The No. 23 BYU Cougars wasted no time asserting their dominance Friday night, steamrolling the West Virginia Mountaineers 34-14 in a lopsided Big 12 clash at LaVell Edwards Stadium. It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone why BYU entered the game undefeated at 4-0, while West Virginia limped in with a 2-3 record marred by back-to-back blowouts.
From the opening kickoff, BYU's offense clicked on all cylinders. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier, looking every bit the steady hand, tossed for 285 yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball to a receiver corps that exploited West Virginia's banged-up secondary. The Cougars racked up 435 total yards, with their ground game adding another 150 on efficient runs that kept the Mountaineers' defense guessing. Indeed, BYU's balanced attack proved too much, as they built a 21-0 lead by halftime.
West Virginia, however, showed flashes of fight in the second half. Their quarterback managed a couple of deep strikes, including a 45-yard bomb that briefly sparked hope among the traveling fans. But the damage was done; injuries had already sapped the Mountaineers' depth, and their defense, ranked middling in the conference, couldn't contain BYU's rhythm. Moreover, turnovers plagued WVU—two interceptions that BYU turned into quick points. It was a gritty effort from the visitors, but one that fell flat against a home team hungry for its first Big 12 home win.
However, the game wasn't without its rough edges for BYU. A late penalty here, a missed field goal there—small hiccups that prevented a total shutout, though hardly detracting from the overall statement. Coach Kalani Sitake's squad now sits at 5-0, firmly in the conference title conversation, while West Virginia heads into a much-needed bye week at 2-4, pondering what went wrong in this latest stumble.
Indeed, for BYU, this victory feels like momentum building toward bigger tests ahead. Yet as the Cougars celebrate, one can't help but wonder how sustainable this early-season surge truly is in the unforgiving Big 12 landscape.