Notre Dame walks into Saturday night’s Top 10 matchup with BYU carrying plenty of confidence on defense - but this is the kind of game that can expose even a group that has looked the part over the last 16 games.
The challenge is obvious. BYU is 5-0 and has built one of the most explosive offenses in the country, checking in 10th nationally in yards per play, 8th in yards per rush, 12th in plays of 50 yards or more and 6th in plays of 60 yards or more.
Notre Dame, for its part, has one of the best defenses in the country. The catch is that neither side has yet faced a test quite like the one waiting inside LaVell Edwards Stadium.
The Irish defensive front is first on the clock. Through six games of 2026, Notre Dame’s line has backed up the preseason hype, but BYU’s offensive front is a different kind of problem.
This is being framed as the toughest physical and mental challenge the Irish will see all regular season, with the possibility that it carries into the postseason as well. The Cougars’ line is the engine of everything they do, and players like Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, Armel Mukam, Francis Brewu, Tionne Gray and Jason Onye, if he’s able to go, will matter in a major way.
That test gets even sharper because of who is running BYU’s offense. Bear Bachmeier is not just another quarterback Notre Dame has prepared for this year.
He’s 17-2 as a starter, brings real dual-threat ability and is coming off his most productive game of the 2026 season against Iowa State. The Irish have seen a few decent passers so far - Colton Joseph in the opener, Purdue’s Ryan Browne after the loss to Notre Dame, and Stanford’s Davis Warren - but none of them stack up to Bachmeier.
Keeping him contained has to be at the top of the defensive checklist.
And if Bachmeier isn’t creating problems with his legs or extending plays, BYU still has another way to hit home runs. The Cougars do not need a parade of 20-yard completions to hurt you.
They can string together modest gains and then strike suddenly. That’s why the big-play numbers jump off the page: BYU ranks 12th in the nation in plays of 50 yards or more and 6th in plays of 60 yards or more.
Even with only five games played, the Cougars already have four plays of 60 yards or longer and two plays of 70 yards or more.
That creates a major assignment for Notre Dame’s safeties, especially against former USC tight end Walker Lyons. BYU brought Lyons in from the transfer portal, and he’s the kind of tight end who can threaten downfield while still helping as a run blocker.
The Irish safeties - Adon Shuler, Luke Talich and Joey O’Brien if he’s in the rotation - will be under the microscope again after recent issues against tight ends. North Carolina’s tight ends hit Notre Dame for a couple of big plays, and Stanford’s tight end caught the Cardinal’s only touchdown last week.
Up front, the matchup that could shape the night belongs to Boubacar Traore and Bott Mulitalo. Traore has been one of the biggest defensive forces for Notre Dame this season and continues to climb the list of top edge rushers in college football.
At 6-5 and 253 pounds, he has repeatedly forced turnovers or helped create them, and that production has to show up again against a BYU offensive line that has done a strong job protecting the football. Mulitalo, a 6-6, 260-pound right tackle, will be one of the young blockers tasked with handling him.
There’s another wrinkle there, too. As Traore’s production has drawn more attention, teams have started keying on Bryce Young and giving Traore more one-on-one looks.
Young has been active this season, but his last two outings were quieter. That makes this a game that could force BYU to adjust, and it’s one Notre Dame had circled as a chance for Young to make his biggest mark yet.
If that happens, the Traore-Young pairing starts to look even more dangerous.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Defense Is Earning National Respect At The Perfect Time
Notre Dames defense has spent the first six games of the season building a reputation that now carries national weight, and the Associated Press took notice at midseason. Cornerback Leonard Moore landed on the AP Midseason All-America first team, while edge rusher Boubacar Traore earned second-team honors, a tidy reflection of how much the Irish have leaned on that side of the ball while climbing the rankings.
Moore has been steady on the back end with four pass breakups and eight solo tackles, while Traore has brought the disruption up front that changes games, leading the team with 3.5 sacks and flashing in big moments with a strip sack and an interception in the same contest. For Notre Dame, the recognition is more than just individual praise, it is proof the defense is playing at a level that can travel deep into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Dortch Could Solve A Notre Dame Frontcourt Concern
Notre Dames frontcourt picture for 2026-27 may end up looking a little different if Bryce Dortch develops the way the staff believes he can. The junior from Somerville, Massachusetts is projected as a backup power forward, but what makes him interesting is not just where he fits on the depth chart. Last season at Rutgers, Dortch averaged 2.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, and the Irish are expecting him to bring a blend of defense and lineup flexibility that can help cover some of the needs around the basket.
Micah Shrewsberry has already pointed to Dortchs versatility and the progress he has made since joining the program, which matters for a team looking for dependable options in the frontcourt. A player who can handle multiple roles and hold up defensively gives Notre Dame more ways to manage rotation concerns, especially if the season forces the staff to adjust on the fly. Dortch may not arrive with headline numbers, but his value could come in the places that are easiest to overlook until they are needed most. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Finally Faces The Road Test That Could Define Its Start
Notre Dame is headed into the kind of road test that can say a lot about a team before the calendar even turns. The Irish are unbeaten, and the matchup waiting with undefeated, top-10 BYU carries the sort of early-season weight that can shape how this start is remembered. For a group trying to establish itself, it is the sort of game that demands more than a clean record on paper.
DJ McKinney and the rest of the defense have sounded steady about the build-up, leaning on preparation and the routine that has carried them this far. There is confidence in the room, but also a clear understanding that this is a different level of challenge, and one that will tell Notre Dame plenty about where it stands. The Irish do not need to turn the page yet, but they do need to show they can handle the pressure that comes with it. [Read more 🡒]