No. 8 BYU didn’t just beat No.
2 Notre Dame on Saturday night. It put the Big 12 on the map in one of the season’s biggest early statements, surviving a frantic finish to win 28-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
And yes, the last snap is going to be argued about for a while.
There was clear contact between BYU defensive back Evan Johnson and Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse on the game’s final play, but there was no flag. That no-call will get plenty of replay time, especially after a wild college football Saturday that saw five top-10 teams lose. But the result is locked in: BYU is 6-0, and Notre Dame is 6-1.
The loss also reshapes the national picture for the Irish. Notre Dame had a shot at moving to No. 1 in the next AP Poll, but instead now heads into a crucial Nov. 7 meeting with No.
3 Miami at home. The Hurricanes should move to the top of the rankings after their 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State.
Notre Dame’s night went sideways early.
Edge rusher Boubacar Traore was ejected for targeting after a helmet-to-helmet hit on BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier in the first quarter. Later, CJ Carr had a chance at two potential touchdown throws, but he missed Jordan Faison and Jack Larsen. Then, in the final seconds of the first half, Carr tried to spike the ball and it was ruled a fumble, with Jayven Williams coming away with the recovery.
That sequence helped BYU carry a 21-10 lead into halftime.
The Cougars set the tone right away. Their opening possession lasted 11 plays and covered 75 yards, with Bachmeier doing damage as both a passer and runner.
On that drive, he had six completions and three carries that accounted for 59 yards. He also found the end zone twice on the ground and added a 15-yard touchdown catch from Kyler Kasper.
Notre Dame found a way back in the third quarter, and special teams played a major role in it. Bubba Frazier recovered a muffed punt, then Joey O'Brien stopped BYU punter Fulluer Shurtz on a fake punt. The Irish used both short fields to cash in two Spencer Porath field goals.
That momentum carried into the fourth quarter. After a 38-yard Carr-to-Jaden Greathouse connection helped set things up, freshman Jonaz Walton punched in a 5-yard touchdown run and then added the two-point conversion to give Notre Dame a 24-21 lead with 10:34 left.
BYU answered when it mattered most.
With 1:47 remaining and facing third-and-goal, Bachmeier hit Walker Lyons for a 6-yard touchdown, flipping the lead back to the Cougars at 28-24 and setting up the tense final drive.
Carr nearly pulled off the finish. Facing a heavy BYU blitz, he found Greathouse on fourth-and-3 for seven yards, then again on third-and-10 for 24. A fourth-and-5 catch by Micah Gilbert pushed Notre Dame closer still, but the Irish couldn’t finish the job on the last play.
Bachmeier finished with 224 passing yards, 45 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Carr went 27 of 49 for 261 yards.
The result lands as a major win for the Big 12, with unbeaten teams still sitting near the top in No. 10 Texas Tech at 6-0 and No.
11 Utah at 5-0. While chaos hit the SEC, the Big 12 stayed steadier at the top of the board.
For BYU, it’s another reminder of how strong this team has looked under Kalani Sitake. The Cougars are the only school to win double-digit games in each of the last two seasons and still miss the College Football Playoff, and now they’ve added a signature victory to the résumé.
For Notre Dame, the road narrative only gets louder. The Irish are now 3-4 on the road against ranked opponents under Marcus Freeman, and a game that was already one of the biggest on the schedule just became even more important. Notre Dame missed the playoff last season at 10-2, and with strength of schedule likely to be part of the discussion again, that Nov. 7 showdown with Miami starts to look like a must-win.
In Other News...
BYU Win Over Notre Dame Just Sparked A Brutal New Debate
The aftermath of BYUs win over Notre Dame has quickly shifted from celebration to scrutiny, with the Big 12 acknowledging that the game clock should have shown one second remaining after an incomplete pass by Irish quarterback CJ Carr. Instead, the replay officiating crew cleared the play and the contest ended, leaving Notre Dame without the chance to run one more snap from BYUs 8-yard line.
Now the conference is set to conduct a full review of the end-of-game officiating process, which only adds to the frustration around a finish that already had people debating what should have happened next. For BYU, the result still stands for the moment, but the closing sequence has become the kind of replay controversy that can linger long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Notre Dame Win Just Took A Controversial Turn
BYUs 28-24 win over Notre Dame now comes with an awkward asterisk after the Big 12 acknowledged that the final sequence was handled incorrectly. According to the conference, there was still time left when Notre Dames last pass hit the ground, but the replay officiating crew cleared the play anyway, ending the game before the Fighting Irish could get another snap.
The admission doesnt change the result, but it does put the finish under a brighter spotlight than anyone in Provo expected. The Big 12 said it will review its end-of-game officiating procedures after the mistake, leaving a major win for the Cougars attached to a conference-wide replay issue that is sure to linger a while. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Was Left Fuming After A Brutal Endgame Officiating Controversy
Notre Dames frustration from the Week 7 finish against BYU came from more than one call, or no-call, in the games closing moments. A missed defensive pass interference flag and a series of clock management mistakes by the officials shaped the final sequence, turning the ending into the kind of controversy that tends to linger long after the final whistle.
The Big 12 later acknowledged there was still one second left on the clock after the final play, meaning the replay officiating crew should not have ended it when it did. The result left Notre Dame fuming and added another layer to a night already marked by debate, with former NFL player Breiden Fehoko also stoking the conversation by publicly claiming officials rig games at both the NFL and college levels, a charge that remains unverified. [Read more 🡒]