Who Has the Quarterback Advantage in a Top 10 Showdown Between BYU and Texas Tech?

Oct 25, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) throws a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The game of the season for the Big 12 will kickoff on Saturday morning when no. 7 BYU takes on no. 8 Texas Tech. On paper, the Red Raiders should have a quarterback advantage in this game. Redshirt senior Behren Morton is expected to start for Texas Tech (even though he is "probable" on the injury report0) and BYU will start true freshman gun-slinger Bear Bachmeier.

But does Texas Tech actually have the advantage in this quarterback matchup? Let's break it down.

How these quarterbacks perform through the air

Behren Morton is averaging a career high 9.5 yards per attempt and a career high 67.9% completion percentage. Morton's 9.5 yards per attempt leads the Big 12. Bear Bachmeier is averaging 8.3 yards per attempt.

However, a deeper dive into the data reveals that Bachmeier has been slightly more effective in conference play. In Big 12 play, Morton has averaged 8.1 yards per attempt while throwing 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Bachmeier is averaging 8.8 yards per attempt in conference play while throwing 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Bachmeier has also been trending up. When BYU star RB LJ Martin left the game in the first quarter against Iowa State, BYU turned to Bachmeier to bring them back in the game. For the first time in his college career, BYU let Bachmeier sling it because they had no other choice. Trailing 24-10, Bachmeier led a 31-3 run to pull off the 41-27 win. He finished with 307 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown.

Another area where Bachmeier has an advantage is his ability to push the ball downfield. Only 36% of Bachmeier's yards come on throws that are within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. That is the 128th lowest share from short throws in college football. Bachmeier is especially effective on intermediate throws. 38% of his yards come from intermediate throws which ranks 7th nationally. 26% of his yards come from deep throws, good enough for 55th nationally.

Morton, meanwhile, makes a living on short throws. 55% of his yards comes from throws that are within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. That ranks 23rd in college football. Morton ranks 121st in yard share on intermediate throws and 68th on deep throws. Morton's average depth of target is 8.3 yards which ranks 92nd in the country.

Where Morton excels is from a clean pocket. He ranks 10th in big-time throw rate from a clean pocket, 8th in QBR, and 11th in yards per attempt. Bachmeier ranks 32nd, 46th, and 20th in the same categories.

Bachmeier is generally better under pressure. Bachmeier has a higher big-time throw rate under pressure, a lower turnover-worthy play rate, higher QBR, and more first downs per dropback under pressure.

Bachmeier is a better passer in play action. He is one of the highest-graded passers per PFF in play action. He has a 91.1 grade in play action and 69.1 grade on straight dropbacks. Morton is the better passer without play action. His offensive grade is 69.0 on play action and 82.6 on straight dropbacks.

On the Ground

Bachmeier is the superior runner and, frankly, it's not close. Excluding sack yards, Bachmeier has run for 451 yards and 9 touchdowns this season. His ability to run has been critical to BYU's redzone success. Bachmeier is averaging 5.1 yards per attempt and 3.0 yards after contact.

Morton is not much of a runner. He has run for just 63 yards and only 18 attempts this season. He has no rushing touchdowns. BYU shouldn't have to worry about his rushing ability in this game especially since he's been dealing with a leg injury.

Conclusion

Both of these quarterbacks are good quarterbacks and they are both in the top half of the league. These quarterbacks are a major reason why both teams rank in the top 10. Even though they play in the same conference, they have only played one defense in common: Utah.

In that game, neither Morton nor Bachmeier could establish a consistent passing attack against a really good Utah defense. However, Bachmeier's ability to protect the football and move the chains with his legs were the differenc in that game, and we believe that gives BYU a narrow edge in this quarterback matchup.

Against Utah, Morton threw for 142 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions before getting knocked out of the game. Morton also ran the ball five times for two yards in that game. Bachmeier threw for 166 yards, 1 touchdown, and no interceptions. He also had 11 carries for 64 yards and the game-sealing touchdown.

Bachmeier's running ability has been the wildcard for BYU in so many games this season. Against a dominant Texas Tech defense, BYU will need Bachmeier's rushing ability to be able to pickup a couple key first downs. If BYU is going to pull off the road upset, Bear will have to be the better quarterback. That's a tall task for a true freshman given the dominance of the Tech defense, but if there is a true freshman that's up to the task, it might just be Bear Bachmeier.