Provo is getting its first-ever top-10 collision, and it comes with plenty on the line for both sides. No.
8 BYU and No. 2 Notre Dame meet Saturday night, with the Cougars sitting at 5-0 and the Fighting Irish at 6-0 in a game that could echo months from now in the College Football Playoff picture.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake has heard the standard messages all week - every game matters, keep the same routine, don’t get distracted. But he also knows this one carries a different weight.
"The coach's talk is, 'This is just like every other week,'" Sitake said. "Our approach is the same, but it's a different opponent.
We know they're ranked really high. We know that they're very talented.
So the sense of urgency actually ramps up a little bit more."
Notre Dame enters with the kind of résumé that turns heads. The Irish have won all six of their games by double digits, and last week’s 58-7 rout of Stanford was the latest example. Even so, BYU looks like their toughest test yet.
Marcus Freeman called it exactly what it is - a major road challenge. Notre Dame has not beaten a top-10 team away from home since the Irish knocked off No. 8 Oklahoma in Norman in 2012.
"It's going to be a great challenge for us," Freeman said. "On offense, it all starts with the quarterback.
He's a special player. He can hurt you in the run and the pass.
"Defensively, they really play hard. They do a good job of stopping the run. ... It's going to be about our preparation and how we prepare."
The quarterback Freeman is talking about is Bear Bachmeier, who has been central to BYU’s fast start. Bachmeier has thrown for 1,033 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception while also rushing 36 times for 239 yards and four scores.
BYU will need that production to carry even more of the load with top running back LJ Martin expected to miss the game because of a lower-leg injury suffered Oct. 3 in a win over TCU. Martin still leads the team with 344 rushing yards.
Notre Dame’s attack is rolling, too, and CJ Carr is right in the middle of it. He has passed for 1,378 yards, 16 touchdowns and one interception and has added three rushing touchdowns while helping keep the Irish unbeaten and building his Heisman Trophy case.
The Irish are also managing some injury questions heading into kickoff. Cornerback Leonard Moore, who is recovering from a concussion, did not play against Stanford and is questionable again for Saturday.
Defensive tackle Jason Onye is also questionable with an ankle injury. Notre Dame does expect linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who had been dealing with a thumb issue, to be back on the field.
Saturday’s meeting will be the 10th in the series. Notre Dame leads 7-2 and has taken the last four, including a 28-20 win in Las Vegas in 2022.
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DJ McKinney Could Give Notre Dame A Rare Edge At BYU
DJ McKinney brings a little something extra to Notre Dames trip to BYU, and it has nothing to do with scheme drawings on a whiteboard. The defensive back has faced the Cougars in three straight seasons with different teams before arriving in South Bend, giving him a firsthand feel for how BYU operates and why Marcus Freeman sees value in that experience.
For Notre Dame, that kind of familiarity can matter in a game where little edges often decide things. McKinney has been tested plenty in those meetings and has come away with useful reps, including an interception he returned for 25 yards in 2024, leaving the Irish with a player who knows the opponent in a way few others on the roster can claim. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Onye's Return Puts Notre Dame In A Tough BYU Decision
Jason Onyes potential return comes at a time when Notre Dame is trying to stabilize its defensive line for a tricky stretch, and the veteran linemans presence would be a welcome boost if he can get back into the mix against BYU. He has not played since the season opener because of injury, and defensive coordinator Chris Ash said the staff is working to get Onye cleared for both practice and game time while taking a measured approach.
For Notre Dame, the decision is about more than just one weeks rotation. Onye is in his final season with the Irish, so every chance to get him back on the field matters, but the staff is clearly determined not to rush him and create a new problem. Whether he is available this week will say plenty about how confident the program feels in his recovery and how carefully it wants to manage the rest of his season. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Faces Its Toughest Test Yet Against BYU
Notre Dames defense has spent the first six games of the 2026 season looking like the unit everyone has been chasing, with Chris Ashs group sitting first nationally in yards allowed. The Irish have been disruptive, disciplined and efficient, and now they get a very different kind of challenge in BYU, an offense that has protected its quarterback well and kept drives moving with one of the better third-down games in the country.
The matchup starts up front, where Notre Dames defensive line will have to match BYUs offensive line if the Irish are going to keep their edge. Beyond that, the test stretches to the second level and into the slot, with Drayk Bowen needing to stay active against Bear Bachmeier and Christian Gray asked to handle a key role inside. It is the sort of game that can reveal whether a strong start has turned into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]