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...
Tacko Fall Just Gave UCF Fans Real Reason To Watch Philly
Tacko Fall is back on an NBA roster, and for UCF fans still tracking his pro journey, Philadelphia is suddenly worth a closer look. Fall initially landed a training camp deal with the 76ers, but he has now turned that into a two-way contract, giving him a clearer path to stick with a team that could use frontcourt help.
The timing matters, too, with the 76ers dealing with injuries and uncertainty around Joel Embiid. Falls NBA path has already taken him through stops in the Australian NBL and the Chinese Basketball Association, and if he gets a real opportunity in Philadelphia, it would mark his first regular NBA work in several years. For Knights fans, it is another reminder that his career is still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Fans Have A Bye Week With Big 12 Stakes To Watch
UCFs bye week does not mean a quiet Saturday for Knights fans, not with a few Big 12 results worth tracking closely. BYUs trip to Notre Dame is the headliner on the calendar, and the outcome will help shape the picture for a UCF opponent later this month. Baylor against TCU and Kansas against Kansas State also matter, giving Knights followers a chance to keep tabs on the league landscape while their team sits out.
BYUs game carries an extra layer of intrigue because of what it could mean for the matchup UCF is building toward on Oct. 24. The Cougars are also dealing with an injury situation around star running back LJ Martin, adding another variable to a game that could leave BYU either still unbeaten or coming off its first loss. For UCF, it is the kind of off week where the scoreboard elsewhere can matter just as much as rest and preparation. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Faces A Familiar Doubt As Johnny Dawkins Rebuilds Again
UCFs recent rise has not changed the outside view much, even after the Knights snapped a six-season NCAA Tournament drought and added a few eye-catching upset wins to the programs resume. Johnny Dawkins now finds himself back in familiar territory, piecing together another roster in a Big 12 where the margin for error is thin and the competition for proven talent is only getting more expensive.
The challenge is more than just replacing production. With a modest NIL budget compared to some of the leagues bigger spenders, UCF has leaned on the transfer portal and on recruits who fit the culture Dawkins has worked to build, but the turnover around the roster is significant enough to test that formula again. The question for the Knights is whether another reshaped group can keep the momentum going before the league decides they still belong near the bottom. [Read more 🡒]