Jason Strother – JTS Media
PROVO, Utah: No. 8 BYU stunned No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium, ending the Irish’s 16-game winning streak with a late touchdown drive and a tense final defensive stand. Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier scored by passing, rushing and receiving, a feat no BYU quarterback had accomplished since Steve Young, while BYU improved to 6-0 and beat Notre Dame for the first time since 2004.
By Laura Strother
The matchup was the first time two top-10 teams met at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and BYU’s victory marked the program’s first win over a top-10 opponent since 2018. The result also landed in the middle of an extraordinary day across college football: five of the AP Top 8 lost in the regular season for the first time, according to Sportradar. With No. 1 Georgia also falling to Auburn, the top two teams in the country lost on the same regular-season day for the first time since Nov. 17, 2012.
The JTS Media BYU–Notre Dame event gallery documents the night in Provo.
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Bachmeier sparks BYU’s first-half surge
BYU struck first, capping its opening drive with Bachmeier’s five-yard run up the middle. Notre Dame answered with a field goal, then took a 10-7 lead on Nolan James Jr.’s eight-yard touchdown run.
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Bachmeier helped turn the game back in BYU’s favor. First, he took a short pass from Kyler Kasper and ran 15 yards for a receiving touchdown. Then he plunged into the end zone from a yard out, putting the Cougars ahead 21-10 with 1:29 left in the half. It was Notre Dame’s largest deficit of the season.
The receiving score made Bachmeier the first BYU quarterback since Steve Young in the 1983 Holiday Bowl to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game. He was also the only FBS quarterback in the past 30 seasons to post both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown against an AP Top 25 opponent.
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Bachmeier finished with 224 passing yards on 23-of-36 attempts, one touchdown pass and one interception. He added 45 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. His unusual scoring night also drew a playful explanation from coach Kalani Sitake: “With Bear’s skills, you can do a lot of different things with him.”
Notre Dame’s defensive front lost star lineman Boubacar Traore early. About 2:30 into the game, Traore was ejected for targeting after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bachmeier.
Jason Strother – JTS Media
The Cougars’ other key first-half moment came in the closing seconds. Notre Dame drove to the BYU 5, but quarterback CJ Carr fumbled while trying to spike the ball. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker recovered after replay review confirmed the fumble. It was Notre Dame’s second turnover of the season and its first lost fumble.
“It’s a crucial, crucial play,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said. “We can’t allow that to happen.”
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Irish rally, but Cougars hold their ground
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Notre Dame made its move after halftime. BYU was held scoreless in the third quarter, and the Irish trimmed the 11-point deficit with field goals after a muffed punt return and a failed fake punt gave them opportunities in Cougars territory.
BYU appeared to answer when JoJo Phillips caught a 39-yard touchdown pass, but a pick penalty against Kasper wiped out the score. The missed opportunity left the Cougars ahead 21-10 rather than potentially extending the margin to 28-10.
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Notre Dame stayed patient. Jonaz Walton scored on a three-yard run with 9:31 remaining, giving the Irish a 24-21 lead. Carr completed 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards, but the Irish’s inability to finish drives continued to matter. Notre Dame entered the game averaging 44.0 points per contest and finished with 24.
Jason Strother – JTS Media
The BYU defense tightened after intermission, limiting Notre Dame to 2.4 yards per carry and forcing four punts. Linebackers Cade Uluave and Glasker helped anchor the effort. The Irish converted eight of 19 third downs but went four-for-four on fourth down, keeping pressure on the Cougars throughout the second half.
Bachmeier briefly put BYU in position to respond, but Notre Dame defensive back Jayden Sanders intercepted him at the Irish 15 with 8:05 to play.
“We knew our offense could score,” Sitake said. “We’ve been in these tight games before. It felt normal for us.”
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Jason Strother – JTS Media
Jason Strother – JTS Media
The winning drive and final stand
Jason Strother – JTS Media
BYU’s defense gave the offense another chance by forcing a three-and-out. Bachmeier then directed a 10-play, 55-yard drive, converting the opportunity into the decisive score. On third-and-goal, he found Walker Lyons for a six-yard touchdown with 1:47 remaining. BYU led 28-24.
“We’re tired of being disrespected. We know who we are,” Bachmeier said after the game. “This was a great win for sure.” He also said Notre Dame had disrespected him and his family during his recruitment: “I wasn’t going to lose to those guys.”
Notre Dame mounted one final drive. Carr completed several passes, including a fourth-down throw to Micah Gilbert that moved the Irish deep into BYU territory. With four seconds left, Carr took a heavy rush and heaved a pass toward Jaden Greathouse in the end zone. Greathouse could not secure the ball amid contact with BYU defensive back Evan Johnson, and the pass fell incomplete.
The play ended the game as recorded, but the clock became part of the postgame discussion. The Big 12 later acknowledged that one second should have remained on the clock and that the replay crew erred in ending the game. The official result remained BYU 28, Notre Dame 24.
Freeman said Notre Dame had a chance to finish but could not convert. “We had them on the ropes, and we couldn’t find a way to finish. They found a way to get a stop when they needed it the most.”
Carr pointed to opportunities the Irish left unfinished: “I thought we moved the ball well and just didn’t end up punching in some of those red zone opportunities we had.”
After the final whistle, BYU fans stormed the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Sitake said the Cougars wanted to create a memorable night and praised the crowd and the opponent. “We wanted to make some memories, you’ve got to be aggressive,” he said. “Really proud of our guys and happy for our fans.” He added: “We’re going to stay humble and hungry and keep working. Hats off to Notre Dame, I appreciate them giving us a chance to play them.”
Scoring by quarter
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 3 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 24 |
| BYU | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
Up next
BYU improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 at home, starting 6-0 for the third consecutive season. The Cougars travel to UCF on Oct. 24. Notre Dame, now 6-1 overall and 2-1 away, visits Navy on Oct. 31. The full season schedules are available from BYU Athletics and Notre Dame Athletics.
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