Notre Dame spent most of Saturday night chasing the game, then nearly stole it at the end anyway.
Instead, BYU held on for a 28-24 win in Provo, Utah, denying the Irish a shot at the No. 1 ranking and handing them their first loss of the season on a last-second incompletion in the end zone. The finish came down to four yards, with C.J. Carr pushing Notre Dame all the way to the BYU 4-yard line before the final throw to Jaden Greathouse fell incomplete under heavy pressure.
The Cougars got the decisive blow with 1:47 left, when Bear Bachmeier hit Walker Lyons for a 6-yard touchdown on third-and-goal to complete a 10-play, 55-yard drive. That score put BYU ahead for good, but the night was already firmly Bachmeier’s showcase. He ran for two touchdowns, threw for one and caught another in a performance that had LaVell Edwards Stadium buzzing.
For Notre Dame, the frustration was as much about what slipped away as what BYU earned. The Irish led 24-21 with 9:31 remaining after Jonaz Walton’s 3-yard touchdown run, but they couldn’t fully cash in on two BYU mistakes.
One drive started at the BYU 24 after the Cougars failed on a fake punt on fourth-and-5, but Notre Dame settled for a field goal. Earlier, a fumble on a punt return gave the Irish another chance in BYU territory, and that possession also ended with three points.
The game had already turned against Notre Dame in some strange ways before halftime.
Only 2:30 into the night, star defensive lineman Boubacar Traore was ejected for targeting after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bachmaier. Then, after Notre Dame had fallen behind 21-10 - its largest deficit of the season - Carr led a quick drive to the BYU 6-yard line with 6 seconds left in the second quarter.
But while trying to spike the ball, he lost control, and replay review ruled it Notre Dame’s first fumble of the season. That wiped out any chance to take a shot at a field goal or touchdown before halftime.
Carr still finished with a strong statistical line, completing 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards. Nolan James Jr. paced the Irish ground game with 16 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown.
BYU’s victory also meant a reshuffling at the top of the sport was coming. With No.
1 Georgia losing to unranked Auburn earlier Saturday, the top ranking was likely headed to No. 3 Miami, which needed double overtime to beat Florida State 43-28 in another chaotic finish.
Notre Dame’s defeat made it part of a rough day for the upper tier, joining Georgia, Indiana, Alabama and Texas as five of the top seven teams in the AP Top 25 to lose on Saturday.
Afterward, Kalani Sitake pointed to the atmosphere, the aggression and the belief that fueled BYU’s approach.
“They wanted some pressure, we gave it to him, it worked out for us,” Sitake said. “Our coaches did a great job.
I told you we were going to have fun tonight. We wanted to make some memories, you’ve got to be aggressive.
Really proud of our guys and happy for our fans. 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.”
He also reflected on the moment and the setting when asked about the trick play that helped define the game.
“this is the first time we’ve had two ranked teams in the top 10 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. We’re going to have some fun.”
In Other News...
BYU Gets Defensive Reinforcements Before Notre Dame With One Big Unknown
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The bigger question hanging over the Cougars is what the rest of the rotation will look like by game time. Running back Sione Moa has been cleared to play, but his status for the game is still unclear, and there has been no announcement yet on nickel back and punt returner Cannon DeVries. [Read more 🡒]
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The matchup is set for October 17, 2026, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. MDT on ABC, and it arrives with the kind of national visibility BYU has been chasing in its new conference home. Between Warners involvement and the messaging around the programs rise, the Cougars are clearly treating this one as a statement opportunity, even before the first snap is ever played. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Freshman Turned A Last-Second Opening Into An Unreal Payday
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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 🡒]