BYU finally looked mortal Saturday night in Fort Worth. The Cougars couldn’t throw the ball, struggled to create explosive plays and finished with only 216 yards of offense. TCU actually outgained BYU 259-216.

BYU won anyway.

The Cougars beat TCU 17-10 to move to 4-0, and the box score tells a much different story than BYU’s first three games. This wasn’t the offense that entered the weekend averaging 44 points per game. It was a game BYU had to win with defense, quarterback runs, third downs and just enough execution in the biggest moments. (TCU Athletics)

62 passing yards — and somehow a win

Start with the number that is almost impossible to ignore.

BYU finished with 62 passing yards.

TCU had 187. The Horned Frogs averaged 4.7 yards per play while BYU managed roughly 3.5. TCU had more total offense, more passing yards and the game’s only 100-yard receiver, with Kari Ashley finishing at 108. (gofrogs.com)

Normally, those numbers describe a loss.

Instead, BYU found another way to generate offense. The Cougars rushed for 154 yards compared with only 72 for TCU, completely flipping the advantage on the ground. Bear Bachmeier became the centerpiece of it.

Bachmeier finished with only 62 passing yards but added 66 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. His 128 combined passing and rushing yards accounted for nearly 60% of BYU’s total offense, and he scored both of the Cougars’ touchdowns himself. (gofrogs.com)

The first came on a nine-yard run in the second quarter.

The second was the play of the game.

With BYU protecting a 10-7 lead late in the fourth quarter, Bachmeier broke loose for a 21-yard touchdown with 2:11 remaining. BYU had spent most of the night trying to survive offensively. When it finally needed one play to create separation, its quarterback made it with his legs. (Reddit)

8-of-16 on third down

This was the statistical matchup we highlighted before the game.

BYU entered Fort Worth converting 61.3% of its third downs, while TCU’s defense had allowed opponents to convert only 24.5%. Something had to give.

BYU didn’t maintain its absurd early-season rate, but it still converted 8 of 16 third downs — 50%. TCU managed only 4 of 13 — 30.8%. (gofrogs.com)

That may have been the most important team statistic of the night.

BYU wasn’t producing big plays. It wasn’t piling up yardage. It couldn’t lean on a productive passing game. But half the time the Cougars faced third down, they found a way to keep the possession alive.

That helped BYU possess the ball for 32:57 compared with 27:03 for TCU, a difference of nearly six minutes. (gofrogs.com)

In a game with only 27 combined points, six extra minutes with the football mattered.

72 rushing yards allowed

The offense will get plenty of criticism after this one. The defense should get almost the opposite treatment.

TCU finished with only 259 total yards and 72 rushing yards. Running back Jeremy Payne managed 77 yards, but BYU prevented TCU from building any consistent ground game around him. (gofrogs.com)

The more impressive number might be Jaden Craig’s passing total.

Craig entered the game with 1,213 passing yards through four games, an average of 303.3 per game. Against BYU, he finished with just 187 yards, more than 100 yards below that average, while throwing one touchdown and one interception. (StatMuse)

That interception was especially important because it helped set up BYU’s first touchdown. BYU didn’t force a pile of turnovers. It forced one.

On a night like this, one was enough. (Vanquish The Foe)

49 yards from Matthias Dunn

There was another moment that shouldn’t get buried in an ugly offensive box score.

With the game tied 7-7 in the third quarter, Matthias Dunn drilled a 49-yard field goal to give BYU a 10-7 lead. Neither offense was moving the football consistently enough to assume another scoring opportunity was coming soon.

Those three points became enormous.

BYU never trailed again. Bachmeier eventually stretched the margin to 17-7, and TCU’s final score came on a 44-yard field goal with 36 seconds remaining. (Reddit)

The number that matters most: 4-0

There are plenty of things BYU will want back from this game.

Sixty-two passing yards isn’t sustainable. Neither is 216 total yards. BYU won’t beat the best teams remaining on its schedule very often if the passing game looks like this.

But Saturday also showed something important about the floor of this team.

BYU can apparently win when the offense isn’t explosive. It can win when TCU averages more yards per play. It can win when the opponent throws for three times as many yards. It can win when the game turns into a field-position fight instead of the high-scoring game BYU had produced through September.

The Cougars held TCU to 10 points, won third down 50% to 30.8%, outrushed the Horned Frogs 154-72 and controlled the football for almost 33 minutes.

And when BYU absolutely needed a touchdown, Bachmeier ran 21 yards and got it himself.

There will be prettier wins if BYU is going where it wants to go this season.

This one may prove to be one of the more useful ones.

BYU is 4-0.