Cougars open 2025 season with 69-0 win over Portland State

PROVO, Utah – First-half offensive explosion, 468 rushing yards and touchdowns from eight different players propelled BYU to 69-0 victory over the Portland State Vikings on Saturday night at Lavell Edwards Stadium.

“Happy we got the win—proud of a lot of things I saw in the game," said Kalani Sitake, BYU head coach. "Obviously I’m gonna be a coach and say it wasn’t perfect. There are a lot of places I think we can improve on, but I was really proud of the entire team from beginning to end.”

The Cougars powered a rush-heavy offense. The 468 rushing yards are the most since 550 against Texas in 2009 and the second-most in program history. Junior running back LJ Martin totaled 131 yards on eight carries, setting a new career high. Martin recorded a game-long 49-yard carry late in the first quarter which set the Cougars up for a touchdown.

In his debut as a Cougar, Bear Bachmeier recorded five touchdowns, three passing and two rushing. The Murrieta, California native is the only true freshman to record five touchdowns in a game in program history. Bachmeier joins Tanner Mangum, Taysom Hill and Zach Wilson as the only true freshman BYU quarterbacks to throw multiple touchdowns in their first game as a Cougar. Bachmeier totaled 97 passing yards and had 32 rushing yards.

John Tamoepeau helped spark the momentum for the Cougars by blocking a Viking field goal attempt, which Jack Kelly scooped up and returned to the end zone for the night's first touchdown. It was the first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown for BYU since 2001—Ryan Denney vs. San Diego State.

The Cougars saw eight different players find the end zone, with Kelly, Chase Roberts, Bachmeier, Noah Moeaki, Cody Hagen, Carsen Ryan, Dominique McKenzie and Charles Miska each scoring. Additionally, BYU had five players record their first-career touchdowns in the game.

On the defensive side, the Cougars totaled 40 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery. BYU had 24 different players tally a tackle. The defense held Portland State to 56 passing yards alongside negative-5 rushing yards.

The 69-0 final score is the largest shutout in BYU history, passing a 65-0 mark in 1988 vs. New Mexico.

First Quarter

The Cougars won the coin toss and deferred to receive the ball in the second half. Portland State’s opening drive featured an 18-yard rush to their own 43-yard line after a short gain on the Vikings’ first play. Although the Vikings showed early momentum, BYU’s defense stopped the drive before it crossed midfield. The Cougars took over with 11:59 remaining in the first quarter.

Portland State's defense responded by limiting BYU to six plays on the Cougars’ opening possession.

After another scoreless Viking drive, Portland State was forced to punt on fourth-and-5. On the return, Parker Kingston fumbled, giving the Vikings the ball at BYU’s 37-yard line. BYU’s defense answered immediately when Choe Bryant-Strother recorded a sack that pushed Portland State back nine yards. On third-and-16, the Vikings gained four, setting up a field goal attempt with 4:49 remaining.

From 57 yards, Taumoepeau blocked the kick. After a brief scramble, Kelly recovered the ball and returned it 54 yards for BYU’s first touchdown of the season. Will Ferrin added the extra point, giving BYU a 7-0 lead with 3:58 left in the quarter.

BYU’s defense again held strong, forcing a quick three-and-out on the Vikings’ next drive. On the following series, Martin broke free and brought the ball to the Portland State seven yard line. Martin and Bachmeier each added short runs to set up a third-and-4. Bachmeier then connected with Roberts to the Viking three yard line, where Roberts was then able to get into the endzone. Ferrin added the extra point, giving BYU a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Second Quarter

The Cougar defense forced another three-and-out, returning possession to Bachmeier and the offense.

Sione Moa made an early impact on the next drive, gaining three yards on his first carry and 19 on his second, moving BYU to the Portland State 11. Kingston followed with a six-yard rush, and Bachmeier then connected with Moeaki in the end zone for Moeaki’s first career touchdown. Ferrin added the extra point, giving BYU a 21-0 lead with 9:52 remaining in the half.

After another defensive stop that kept the Vikings off the scoreboard, BYU’s offense returned, starting at its own 16. Strong runs by the backfield unit moved the ball to the 43. Hagen then took a reverse from Bachmeier and sprinted 57 yards for his first career touchdown. Ferrin’s extra point extended the lead to 28-0.

Starting from their own 20, Portland State’s offense was quickly overwhelmed. The Cougars forced a fumble, recovered by Taumoepeau, setting up BYU with strong field position. On a short, two-play drive totaling just six yards, Bachmeier kept the ball and rushed into the end zone for his third touchdown of the night and his first on the ground. With another successful kick from Ferrin, BYU led 35-0 with 6:15 left in the second quarter.

A five-play, scoreless drive from the Vikings gave BYU the ball on its own nine yard line. Ryan opened the drive with a 25-yard catch, followed by a nine-yard rush to move the chains. A 40-yard run from Martin brought the Cougars to the Portland State 22. On the next play, Ryan secured his first touchdown as a Cougar on a pass from Bachmeier. Ferrin’s extra point made it 42-0 with 3:35 remaining.

Led by Anisi Purcell, BYU’s defense held again, forcing a third three-and-out. On the final drive of the half, a quarterback rush, a 24-yard reception by Hagen, and another run from Martin brought BYU to the Portland State 12. Bachmeier closed the half with a rushing touchdown, his fifth touchdown of the game, pushing BYU to a 49-0 lead at halftime. It was the seventh time in program history that the Cougars have scored 49 points or more in a first half.

Third Quarter

McCae Hillstead came into the game for BYU as quarterback in the second half. On his first pass attempt, he found Stanford transfer Tiger Bachmeier for an eight-yard gain. Hillstead and the Cougar offense were unable to find the end zone but set Ferrin up for a 25-yard field goal on fourth-and-6. With 6:33 remaining, Ferrin kept BYU in front, 52-0.

The Cougar defense got off the field quickly as it powered another three-and-out. Treyson Bourguet came in at quarterback for the Cougars as he and Hillstead would alternate offensive possessions for the rest of the game. Bourget recorded a completion to junior Rowan Reay for eight yards. ​​Bourguet’s offense set up Ferrin for another made field goal, this time from 56 yards, tying the longest field goal in BYU football history and advancing the BYU lead to 55-0.

Fourth Quarter

Dominique McKenzie opened the final frame with a 41-yard rush to the end zone, pushing the lead to 62-0 with Ferrin's extra point.

In the longest drive of the night, clocking at nearly 11 and a half minutes, Bourguet and Lucky Finau led BYU to the Portland State 25 in 11 plays. After gaining sufficient position in Viking territory, offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick put a fourth quarterback in the mix, Cole Hagen. Hagen had a 17-yard rush that helped push the offense closer to the goal line. Running back Miska powered his way forward for a five-yard carry that added another touchdown, the eighth of the night. With Ferrin’s extra point, that would conclude the game’s scoring at 69-0.

Up Next

BYU will return to Lavell Edwards Stadium for a matchup against Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8:15 p.m. Watch the broadcast live on ESPN or listen to live play-by-play with Greg Wrubell on BYU Radio.