BYU walked into Saturday’s showdown with No. 2 Notre Dame and walked out with the kind of win that changes the conversation around a program.
The Cougars stunned the Fighting Irish 28-24 in a game that lived up to the billing, swinging back and forth all day before coming down to the final snap. Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr had one last chance to steal it, launching a potential touchdown pass as time expired to wide receiver Jaden Greathouse. The ball didn’t connect, even with contact on the play, and the officials let it stand without a flag.
For BYU, the victory meant more than just another mark in the win column. It was the school’s first-ever AP top-10 matchup win, a piece of history that arrived on one of the season’s biggest stages.
The Cougars are now 6-0, and the message they sent was loud enough to echo across college football: this team belongs in the national picture. They knocked off a national title contender in Notre Dame and now have their sights set on a run at the Big 12 and, as the source put it, the national championship.
Kalani Sitake has spent 11 seasons building BYU into this kind of threat, and the payoff may be showing up in the rankings soon. The Cougars are expected to land in the top five of the new AP poll on Saturday, and they’re also one of six undefeated FBS teams.
The schedule doesn’t get any softer from here. BYU heads to UCF next Saturday, returns home to face Arizona State on Halloween, and then goes to Utah on Nov. 7.
Saturday was a big step, but for BYU, it may only be the beginning of something even bigger.
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 🡒]