BYU holds off Notre Dame: No. 8 Cougars come up with late red zone stop to snap No. 2 Irish's win streak at 16

Trailing 21-10, Notre Dame was on the move late in the first half when quarterback CJ Carr appeared to spike the football at BYU's 6-yard line with six seconds remaining. Had it indeed been a spike, the Irish would have either run one more play and tried to score a touchdown. Or, they could have elected to play it safe and kick a field goal.

But after review, it was deemed that Carr actually fumbled the football. Thus, BYU survived the sequence without allowing a point. In the end, it made a major impact in how the game played out. Had Notre Dame been able to kick a field goal there, it would have meant they only needed a field goal win the game on the final drive.

BYU sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier was already beloved at BYU. But the bruising runner who wears No. 47 took his heroism to new heights by gutting his team to a victory with an unorthodox final line.

Bachmeier became the first player to score as a passer, rusher and receiver against a top-5 opponent in the last 30 seasons. His 15-yard touchdown reception on a trick play with 5:52 remaining in the second quarter put the Cougars ahead 14-10. He also scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half.

The Cougars had been shut out for the entire second half until he led a go-ahead drive just when it felt like Notre Dame had seized the momentum. Right after a false start penalty forced BYU into a third-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Bachmeier completed his masterpiece by hitting Walker Lyons for a 6-yard touchdown pass over the middle. 

In the end, he was relegated to a spectator role as the game ended with BYU's defense holding on for dear life. But there's no doubt who the MVP was for BYU.

BYU suffered through consecutive special teams nightmares in the third quarter that impeded its ability to build on a 21-10 halftime lead. First, punt returner Cannon DeVries muffed a punt, gifting Notre Dame a fresh possession at the Cougars' 41-yard line. The Irish cashed it in for a field goal.

Then, on the next possession, BYU called an ill-advised fake punt on fourth-and-5 from its own 28. The rush attempt went nowhere and led directly to another Notre Dame field goal as the Fighting Irish drew within 21-16 entering the fourth quarter.

The Cougars' ability to survive those blunders spoke to their resilience. DeVries helped atone for his miscue with a 23-yard punt return in the fourth quarter that gave BYU good field position for its go-ahead scoring drive.

No. 8 BYU stunned No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 on Saturday night after star quarterback Bear Bachmeier delivered a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. The Cougars then delivered a defensive stop on the final play to earn one of the biggest wins in program history, prompting a field storming inside LaVell Edwards Stadium.

CJ Carr's pass attempt to the end zone fell incomplete as time expired, lifting BYU to its highest-ranked win since it toppled No. 1 Miami in 1990. The win snapped BYU's four-game losing streak against Notre Dame as the teams met in a ranked battle for the first time in series history. 

The top-10 showdown lived up to the hype as the Cougars surrendered a 21-10 halftime lead only to retake the lead with 1:47 remaining when Bachmeier hit Walker Lyons for a 6-yard touchdown. Even then, BYU (6-0) needed some clutch defense to survive.

Notre Dame drove into the red zone with a series of needle-threading CJ Carr completions and had a chance to win it on the game's final play. Carr fired toward Jaden Greathouse in the end zone. A BYU defender made contact with Greathouse, who fell to the turf as the ball sailed over his head.

Bachmeier scored as a passer, rusher and receiver while totaling four total touchdowns.

1:47 4Q: BYU 28, Notre Dame 24

Right after a false start penalty forced them into a third-and-goal from the 6-yard line, the Cougars delivered as Bear Bachmeier hit Walker Lyons for a touchdown over the middle. What a response from BYU, which had been stumbling around offensively during the second half. With the game on the line, Bachmeier delivered a must-have scoring drive. He's now scored as a passer, rusher and receiver.

Cannon DeVries just made a 23-yard punt return to establish BYU at its own 45-yard line with 5:43 remaining. That won't fully atone for his costly muffed punt from the third quarter, but it was a nice play. The Cougars need about 20 yards or so to reach field goal range and get their first points of the second half.

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier played a strong game, but finally made his first big mistake late in the fourth quarter. The sophomore launched a downfield pass, but it was picked off by DJ McKinney, ending another Cougars drive without points. BYU has still not scored in the second half. 

4Q: Notre Dame 24, BYU 21

Notre Dame finally managed to convert a number of third downs and finally break into the end zone for the first time in the second half. Running back Jonaz Walton broke into the end zone for a three-yard touchdown to cap off a nine-play, 68-yard drive for a touchdown. 

BYU only has 37 yards and 2.5 yards per play in the second half with three total first downs. The Fighting Irish are on a 14-0 run, largely gifted by BYU mistakes. 

