Bear Bachmeier's Four Touchdowns Leads No. 12 BYU Past Baylor, 28-7

Bear Bachmeier ran for three touchdowns and threw for another to lead No. 10 BYU to a 28-7 win over Baylor on Saturday night.

The Cougars quarterback racked up 158 yards of offense and took over from the start in Provo. LJ Martin added 49 yards on six carries for BYU (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) but did not play in the second half after suffering an apparent ankle injury before halftime. No word if this was a reaggregation from one that kept him out for many weeks.

DJ Lagway threw for 159 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Baylor. The Bears (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) came into the game with back-to-back wins, but couldn't make it three straight.

BYU's offense took control over Baylor’s defense in the first three quarters. They were pitching a 21-0 shutout until the fourth quarter. One of the biggest takeaways for BYU was being consistent on the ground. The Cougars scored touchdowns on their first three drives while racking up 150 yards on the ground and averaging five yards per carry.

This is where Bachmeier looked proficient and made a statement. He threw for over 100 yards, but also scored on every five carries. BYU kept Baylor's offense off the field and drained 20 minutes off the clock going into the final quarter.

This was a MasterClass in time of possession. The Cougars kept the ball moving with a pair of scoring drives of over 85 yards. Kalani Sitake and his staff identified the rushing attack was working and didn't let up. They have the most rushing yards against a Big 12 opponent this season.

The Cougars eclipsed 150 rushing yards for the first time since beating Iowa State in October.

Lagway wasn't able to do much, but found Hawkins Polley for a 3-yard score with 11:18 left. In fact, Baylor only crossed midfield once in the first three quarters. The Bears gained only 2.7 yards per play. Also, give credit to BYU's defense, who was flying around the field and making plays.

Bachmeier responded by hitting Jojo Phillips for a 23-yard pass, giving BYU a three-touchdown cushion again with 6:43 remaining. Neither team was able to add another score.

The Cougars bounced back after losing a heartbreaker in the Holy War vs. 2nd-ranked Utah last week. Everything seemed to work the way it was meant to this time around, which keeps them in contention for a spot in the Big 12 title game.

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BYU is at Kansas on Saturday.