No. 2 Notre Dame’s trip to No.
8 BYU has all the ingredients of a heavyweight collision, and the matchup sets up as one of the season’s first true measuring sticks. The Irish arrive unbeaten at 6-0 after steamrolling Stanford 58-7, a game that featured 181 rushing yards from Jonaz Walton and fit the bigger pattern for Notre Dame so far: only one game has been decided by fewer than two scores.
BYU has been rolling just as hard. The Cougars are 5-0, with four of those wins coming by multiple scores, and they already own a strong early-season victory over Arizona.
They also held Iowa State under 100 yards until late in the fourth quarter, a reminder that this is not just a hot start - it’s a team that has looked legitimate on both sides of the ball. That rise has continued quickly after BYU reached the Big 12 title game only three years after joining the power conferences.
History leans Notre Dame’s way. The Irish and Cougars have met seven times, with Notre Dame holding a 5-2 edge. Notre Dame has won the last four meetings, including a 28-20 victory in the Shamrock Classic in Las Vegas in 2022.
The headliner for Notre Dame is quarterback CJ Carr, who has been sparkling in his second season as a starter. He’s completing 71% of his throws, averaging 9.6 yards per attempt, and has piled up 16 touchdown passes against just one interception. Jordan Faison and Micah Gilbert have both been major downfield threats, each with more than 375 receiving yards.
BYU enters with a major personnel problem, though. Running back LJ Martin will miss the game, and that’s a real hit to the Cougars’ offense.
The senior from El Paso posted nearly 1,600 all-purpose yards last season and was one of the nation’s most impressive rushers. Without him last week, quarterback Bear Bachmeier had to shoulder more of the load, and he responded with 109 rushing yards in the win.
No BYU running back went over 21 yards on the ground, which only sharpens the question facing the Cougars here: how do they generate enough offense against Notre Dame’s front?
That battle in the trenches is the one to watch. Both teams have been elite against the run.
Notre Dame is allowing just 2.1 yards per carry and 58.3 rushing yards per game, while BYU is not far behind at 2.9 yards per carry and 80.4 yards per game. The Irish were a strong rushing team last season, but this year they’ve dropped to No. 38 in yards per carry, and they haven’t seen a run defense like BYU’s yet.
The number invites a tricky call, but the better read is that this turns into a tight, physical game in Provo. BYU’s defense looks better than the market may be giving it credit for, and Notre Dame showed some sloppiness against a depleted North Carolina team.
Even so, the absence of LJ Martin is a real obstacle for the Cougars, and it may keep them from pulling off the upset. Still, BYU should be in position to stay inside the number and make things uncomfortable late in a low-scoring game.
Pick: BYU +10.5
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Got Fresh Bulletin Board Material Before BYU
With Notre Dame preparing for BYU, the Cougars have already started framing the matchup around the challenge of slowing down freshman quarterback CJ Carr. Linebacker Jake Clifton spoke ahead of the game and made it clear that BYU intends to bring heat, talking about a plan to make Carr uncomfortable and lean on a physical style that will put the Irish offensive line in focus.
Clifton also balanced that edge with respect for Notre Dames program and the players wearing the blue and gold, treating the game like another step on the schedule even as the rhetoric sharpened. For Notre Dame, though, comments like that are exactly the kind that can linger in a locker room and add a little extra energy to a game already carrying plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Carr Is Forcing BYU To Rethink How It Defends Notre Dame
Ahead of Notre Dames meeting with BYU, Cougars defensive coordinator Brady Poppinga laid out the challenge of trying to slow CJ Carr, and it starts long before the ball is snapped. Poppinga said the plan has to be about creating confusion for the Irish quarterback, because Carr has shown the kind of arm strength and field awareness that can punish a defense if it gives him a clean pre-snap picture.
Carrs rise has forced opponents to treat Notre Dames passing game with extra caution, especially when he can extend plays and find answers both from the pocket and outside of it. Through this season, he has completed 70% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and one interception, a line that helps explain why BYU is approaching him as more than just another young quarterback on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame's Rushing Surge Faces Its Biggest Test Yet
Notre Dames ground game has started to look like the kind of calling card that can travel, with the offensive line giving the Irish more push in recent weeks and right tackle Guerby Lambert emerging as a key part of that climb. The improvement has come from the kind of work coaches love to point to but fans only notice when it shows up on Saturdays - cleaner execution, better timing and a front that is beginning to work more as one unit.
BYU should provide a much sharper read on how real that progress is. The Cougars bring a defensive front that has been among the nations best at limiting rushing yards, which means the Irish line will have to carry its recent form into a far tougher setting. Lambert has stressed the need for practice, preparation and cohesion, and this matchup figures to reveal whether Notre Dames surge is a step forward or just a strong stretch against lesser resistance. [Read more 🡒]