Former Stanford Cardinal Duo Debut for BYU in Week 1

The Stanford Cardinal will be in for a tough test next weekend. Against Portland State on Aug. 30, the BYU Cougars came away with a very convincing win, beating the Vikings 69-0 in the debut of Tiger and Bear Bachmeier with the program, and for Bear, it was his college football debut.

Formerly with Stanford, the Bachmeier brothers hit the transfer portal right around spring practice, looking for a new opportunity to shine. And now it looks like both of the brothers will be in for big seasons in Provo.

In his first game as the starting quarterback, true freshman Bear was quick to prove why he deserved the starting job. Going 7/11 on passes for 97 yards and three touchdowns, Bachmeier dominated despite getting limited reps. With the game well out of hand, BYU rotated quarterbacks throughout the game, with Treyson Bourguet and McCae Hillstead also getting reps.

Tiger did not get a lot of action, but that was largely due to BYU utilizing more running than passing in the game. Catching one pass for eight yards, Tiger looked good in his limited action over the weekend, creating separation and looking very explosive.

Expected to play a big role in Stanford's offense, Tiger joined Bear in the portal so that he could be teammates with his brother for his final two seasons of eligibility.

BYU will be a tough test in more ways than one. Coming off of an Alamo Bowl winning season in 2024 but experiencing a lot of roster turnover this offseason, the Cougars are eager to prove that they are still a College Football Playoff contender, and with Bear under center, they are hoping to get over the hump and actually qualify.

But Stanford, coming off of a hearbreaking loss to Hawaii in Week Zero, are hungry to get in the win column and will do everything it can to spoil BYU's playoff hopes. For Stanford to pull off the upset next Saturday, they'll have to protect the football and will likely have to win the time of possession battle while limiting BYU's explosive play-making offense.

A late night game, Stanford and BYU will face off at 7:15 p.m. (PT) in Provo, with the game airing on ESPN. After playing the Cougars, Stanford will begin ACC play and prove that despite a tumultous offseason, it is ready to prove the doubters wrong in an otherwise loaded conference.