2-0) leaped from TCU’s Fort Worth pond with a clutch 17-10 victory on Saturday night to remain unbeaten in the Big 12.

In a game where big plays were hard to come by, BYU came up with three that helped turn the game in their favor and win at Ammon G. Carter Stadium for the first time in 20 years.

Seeing red

Motivated by his own frustration, BYU sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier engineered a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive late in the fourth quarter, capping it with a 21-yard touchdown run right through the heart of the TCU defense.

Bachmeier bulldozed through the Horned Frog defenders similar to his 22-yard touchdown run last season to ice the game against Utah.

Oh my goodness Bear Bachmeier will not be denied 🤯
📺 ESPN x @Big12Conferencepic.twitter.com/x5ZLHq3OyN

— CFP (@CFBPlayoff) October 4, 2026

“I was playing so bad. I saw red when I was running the ball because I was so mad I just wasn’t playing my game,” said Bachmeier, who rushed three times for 40 yards on BYU’s final drive. “But that is why there is a team and that’s the culture at BYU. I love the guys. What a gritty and great team win.”

Struggling to grip the ball in the rainy conditions, Bachmeier completed just 11 of 24 passes for 64 yards on a night when the Cougars lost star runner LJ Martin to an injury in the first quarter. The sophomore QB responded and produced 66 of his own rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns to improve to 16-2 as BYU’s starting quarterback.

Super Satuala

Going for it on fourth-and-4 at the BYU 35 early in the second quarter, TCU quarterback Jaden Craig made a critical mistake.

“I was just watching his eyes,” said BYU safety Faletau Satuala. “Our defensive line was hitting home a lot, so I knew he was gonna have to get (the ball) out quick.”

PICKED OFF 😤
Pass intercepted by Faletau Satuala for 59 yards
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— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 3, 2026

The charging Cougars chased Craig out of the pocket and he released the ball downfield, where Satuala was waiting.

“My receiver ran an in-route and (Craig) missed it,” Satuala said. “He just threw it straight to me.”

Satuala intercepted the pass at the 25 and ran 59 yards to the TCU 16 to set up Bachmeier’s first touchdown run. His grab was the game’s only turnover and it was also BYU’s 45th interception since the start of the 2024 season.

Kalani Sitake teams are now 52-8 when they have a positive turnover margin.

Third-down stop

Trailing 10-7 midway through the fourth quarter, TCU drove to the BYU 29. Facing third-and-10, Craig threw a short pass to Ed Small. The play had big potential until Cougar linebacker Cade Uluave pulled him down and held him to a 1-yard gain.

Uluave’s tackle grew in significance when seconds later, Nate McCashland’s 46-yard game-tying field goal fell a few yards short of the cross bar. The miss gave BYU the ball with 8:01 remaining and set up Bachmeier’s touchdown drive to seal the victory.

“It was just a battle,” said senior defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa. “It was a battle in the trenches — a war of who was going to be the nastiest team out there. We have trained for that. We have trained to play all four quarters, and we did a phenomenal job.”

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.