Provo • In the 24, then 48, then 72 hours after Saturday night’s 28-24 win over then-No. 2 Notre Dame, BYU has had plenty of ways to bask in what could be a program-defining victory.
But first, let’s talk about the trick play: the double-reverse pass from receiver Kyler Kasper to quarterback Bear Bachmeier that put the Cougars up 14-10 in the first half.
Eagle-eyed BYU fans may have seen that one before.
The 15-yard touchdown was modeled after the Chase Roberts-to-Jaren Hall 22-yard score against Baylor in 2022.
Same play. Same call. Same result.
After, that is, Kasper won the “trick-play quarterback” job. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said the practice-wide tryout ended immediately after the Oregon transfer’s turn in the box.
“He won it on the first throw,” he said, “and he threw it perfectly all week in practice.”
“He’s already asking for more throws,” Roderick later added. “So we’ll see.”
If Saturday was any indication, Roderick knows when to press that button.
And lots of others, too.
The Cougars piled up 360 yards of offense, including 224 passing yards and another 45 rushing yards from Bachmeier, in handing the Irish their first loss of the season and establishing BYU as the No. 2-ranked team in the country and a College Football Playoff contender.
It started with the opening drive, when the Cougars scored just the second touchdown against the top-rated defense in the country, and never let up. It included a punishing ground game without injured running back LJ Martin for the second straight week, a passing game that featured 24 completions to six different receivers, and, yes, a trick play.
Roderick won’t take too much credit publicly — he’s been around too long for that — but plenty of others were quick to offer praise.
“A-Rod, Fesi (Sitake), TJ (Woods), just the entire offensive staff did a great job planning this one,” head coach Kalani Sitake said after the game, “and I feel like they were on point.”
Roderick was dialed in. So, too, were his players. The veteran coach would note that execution meeting preparation is where the “magic” happens.
But give the Bountiful High alum some credit. His players certainly are.
“I thought we were pretty dialed on offense,” said tight end Walker Lyons, who caught the go-ahead touchdown pass from Bachmeier with 1:47 remaining. “I think something that [Roderick] does really well is put the playmakers in good positions.
“There wasn’t one person who had this crazy game, and a lot of other people didn’t really contribute much. But I think that’s one of the strengths of him as a coordinator; he puts all of the people who have different strengths in the right opportunities to make the plays. He called a great game.”
Impressive, but not perfect.
That was part of the message BYU coaches preached in practice Monday and Tuesday after celebrating amid the sellout crowd of 65,179 on the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Has BYU arrived? Not at all, Roderick said.
“We made mistakes in that game,” he added. “I think there are a lot of things we could’ve done better in that game.
“I think it’s really important that we all stay grounded and just keep working one day at a time.”
The Cougars’ win over Notre Dame brought credibility and respect to the program, as well as to the Big 12 Conference.
But it also puts a target on their backs.
“We’re blessed to be there, and we’re all happy about it,” said wide receiver Legend Glasker, who admitted he didn’t know what “College GameDay” was until his teammates explained it to him last Wednesday when the ESPN trucks began pulling up to campus. “But our team knows that we’ve got way more work to do, new things to accomplish, and that’s not the only thing we’re chasing for.
“I would say the best thing for our team is that we always stay hungry.”
Hungry and humble, just as Sitake constantly preaches, adn they know there’s still plenty to improve, with BYU ranking 49th nationally in yards per game and 40th in scoring.
Still, the Cougars aren’t afraid to appreciate the offensive strides the team has made.
Lyons said 6-0 is how the Cougars wanted to start. But it’s not where they want to finish, either, with the 2026 season reaching its halfway point.
“I think it’s been a testament to our team as a whole,” he said, “but also the mindset that we try to play with as an offense: We try to be physical, we try to be fast, we try to make plays when they come our way. I thought we did that.”
“We’re grateful to be here. But there’s also a lot of football left, and we know that.”
Beating Notre Dame will mean less if BYU doesn’t follow up with a win against UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) in Orlando.
“Everybody knows it’s a one-game season every week,” Roderick said. “UCF hasn’t lost at home this year, and we’ve got to go play at their place.
“They’re playing much-improved football from last year, and last year they had us down 14-0 from the start. We have a lot of respect for these guys.”
Will Roderick need another trick up his sleeve? TBD.