sltrib
In the aftermath of Brigham Young University's 28-24 victory over then-No. 2 Notre Dame on Saturday night, the Cougars have had ample time to savor what could be a landmark win for the program. But the spotlight first falls on a daring trick play: a double-reverse pass from wide receiver Kyler Kasper to quarterback Bear Bachmeier that gave BYU a 14-10 lead in the first half.
Observant BYU supporters might recall a similar sequence. The 15-yard touchdown mirrored a 22-yard scoring connection between Chase Roberts and Jaren Hall against Baylor in 2022—identical play, identical call, identical outcome. The difference this time was Kasper, who secured the trick-play quarterback role after an open tryout during practice. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick noted that the competition ended on Kasper's first throw. "He won it on the first throw," Roderick said, "and he threw it perfectly all week in practice." The Oregon transfer is already lobbying for additional passing chances, Roderick added with a smile: "So we'll see."
If Saturday's performance is any gauge, Roderick has a keen sense of when to deploy such surprises—and many other tactics as well. The Cougars amassed 360 yards of offense, with Bachmeier contributing 224 passing yards and 45 rushing yards, handing the Irish their first loss of the season and cementing BYU's status as the No. 2 team in the country and a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
The tone was set on the opening drive, as the Cougars became just the second team to score a touchdown against the nation's top-ranked defense, and they never relented. The offensive effort featured a relentless ground game despite the absence of injured running back LJ Martin for a second consecutive week, a passing attack that completed 24 throws to six different receivers, and, of course, that trick play.
Roderick deflects praise publicly—he's been in the game too long for that—but others were quick to commend him. "A-Rod, Fesi (Sitake), TJ (Woods), just the entire offensive staff did a great job planning this one," head coach Kalani Sitake said postgame. "I feel like they were on point." Roderick was locked in, and so were his players. The veteran coach emphasized that execution meeting preparation is where success is born, but his players are happy to give him credit.
"I thought we were pretty dialed on offense," said tight end Walker Lyons, who hauled in 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."
Key Analysis
Impressive, but not flawless. That was the message BYU coaches stressed in practice on Monday and Tuesday after the team celebrated in front of a sellout crowd of 65,179 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. "Has BYU arrived? Not at all," Roderick said. "We made mistakes in that game. I think there are a lot of things we could've done better. I think it's really important that we all stay grounded and just keep working one day at a time."
The win over Notre Dame brought credibility and respect to the program and the Big 12 Conference, but it also painted a target on the Cougars' 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 teammates explained it last Wednesday when ESPN trucks began arriving on 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, as Sitake constantly preaches, and 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? That remains to be seen.
Originally reported by sltrib.