PROVO, Utah (AP) — Bear Bachmeier threw for 296 yards and a touchdown to lead No. 12 BYU to a 44-13 victory over TCU on Saturday night.
Bachmeier added 59 yards and another touchdown on the ground for the freshman’s seventh game this season with both a passing TD and a rushing TD.
Parker Kingston added 80 yards on five catches. LJ Martin led BYU (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 12 CFP) with 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Cougars scored on their first seven drives and did not punt until the fourth quarter.
Josh Hoover threw for a season-low 183 yards and had two interceptions for the Horned Frogs. Eric McAlister had 107 yards on four catches. TCU (6-4, 3-4) had just 15 first downs and went 1 of 10 on third down.
BYU attacked on the ground and through the air with equal efficiency to take control before halftime.
Kingston finished off a 10-play 91-yard drive in the first quarter by scoring on an 11-yard jet sweep. Then, in the second quarter, Bachmeier barreled up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown and threw a short pass that Carsen Ryan took 43 yards for another score. It gave BYU a 24-3 lead with 6:00 left before halftime.
Both of BYU’s fourth-quarter touchdowns came off TCU turnovers. Faletau Satuala intercepted a pass at the TCU 43 to set up a 1-yard, fourth-down plunge from Martin. Then, Tanner Wall returned Hoover’s second interception for 68 yards to put the Cougars up 44-13 with 4:09 left.
The Takeaway
TCU: An inability to get stops on defense and convert third downs on offense kept the Horned Frogs on their heels for much of the game.
BYU: The Cougars were methodical and efficient on offense from the start, helping them snap a five-game losing streak in the series with TCU. By halftime, Bachmeier had his fourth 200-yard game as a passer, and the Cougars had eclipsed 100 rushing yards.
Up Next
TCU: At Houston on Saturday.
BYU: At Cincinnati on Saturday.
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John Coon, The Associated Press
