Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-01 · by Stephen Hawkins The Associated Press
BYU, ranked No. 10, prepares to play TCU on Saturday night after an unexpected bye week. The Cougars aim to start their challenging nine-game stretch at 4-0 for the first time ever, while TCU seeks redemption from its recent losses and poor performance due to penalties. BYU’s quarterback Bear Bachmeier has shown significant improvement as a sophomore leader compared to his freshman year when he debuted as a starter.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — BYU coach Kalani Sitake and the No. 10 Cougars treated last week just like any other, the only difference being they didn’t have a game.
asserted
they → treat → game
After that early open date, the Cougars (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) have nine games over nine weeks in their push to get back to another Big 12 championship game.
asserted
Cougars → have → game
That stretch begins Saturday night at TCU (2-2, 0-1).
asserted
stretch → begin → TCU
“We were ready to play a game.
asserted
We → play → game
We just didn’t play one,” Sitake said.
asserted
Sitake → play → one
“I think our guys felt a little left out last week.
asserted
guys → think → ?
(They) really wanted to play. ...
asserted
They → want → ?
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s go play ball every week.”
asserted
’s → get → ball
After just missing the College Football Playoff last season as the Big 12 runner-up, the Cougars could start 4-0 for the third year in a row.
uncertain
Cougars → miss → row
They have never done that.
asserted
They → do → that
“We were looking forward to just going 13 weeks straight, regardless of where the bye fit,” Sitake said.
asserted
Sitake → look → weeks
“That was always going to be a work week for us. ...
asserted
That → go → us
I think we’re right where we need to be.”
asserted
we → think → ?
Both TCU losses were close and filled with penalties
TCU is trying to avoid its first 0-2 start in the Big 12 since 2013.
asserted
TCU → fill → 2013
The Horned Frogs outgained UCF 343 total yards to 266 last week, but had four turnovers and 11 penalties in a 21-13 loss.
asserted
Frogs → outgaine → loss
They also had 11 penalties in their season-opening 15-10 loss to North Carolina in Ireland.
asserted
They → have → Ireland
“We’ve just got to get out of our own way,” said Frogs quarterback Jayden Craig, the Harvard transfer who’s second in the Big 12 with 303.3 yards passing per game.
asserted
who → get → game
Craig and the other team captains called a players-only meeting this week.
asserted
Craig → call → meeting
“They felt like we haven’t performed as well as we need to,” coach Sonny Dykes said.
asserted
Dykes → feel → ?
“They understood that, we obviously did not need to point that out to them.”
asserted
we → understand → them
Dykes said the biggest thing they have to realize is that the mistakes making it difficult on them have been self-inflicted ones.
asserted
it → say → them
BYU’s quarterback is now a somewhat seasoned sophomore
Bear
asserted
quarterback → season → ?
Bachmeier last year was thrust into becoming the first BYU true freshman to open a season as the starting quarterback.
asserted
Bachmeier → thrust → quarterback
He became the AP Big 12 freshman of the year, and now as a sophomore is a team captain.
asserted
He → become → sophomore
“He’s a leader now for us.
asserted
He → ’ → us
Last year, he was just trying to understand the game and trying to understand his first year in college football while being the starting quarterback at BYU, which is a hard thing to balance,” Sitake said.
asserted
Sitake → try → BYU
“I’ve been really pleased with the way Bear has been able to approach the season, but also in the offseason, his connection to his teammates.
asserted
Bear → please → teammates
The guys have really turned to him as a leader.”
asserted
guys → turn → leader
Bachmeier is 44-of-62 passing (71%) for 642 yards with six touchdowns and an interception.
asserted
Bachmeier → pass → touchdowns
He has two TD runs.
asserted
He → have → runs
“Sometimes last year you’d hear LJ (Martin, the running back) behind me telling him what to do occasionally,” said Bruce Mitchell, the standout senior center.
asserted
Mitchell → hear → what
“That has not been the case this season.”
Big 12 matchups between BYU and TCU have remained lopsided
BYU and TCU previously were in the Western Athletic and Mountain West conferences together before the Cougars joined the Big 12 in 2023.
Both Big 12 matchups have been lopsided home wins.
asserted
matchups → remain → 2023
BYU won 44-13 in Provo last year, after losing 44-11 in its last trip to Fort Worth in 2023.
asserted
BYU → win → 2023
TCU has a 7-6 lead in the series, which has only two one-score games and an average margin of nearly 23 points the other 11 games.
asserted
which → have → points
The Cougars won 27-22 in Provo in 2007, two years after the Frogs’ 51-50 overtime win there.
asserted
Cougars → win → win
The last was in 2023, when then-No. 7 Texas held on for a 29-26 win in its final Big 12 season.
asserted
Texas → hold → season
The Frogs split two such games against Oklahoma, and had top-10 wins over Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State.
asserted
Frogs → split → State
The Aporia
