Bear Bachmeier has done enough through five games to get a real Heisman Trophy conversation started, even if the wider voting picture still says there is work to do. The BYU QB has thrown for 1,033 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception while adding 239 rushing yards and four more scores, giving No. 8 BYU a dynamic option ahead of Saturday’s top-10 matchup with No. 2 Notre Dame.
That game, set for 5:30 p.m. MDT at LaVell Edwards Stadium on ABC, could matter beyond the Big 12 race and the national rankings. It also gives Bachmeier a chance to make a better case in a Heisman field that has not fully caught up to him yet. After Week 6, On3.com’s Heisman voter poll did not treat either Bachmeier or Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr as a serious contender, but that has not stopped the discussion from building around both players.
Two unbeaten quarterbacks, two different profiles
Carr has put together the stronger passing stat line so far, with 1,378 yards, 16 touchdowns and one interception through six games. He and Bachmeier have both benefited from lopsided wins that have limited how much they have had to play, but both have also led undefeated, top-10 teams into one of the weekend’s biggest games.
Kelly Poppinga, BYU’s defensive coordinator, said Carr is “the best quarterback in the country,” a notable compliment from someone preparing to face him. Poppinga also described Carr as a rhythmic quarterback who gets the ball out on time and knows where to go with the ball based on coverage. He added that Carr is more of a true NFL-style quarterback, while also noting that he is athletic enough to escape the pocket and make plays.
That evaluation fits the broader comparison here. Carr has been the more efficient pure passer, while Bachmeier has offered more dual-threat production and has already become central to BYU’s identity. Against Notre Dame, those differences will be on display in a game that could reshape how voters view both quarterbacks.
What a big Saturday could change
BYU has only one Heisman Trophy winner in school history, Ty Detmer, who captured the award in 1990. Notre Dame, by contrast, has a much deeper Heisman history. That backdrop adds another layer to Saturday’s meeting, because a win in a marquee national game would give either quarterback a stronger late-season argument when the Heisman race starts to tighten.
Robert Griffin III helped move the conversation along on Tuesday after Week 6, placing Bachmeier at No. 4 on his Top 5 Heisman Front-Runners list. That is not the same as a full-fledged national surge, but it does show that some voters and evaluators are starting to take notice.
For now, the larger point is simple: Bachmeier is no longer just a promising quarterback on an unbeaten team. With another big stage coming Saturday, he has a chance to turn an early Heisman mention into something more durable.
