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Where does Bear Bachmeier's Touchdown Run Rank Among Holy War Classics?

Joe Wheat|
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier scores a touchdown against Utah
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier scores a touchdown against Utah | BYU Photo

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When Bear Bachmeier bulldozed his way into the endzone, it immediately became one of the all-time classics in a series with no shortage of iconic moments, but where does it rank among them?

Here is our official top 5 individual Holy War plays of the last 30 years.

Just missed

Luke Staley 30-yard touchdown run (2001)

One of the great runs in holy war history is rarely talked about anymore, probably because any game featuring tan has been unofficially stricken from the record. But that play was a moment. Down four against then 7-2 Utah with two minutes to go, Luke Staley took off down the sideline to the delight of 65,000 BYU fans. This gets left off the list because of the relative lack of stakes of this game. BYU had already wrapped up a MWC title and were heavy favorites. Still the most iconic moment of BYU’s only Doak Walker Award-winning season.

George is still running (2009)

Huge upset with this one getting left off the list, but again, very little relative stakes. This was the last ranked Holy War matchup before Saturday, but people forget that TCU had already won the MWC championship before the game started. George splitting two defenders and running into the endzone with two arms raised will long be remembered, but the most iconic play of this game might have been Max Hall’s post-game press conference.

Jaren Hall’s sideline dash that never was (2021)

This feels weird, but the play everyone shows when reliving the end of the streak in 2021 was Jaren Hall taking off down the sideline for what would have been a game-sealing touchdown. The only problem being, it didn’t count as Jaren was ruled out of bounds about 40 yards short of the endzone. While an all-time game for BYU, it’s almost devoid of that one moment.

5. Will Ferrin’s 44-yarder (2024)

There’s an old hypothetical that I’ve been asked 1,000 times. Would you rather go 1-11 and beat Utah or go 11-1 and lose to Utah. Well that was put to the test last season. BYU was undefeated at 8-0 while Utah had nothing left to play for but ruining BYU’s season. And they almost did. But then the camera panned to Will Ferrin flashing his pearly whites beneath an elegant mustache and we all knew Utah didn’t stand a chance. Ferrin drilled the 44-yarder to keep BYU’s undefeated season alive. BYU finished 11-2 in its second season as a Power Conference member, arguably a top five season in program history. If not for Ferrin’s leg, 10-3 with a loss to Utah just doesn’t hit the same.

4. Last Miracle For Lavell (2000)

BYU was staring down the barrel of sending out the namesake of their stadium with a losing season unless they pulled off a miracle in Salt Lake. Up 26-10 entering the 4th quarter, Utah scored 17 unanswered to take a 27-26 lead with just over 2 minutes to go. Down to their last gasp, Brandon Doman chucked a prayer on 4th and 13 that landed in the arms of Margin Hooks 33 yards downfield. Doman capped off the drive himself with a 4-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds to go. While BYU’s record was nothing special that year, Doman’s run ensured that only true legendary coaches go out winners in the Holy War.

3. There’s a Bear on the loose in Provo (2025)

Is this prisoner of the moment? Perhaps. But hear me out. Saturday’s game arguably had the highest stakes of any Holy War ever. Both teams ranked, Big Noon Kickoff in town, prime time slot on FOX, and winner has the inside track to the Big 12 title game. BYU is up three with just over four minutes to go. 3rd and 10. If BYU kicks a field goal on this drive, Utah has all the time in the world to drive down for a game-winning score. OC Aaron Roderick puts the ball in the hands of his true freshman who makes eight, yes eight, Utah defenders miss before literally dragging one of them five yards for the game-sealing touchdown. Given the stakes, that was the single greatest individual effort on one play I have ever seen at BYU. Not only does it put BYU in the driver seat for a conference title, it emphatically declared that the Utah State Capital of Football is back where it belongs in Provo, Utah.

2. 4th and 18 (2007)

Now we reach named play territory. BYU could not have been more dead. 4th and 18 on their own 12 with a minute to go. Somehow, Austin Collie got behind Utah DB Brice McCain and Max Hall, who played this game with a separated shoulder, launched a dot into Collie’s waiting arms. BYU went on to win the MWC title after going on to score on that drive. Miracle? Absolutely, but when you live right on and off the field, magic happens.

1. Harline is still open (2006)

Let’s be honest, nothing will ever top it. You just cannot do better than winning a conference title, ending a four- game losing streak, and announcing that BYU football is back all on one walk-off prayer answered on his knees by Johnny Harline. This play made a generation of BYU fans, and is without question the greatest single play of the last 30 years.

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Joe Wheat
JOE WHEAT

Joe Wheat has covered BYU since 2020. He specializes in passionate opinions fueled by statistics and advanced analytics. Joe’s goal in writing is to celebrate the everyday fan by understanding what they are feeling and giving them the data to understand why.

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