Cougar Day is coming! Will we be celebrating with a Bear?
It's hard to read too much into coach-speak - especially on Day 1 of pads. But Aaron Roderick said something that stands out like a moose in the desert.
Before we dig into the comments itself, let us all remember some of the things that Roderick has said to us before. It was only two years ago that he told BYU fans that BYU had upgraded at every position following the 2022 season. The 2022 team that featured Puka Nacua, Jaren Hall, Blake Freeland, Kingsley Suamataia, Christopher Brooks, and Dallin Holker (for a while at least) on offense was alleged to be less talented than the 2023 team.
Roderick's comments stood caught the attention of everyone. Die-hard BYU fans immediately jumped on board. Passive BYU fans got on board. The comments set the tone for BYU's 2023 season - their debut season in the Big 12. People were hesitant to say BYU would win the conference, but people believed BYU could compete with anyone on a weekly basis.
Instead they sucked.
Like horrifically bad, terrible football. The offense was abysmal. The quarterback position was lackluster. The offensive line blocked like their schemes were designed by a Twitter poll. There were a flew plays where wide receivers were running down the field and holding up their fingers to figure out which way was right or left before making their cuts. It was bad.
Upgraded at every position? Hardly.
Roderick has also hyped up players like Zach Wilson and Hall. He has hyped up Nacua. He has been excited about a lot of things. It would be obnoxious to believe that everything he has said is wrong - he's been correct and true and just in much of his hype comments over the years. But he has been wrong too.
So how much weight should we give to Roderick's latest comment that has caught people's attention about Bear Bachmeier?
"It's how quickly he's been able to learn. He's very smart. Very, very smart. So he's up to speed. He needs reps as far as chemistry with his teammates, but in terms of knowing what to do, he's been dialed every play," Roderick told the media.
Fesi Sitake also spoke highly about Bachmeier's performance in practice, telling Spencer Linton that he thought Bachmeier had the best day of the three quarterbacks.
Is Bachmeier seriously a contender to win this job?
I think that answer is yes. Maybe more accurately, I think that Roderick wants that answer to be yes, so he is going to give Bachmeier every chance he can to prove to the rest of the team that Bachmeier can lead this team to their goals this season.
Bachmeier has an insane amount of talent and he fits this offense incredibly well. His ability to throw on the run, to move the chains with his feet, and his size that can take a few hits without an issue is exactly what Roderick has always wanted in a quarterback. Bachmeier's natural set of skills aligns so well with Roderick's natural offense. It feels like a lot of people, including Roderick, want to see him win the job.
But it's not as simple as Roderick just handing the Bachmeier the job. There are players who want to win and win big this year. If they feel like others give them a better chance to win but Roderick won't see if then the locker room could fall apart in a hurry. So Roderick, no matter what he wants, can't just hand out a job. The job has to be earned.
Bachmeier is going to have a chance to earn that job, though. And if he can show he understands the scheme and his assignments, then he's going to win that job outright.
Day 1 is just one day. There are many days left in this QB battle, but if you haven't taken Bachmeier seriously as a contender yet, start. We might be celebrating Cougar Day with Bear.
Also, what the heck is Cougar Day?
Cougar Day is a glorious day. It's the day that Cosmo comes to the homes of BYU fans everywhere and hooks them up with new BYU gear to get them ready for the season. He brings t-shirts and hoodies, toys and footballs, and whatever else your BYU fan house needs to get ready for the season.
We're ready to celebrate with you.
You are not going to want to miss this.
Mark your calendars: August 5th is the launch of our biggest Give 'Em Hell Brigham drop yet.
Brand new tees, crewnecks, and hoodies
LIMITED EDITION GIVE ’EM HELL BRIGHAM HATS (first ever!)
Every item you order = 1 entry to win lower-level BYU vs Stanford tickets
And if you're in the GEHB Discord, watch for your exclusive VIP offer - it’s our way of saying thanks for riding with us.
Not in the Discord yet? WHY NOT?! JOIN HERE!
Now’s the time. You’ll get:
- Updates and news and insights from people who know the program well
- Community of die hard BYU fans
- Gear drops & giveaways first
- And your own Cougar Day deal on GEHB gear
This drop runs from August 5th to August 20th, and once it’s gone - it’s gone.
Watch for sneak peaks of all new gear this week!
Let’s Give ‘Em Hell this season.
Go Cougs.