Rich Rodriguez wasn’t going to turn things around in Morgantown overnight, but people were probably expecting a little more out of this West Virginia Mountaineers offense at this point.
Trying to get things going under the lights at LaVell Edwards Stadium against an undefeated BYU Cougars team won’t be easy.
My West Virginia vs. BYU predictions bring you my best college football picks for this Big 12 clash set for Friday, October 3.
West Virginia vs BYU prediction
West Virginia vs BYU best bet: Bear Bachmeier Over 195.5 passing yards (-114)
Rich Rodriguez’s patented high-tempo offense has been nowhere to be seen in his return to the West Virginia Mountaineers.
And while I’m not sure this Mountaineers offense gets going in a hostile environment under the lights on Friday night in Provo, that might not be the only problem for West Virginia in this matchup.
Kalani Sitake has the BYU Cougars off to another great start, sitting at 4-0 heading into this game, something many thought unlikely after quarterback Jake Retzlaff was suspended from the team before transferring to Tulane.
However, freshman Bear Bachmeier has stepped in and been everything the Cougars have needed this season. He's thrown for 697 yards while completing 68% & of his passes with six touchdowns and no interceptions, which is just as important. In three games against FBS opponents, he's averaging 200 passing yards per game.
This week, he’ll face a West Virginia team that ranks 78th in defensive success rate on dropbacks and 97th in opponent yards per attempt.
Back to that struggling Mountaineers offense: West Virginia ranks 105th in offensive success rate and 129th in quality drive rate. That means the Mountaineers are not extending drives and giving opponents more possessions and opportunities to rack up passing yards. That's what Bachmeier will do Friday night.
West Virginia vs BYU same-game parlay
Bachmeier has also been a threat on the ground for the Cougars, rushing for 163 yards through four games. He's been BYU’s preferred option once they get into the red zone and has found the end zone four times already this season. Let’s take him to score once again, this time against a West Virginia team that ranks 70th in EPA/rush.
Still, I like Bachmeier to toss a couple of scores through the air. One of his favorite targets has become tight end Carson Ryan, who's caught 12 balls for 192 yards and two scores this season. Let’s back Ryan to get No. 3 in this matchup.
West Virginia vs BYU SGP
- Bear Bachmeier Over 195.5 passing yards
- Bear Bachmeier anytime touchdown
- Carsen Ryan anytime touchdown
Our deep-ball SGP: Go big with BYU
BYU started using LJ Martin more out of the backfield in the passing game last week, catching four balls for 36 yards, and has gone Over this number twice this season.
West Virginia vs BYU SGP
- Bear Bachmeier Over 195.5 passing yards
- Bear Bachmeier anytime touchdown
- Carsen Ryan anytime touchdown
- LJ Martin Over 9.5 receiving yards
West Virginia vs BYU odds
- Spread: West Virginia +18.5 | BYU -18.5
- Moneyline: West Virginia +860 | BYU -1600
- Over/Under: Over 47.5 | Under 47.5
West Virginia vs BYU trend to know
The Under is 4-1 in West Virginia's five games this season. Find more college football betting trends for West Virginia vs BYU.
How to watch West Virginia vs BYU
| Location | LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT |
| Date | Friday, October 3, 2025 |
| Kickoff | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
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