PROVO - Ten minutes after BYU knocked off No. 2 Notre Dame, the Cougars had already started acting like a team with bigger plans.
BYU sent an email to fans letting them know postseason tickets could now be requested, a small administrative note that suddenly carried a lot more weight after the No. 8 Cougars improved to 6-0.
Yes, bowl eligibility is secured. A trip to some postseason destination is guaranteed, whether that ends up being the Pop Tarts Bowl, the Alamo Bowl, or another stop.
But that is not where the real conversation starts anymore.
After the biggest regular-season win in program history, the one that sent LaVell Edwards Stadium into chaos, the much bigger dream is obvious: the College Football Playoff.
And why not? The Cougars are likely headed for a top-three spot in Sunday’s AP poll, and a handful of No. 1 votes would not be a shock.
BYU’s win over Notre Dame was only the second time the program has beaten a top-two opponent, and the finish fit the magnitude. When the Irish’s final throw fell incomplete in the end zone, the field turned blue almost instantly. The grass vanished under a flood of fans, and the scene became pure bedlam.
It was loud, chaotic and unforgettable - as rowdy as things can get in a stadium that does not serve alcohol. Reporters trying to make their usual dash across the field to the press box had no chance.
“This was probably the most incredible moment of my life, really,” said BYU linebacker Cade Uluave. “After the last play and everyone was rushing the field, I literally just fell to my knees and started crying.
It means a lot. That’s why I came to BYU to experience moments like this.”
The game itself had all the layers of a classic. BYU carried a 21-10 lead into halftime, then watched Notre Dame seize control in the second half with 14 unanswered points and a 24-21 lead.
That set up the defining drive. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier led BYU back down the field and hit Walker Lyons for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:47 remaining.
Notre Dame still had a chance. The Irish drove into position, and it ended with an incompletion by quarterback CJ Carr. BYU escaped with the win.
And yes, there was more to it than just the final pass.
A statement from the Big 12 said there should have been one more second on the clock after Carr’s incompletion, which would have given Notre Dame another snap. Instead, Cougar fans were already pouring onto the field, and there was no rewinding that moment.
Kalani Sitake could have done without the nail-biting ending, even if it produced one of the most unforgettable scenes in recent Provo memory.
“It took all the way until the bitter end for us to get that win,” said Sitake. “It added to the drama and the storming of the field, stuff like that, but I want some boring wins.
That’s my job. I got to make sure we get that.”
For Sitake, the night clearly hit deeper than a typical victory. He grew up a BYU fan, and even now that he’s coaching the program, that part of him clearly hasn’t gone anywhere.
“So much gratitude … why do I get to be the one that gets to be the head coach and have the best seat in the house,” he said. “I just have a lot of really good people around me that sacrificed for me to be here. I am the result of a lot of hard work and sacrifice.”
Bachmeier made sure the performance matched the stage. He finished with 224 passing yards and 45 rushing yards and played a hand in all four BYU touchdowns.
For him, the night carried extra meaning.
“Kalani won’t like this because I am talking about myself, but out of high school, Notre Dame disrespected me and my family pretty badly,” he said. “I wasn’t going to lose to those guys. There was no way I was going to lose to those guys tonight.”
When asked to explain, Bachmeier did not want to go too far into it.
“I shouldn’t have said that, but there were some receipts kept and man, I’m glad we won,” he said.
So was everyone else in blue, from the crowd in the stands to the fans who swarmed the field. Now the question is how far this run can go - and whether that postseason email turns out to be about something much bigger than a bowl game.
In Other News...
BYU Gets Defensive Reinforcements Before Notre Dame With One Big Unknown
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The payday only got bigger from there, with Utah Jazz and Mammoth owner Ryan Smith and his partner doubling the prize to $2 million and adding another $1 million for charity. For BYU, it was a reminder that one unexpected opportunity can change everything in an instant, and for Carter Smith it turned a brief window on national television into something far beyond a routine kicking contest. [Read more 🡒]