What a performance by BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier. On Friday night against Iowa State, Bachmeier threw for 329 yards and ran for 109 yards. He became just the third BYU quarterback to throw for over 300 yards and run for over 100 yards in a single game, joining former BYU greats Steve Young and Taysom Hill.

Bachmeier's career night came just six days after the worst passing outing of his two-year career against TCU. After the TCU game, some analysts questioned whether Bachmeier was capable of throwing the ball downfield without a rushing presence like LJ Martin consuming the attention of the defense. One national analyst, Bud Elliot, compared BYU to Iowa: a team with great defense and bad offense.

Bachmeier answered the bell against Iowa State and proved the doubters wrong.

Bachmeier protected the football, made quick reads, and he delivered some of the best throws since he arrived at BYU. He was making the big-time throws that few quarterbacks in the sport can consistently make. That version of Bear Bachmeier can carry the BYU offense through the next month while LJ Martin recovers from his injury.

On one critical third down, Bachmeier delivered a perfect back-shoulder fade to Kyler Kasper. That was a throw that, frankly, Bachmeier didn't have in his bag last season. In an interview with Kasper during Fall Camp, he told BYU On SI that he worked with Bachmeier all summer long on that throw. The work paid off and

On another throw, Bachmeier escaped pressure and managed to hit Roger Saleapaga in stride on the run. Again, throwing on the run across his body is something Bachmeier rarely did last season.

Throughout the evening, Bachmeier was fitting the ball to tight end Walker Lyons. He capped off one touchdown drive with a tight-window throw to Kyler Kasper for the score.

Two of his best throws were incompletions. On a fourth down deep in Iowa State territory, Bachmeier threw a ball intended for Legend Glasker. There was about an 18-inch window where Bachmeier could throw the football. If he didn't fit it in that window, it either would have been deflected or sailed over Glasker's head. Bachmeier fit the ball into that window, but Glasker dropped the would-be touchdown. That's a play that Glasker would certainly like to have back, but he made up for it later in the game.

There was another deep throw that Bachmeier put on the money to Kyler Kasper that was dropped. He fit it perfectly over Kasper's shoulder deep down the field. Those were the kind of throws that Bachmeier was making in Fall Camp.

Last, but certainly not least, was the dagger to Legend Glasker. Bachmeier stepped into the pocket and delivered a perfect deep ball to Legend Glasker. Glasker got behind the defense and didn't look back for the 75-yard touchdown.

Bear Bachmeier looked not only like one of the best passers in the Big 12, but the entire country against Iowa State. His career night sets up what will be arguably the biggest game in LaVell Edwards Stadium history against Notre Dame.

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