AP PHOTO - Iowa State running back Abu Sama (24) leaps over BYU safety Tanner Wall during the first half of a Big 12 Conference football game Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames.

AMES — BYU safety Faletau Satuala returned an interception for a touchdown to help 11th-ranked BYU pull away in the fourth quarter, and the Cougars stayed unbeaten with a 41-27 win over Iowa State on Saturday.

Bear Bachmeier threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston each had over 100 yards receiving for BYU. The win was the third for BYU this season after trailing by multiple scores on the road.

“We had a lot of things going against us in the beginning,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “I’m glad our guys were able to hold their composure and keep pushing forward.”

Iowa State’s Rocco Becht threw a career-high three interceptions, the last one coming with 1:14 left and allowing BYU to run out the clock.

BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) drove 79 yards in the third quarter to take its first lead, converting two fourth downs before Bachmeier dashed 9 yards up the middle for a touchdown.

“We never feel like we’re out of it,” Roberts said. “Even when we’re down a couple of touchdowns, we have the faith. Never lose faith in these guys or our coaches.”

After Iowa State (5-3, 2-3) tied it 27-all, BYU looked as if it would go three and out on its ensuing possession. As the Cougars were preparing to down the punt, the ball touched Iowa State’s Eli Green and BYU recovered. Three plays later Bachmeier, under pressure, threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Kingston.

It was 41-27 less than a minute later when safety Satuala, who made a game-high 10 tackles, pulled a short pass away from Gabe Burkle and ran it back 40 yards for a touchdown.

“All my teammates and coaches during the game were telling me to keep my head up,” Satuala said. “It was cool to have everybody rally around me, and at that point I just had to make a play.”

Bachmeier led the Cougars in rushing with 12 carries for 49 yards. Kingston had seven catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns, all career highs, and Roberts caught eight balls for 128 yards.

Carson Hansen ran 16 times for 152 yards and two TDs for the Cyclones, who led 24-10 late in the first half.

“Every moment we had the opportunity to kind of break this thing open, we kept them in the football game,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. “Unfortunately, you can’t do that against a real good football team. I thought we had great momentum, I thought we had a great plan. Just a lack of execution in some critical moments, and again, those things continue to creep up on us right now.”

The Takeaway

BYU: Cougars are 8-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history and have won 14 straight games when scoring 30 or more points. The 41 points matched their most in a Big 12 game since they joined the conference in 2023.

Iowa State: Cyclones have now lost three games in a row for the first time since 2022.

Up next

Iowa State: hosts Arizona State on Saturday.

BYU: open date before visiting Texas Tech on Nov. 8.

No. 11 BYU 41, Iowa St. 27

BYU 7 10 10 14 — 41

Iowa St. 17 7 3 0 — 27

First Quarter

ISU–Eskildsen 75 pass from Becht (Konrardy kick), 14:51.

BYU–Martin 4 run (Ferrin kick), 12:13.

ISU–FG Konrardy 36, 8:05.

ISU–Hansen 2 run (Konrardy kick), 1:00.

Second Quarter

BYU–FG Ferrin 50, 8:59.

ISU–Hansen 3 run (Konrardy kick), 1:52.

BYU–Kingston 12 pass from B.Bachmeier (Ferrin kick), :25.

Third Quarter

BYU–FG Ferrin 27, 10:52.

BYU–B.Bachmeier 9 run (Ferrin kick), 4:33.

ISU–FG Konrardy 43, 1:47.

Fourth Quarter

BYU–Kingston 27 pass from B.Bachmeier (Ferrin kick), 14:21.

BYU–Satuala 40 interception return (Ferrin kick), 13:40.

A–61,500.

TEAM STATISTICS

BYU ISU

First downs 17 24

Total Net Yards 410 495

Rushes-yards 28-103 34-184

Passing 307 311

Comp-Att-Int 22-36-0 24-36-3

Punts 4-42.0 1-48.0

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-1

Penalties-Yards 8-57 5-39

Time of Possession 27:50 32:10

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–BYU, B.Bachmeier 12-49, Rex 6-17, Martin 5-15, Kingston 2-12, Nawahine 3-10. Iowa St., Hansen 16-152, Sama 9-63, Townsend 1-0, Becht 8-(minus 31).

PASSING–BYU, B.Bachmeier 22-35-0-307, (Team) 0-1-0-0. Iowa St., Becht 24-36-3-311.

RECEIVING–BYU, C.Roberts 8-128, Kingston 7-133, T.Bachmeier 2-25, Ryan 2-13, Nawahine 2-6, Rex 1-2. Iowa St., Brahmer 5-75, Burkle 5-44, Green 3-32, Townsend 2-24, Alexander 2-17, Brown 2-15, Hansen 2-8, Eskildsen 1-75, T.Moore 1-12, C.Sowell 1-9.