The matchup BYU has been waiting for is finally here, and the path to a home upset over Notre Dame starts with the kind of game the Cougars cannot afford to play sloppily. Kalani Sitake’s team is staring at a Notre Dame squad that has been dominant in a very specific way: taking the ball away, flipping the field and making opponents pay fast.
Through six games, the Fighting Irish are +13 in turnover margin, which ranks second nationally. They’ve already forced 14 turnovers and lead college football in forced fumbles.
That has helped fuel a run of double-digit wins in every game. Notre Dame has also had at least one defensive touchdown or a touchdown drive starting on the opponent’s side of the field in every game.
In the first quarter against Rice, it scored 21 points despite producing fewer than 100 yards of total offense.
That’s the danger for BYU. Give Notre Dame short fields, and this thing can get away from the Cougars in a hurry.
BYU learned a version of that lesson last season against Texas Tech, when games that were competitive turned into blowouts once the turnovers piled up. The margin for error here is tiny.
The good news for BYU is that Bear Bachmeier has taken care of the football, and the Cougars are +4 in turnover margin this season. CJ Carr has only one interception, but he has been willing to challenge defenders, and he has four turnover-worthy throws so far.
At some point, the ball is likely to be at risk again. When that happens, BYU has to seize the moment and steal a possession.
Even one takeaway that sets up a shorter field would change the feel of the night. For BYU, that kind of hidden yardage matters.
Offensively, the Cougars are not built to race Notre Dame in the open field. The Irish have elite team speed, especially on defense.
So BYU’s answer has to come through size, leverage and precise ball placement. The Cougars brought in a massive group of pass-catchers this season, and the numbers tell the story.
Wide receivers Kyler Kasper and Jojo Phillips are 6'6 and 6'5, while tight ends Walker Lyons and Roger Saleapaga both stand 6'4. Lyons weighs 245 pounds, and Saleapaga is 235.
That length can matter on plays like the back-shoulder fade Bachmeier completed to Kasper on 3rd & 6 against Iowa State. Those are the sorts of throws BYU may need throughout the night. Against a defense as fast and physical as Notre Dame’s, Bachmeier has to put the ball in places only his receivers can reach, and then those receivers have to win contested catches.
The challenge gets even tougher without LJ Martin. BYU’s offense has looked different without him, particularly in the red zone.
Before the Iowa State game, the Cougars had 13 touchdowns in 13 red zone opportunities. Against the Cyclones, they managed two touchdowns in five trips.
That drop-off is a big reason this game may hinge on finishing drives.
Field goals will not be enough against Notre Dame. BYU needs red zone touchdowns, and Aaron Roderick will have to sort through the best ways to get them.
Fades are usually not the first choice in the red zone, but against a Notre Dame defense that has been tough against the run, BYU may need to lean into that size edge. Kasper, with his 6'6 frame, looks like the obvious target because he uses his body well to shield defenders.
Defensively, BYU’s most direct route to a win is to force Notre Dame out of balance. The Irish have found more success on the ground over the last three weeks, thanks in part to freshman running back Jonaz Walton.
He ripped Stanford for 181 yards on 13 carries, including a 97-yard touchdown run. Still, Notre Dame enters the game ranked 37th in rushing yards per game and 39th in rushing yards per attempt.
If BYU can make Notre Dame one-dimensional, that changes everything. The three teams that gave Notre Dame the most trouble stopping the run all came from the lower half of the national rankings in rushing defense: Stanford is 126th, Purdue is 94th and North Carolina is 88th.
The teams that held Notre Dame under four yards per carry were Wisconsin, Michigan State and Rice, and BYU’s defense offers a different level of resistance entirely. The Cougars rank 10th nationally against the run, by far the stiffest test Notre Dame’s rushing attack has seen.
That’s the opening for BYU: force the Irish into obvious passing situations, avoid the cheap giveaways and make Carr uncomfortable. He has been one of the best quarterbacks in college football against the blitz, so if BYU brings pressure, it has to be sharp and disguised. Kelly Poppinga’s group has done a good job of hiding its intentions before the snap, and that will matter here.
Even if the Cougars don’t rack up a huge sack total, the defensive line has to make Carr feel the heat. The goal is simple: do not let him sit back in a clean pocket when the game is on the line. BYU’s pass rush has been trending up as the season has moved along, and this is the biggest test yet.
In Other News...
BYU Faces A Program Defining Test In A Brutal Top 10 Showdown
Brigham Young steps into one of its biggest regular-season stages in years Saturday night, hosting Notre Dame in a clash between two unbeaten teams at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The setting alone gives it weight, but the matchup adds even more intrigue: the Irish arrive with the nations top total defense, while BYU is trying to keep rolling in front of a national audience on ABC.
The Cougars will have to navigate the game without their top running back because of injury, a challenge that makes the offensive approach even more important against a defense like Notre Dames. For BYU, this is the kind of top-10 measuring stick that can shape how the season is viewed long after Saturday night ends. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Should Hate Where This Playoff Debate Is Headed
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The bigger issue is that playoff expansion is no longer just about competitive balance, it is about money and leverage, and those forces usually push the conversation beyond the tidy version of the sport that coaches prefer. A 24-team format would create more openings for teams like BYU and would reshape the value of conference championship games across the country, but the push and pull around the final number says plenty about how college football is choosing to organize its future. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Tougher Notre Dame Test If Two Defenders Return
Notre Dame may look a little closer to whole when it meets BYU, and that matters for a Cougars offense that has to navigate a defense still built around speed and depth even after injuries. Head coach Marcus Freeman said cornerback Leonard Moore and defensive lineman Jason Onye have taken practice reps and are trending toward playing, which puts both players in position to be available after missing significant time.
Moore sat out the previous game with a concussion, while Onye has been sidelined since the season opener with an ankle injury. If both are back on the field, it gives Notre Dame a welcome boost on the back end and up front, and it raises the degree of difficulty for BYU in a game that already figures to demand clean execution. [Read more 🡒]