Just four months ago, BYU’s freshman quarterback was wearing Cardinal red.
Bear Bachmeier, who made his Cougar debut this week in the 69-0 win over Portland State, transferred from Stanford University to BYU in May. His brother, junior wide receiver Tiger Bachmeier, opted for the move to Provo, too.
BYU will host the Cardinal at LaVell Edwards Stadium at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. The matchup will not only mark the Cougars’ first Football Bowl Subdivision opponent of the season, but will also be the first time Stanford takes on the Bachmeier brothers in BYU blue.
Bear and Tiger’s departure from Stanford came after former head coach Troy Taylor was fired in March following reports that he had been investigated twice for allegedly mistreating staffers. Frank Reich took over as head coach for the Cardinal.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake, left, watches during the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Portland State Vikings in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
“You look at the staff — they have a really good coaching staff. Good talent on their team. All you have to do is look at the guys we got from there — we got Bear and Tiger — and they came from there,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “I think they were put in a really difficult situation as a program. I think Andrew Luck and Frank Reich are doing everything they can to make it right and do what they can for the outgoing seniors and get that program going.”
Stanford played the University of Hawaii in Week Zero and lost 23-20, and then had a bye week. Sitake acknowledged the extra time the Cardinal have had to prepare for Saturday’s contest.
“We know they’re going to come ready to roll,” he said. “We’re excited about the matchup with Stanford.”
Reich has an obvious familiarity with Bear; the 19-year-old went through spring practice in Palo Alto earlier this year. But Stanford is not going to rely on that previous relationship to guide it through the game against the Cougars.
“My impressions of [Bear] were very positive. And just from looking at the film, watching the game … on television, he’s an explosive athlete. Has a strong arm. He’s a threat to run the ball,” Reich said.
“We were talking about that earlier, both ways: what we know about Bear and Tiger and what they know about us. My experience with that kind of thing is it usually gets overrated. So I’m not particularly worried about what they’re telling them about what we do because, honestly, we’ve changed a good bit from when they were here.”
Most of Bear’s time, after all, has been focused on memorizing BYU’s playbook inside and out — and not focusing on Stanford’s — since he earned the starting role out of fall camp. While Portland State was not a high-caliber opponent, Bear was productive and sturdy in his first game at LES.
Bear threw for three touchdowns, ran for two more and accounted for 97 passing yards before being pulled before intermission in the victory. He totaled 129 yards on offense and completed 64% of his passes.
“I was really pleased with the way he took the field,” Sitake said. “I thought he was able to settle down and get used to the environment. That is a crazy environment for anyone to go into — especially a true freshman — so I just wanted him to get used to all of it.”
Junior offensive lineman Bruce Mitchell got his reps in with Bear against Portland State, building trust with the Cougars’ new leader.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young Cougars offensive lineman Bruce Mitchell (63) celebrates a touchdown with Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Cody Hagen (5) during the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Portland State Vikings in Provo on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.
“I love Bear. He’s really confident, which is surprising for an 18-year-old kid out there. He’s really calm in the huddle — I think that’s a good feeling for the entire offensive line. It’s coming along well. I think there’s a special bond between the center and quarterback,” Mitchell said. “Bear’s doing great, and he’s got great chemistry with all the O-line. We really love him, love blocking for him, love playing for him.”
Bear’s first hurdle of the year — playing in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 60,000 — has been jumped. Now he and his teammates have to do it all again with a program that has a few more personal ties on the other side. It is not something Sitake is letting the Cougars take lightly.
“That’s part of our values — stay humble, stay hungry. [The win over Portland State] was a lot of fun. They got to enjoy it Saturday night, go to church, be humble; they did that [Sunday]. Come to school, come to the facility and get humbled even more,” Sitake said. “You’ve got to get back to work.”