Notre Dame has been waiting for CJ Carr to hit a downfield pass, and he finally did it at the perfect time. Carr found a wide open Jaden Greathouse downfield for 38 yards to get the Fighting Irish back into the red zone. This time, they need to score. 

End 3Q: BYU, Notre Dame 16

No. 8 BYU is holding onto a 21-16 lead over No. 2 Notre Dame entering the fourth quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Fighting Irish cut the lead to five points after a bizarre fake punt call by BYU led to a field goal, but the BYU defense has owned the game. 

Notre Dame averaged only 2.7 yards per play in the third quarter as the Fighting Irish turned a muffed punt and 25-yard field into only six points. Star quarterback CJ Carr has completed only five of his last 13 passes to kill multiple drives, and he has thrown for only 142 yards on 30 attempts. 

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier has thrown for 143 yards, rushed for 31 yards, posted 15 yards receiving and scored three touchdowns, all in the first half. However, the mistakes have cost the Cougars opportunities in the second half, and they have yet to put additional points on the board. 

The Cougars have never played an AP Top 10 game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Notre Dame has not beaten an AP Top 10 opponent on the road since 2012. Something has to give. 

BYU made a puzzling decision deep in their own territory. The Cougars decided to attempt a fake punt where the punter just ran forward, but Notre Dame wasn't fooled and easily shut it down. BYU's defense has played exceptionally, but why give the Irish such an easy opportunity? 

3Q: BYU 21, Notre Dame 13

Notre Dame got multiple incompletions from CJ Carr to set up a must-get fourth down conversion. Notre Dame managed to get that, but Carr threw another incomplete to set up a 31-yard field goal. The Fighting Irish were fortunate to get points, but offense has looked incredibly hard in the second half for Notre Dame. 

Notre Dame punted on the first two drives to start the second half and had to punt from deep in their own territory. Finally, the Irish got a break as Cannon DeVries took a bad angle at the ball and muffed the punt near midfield. This is a critical opportunity for Notre Dame to turn the game around while still trailining by 11 points. 

BYU wide receiver JoJo Phillips appeared to have yet another touchdown to push the lead out to three scores, but receiver Kyle Kasper was called for offensive pass interference for blocking a Notre Dame defensive back. The break was critical for the Irish, who have struggled to find any positive breaks as BYU took a two-score lead into the second half. 

HALF: BYU 21, Notre Dame 10

No. 8 BYU is off to a stunning 21-10 halftime lead against No. 2 Notre Dame in the first ever top 10 matchup at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Fighting Irish wasted a late scoring opportunity after quarterback CJ Carr whiffed on a spike, which was ruled a fumble at the five-yard line. 

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier has put together one of the finest performances of his career, posting 129 passing yards, 25 rushing yards, 15 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick dialed up a few trick plays down the stretch to set up scoring opportunities against a struggling Notre Dame defense. 

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr completed 8-of-11 passes to start, but hit on only 2-of-5 passes down the stretch. The running game has played well behind running back Noah James Jr., but BYU's defense is starting to rise up. 

The Fighting Irish get the ball to start the second half, but face a double-digit road deficit. Notre Dame has not beaten an AP Top 10 road opponent since 2012. 

2Q: BYU 21, Notre Dame 10

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has received criticism in the past from fans who wanted more from the offense. Against Notre Dame, Roderick is proving why he's one of the best in the Big 12. 

Roderick called a quick tush push to draw Notre Dame offsides on third down. Then, he called one of his signature reverses, a misdirection with multiple apparent options that Legend Glasker took to the two-yard line to set up a third Bear Bachmeier touchdown. 

BYU's offense was the question mark coming into the game. Now, it's been the best unit on the field. 

2Q: BYU 14, Notre Dame 10

BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick is known for his misdirection plays, and the Cougars got a big one deep in the red zone to retake the lead. Bachmeier threw a backwards pass to Kyle Kasper, and then got the pass right back. It was an ugly mess of blockers, but Bachmeier rumbled through the edge to score his second touchdown of the day. 

In the second quarter, Bachmeier has 100 yards passing, 24 yards rushing, 15 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He has been everything for BYU. 

2Q: Notre Dame 10, BYU 7

Once again, Notre Dame used a critical third down moment to move down the field and take its first lead of the game. The Fighting Irish leaned on the legs of Noah James, including a tough eight-yard run through the middle of the BYU defense for a touchdown. The Irish are three-of-four on third down. 

Notre Dame has been held to third-and-long on multiple occasions, and even went backwards with a false start. Still, the Fighting Irish have managed to find first downs against the BYU defense. 

CJ Carr connected with Micah Gilbert for a highlight reel 13-yard reception on third-and-10. A few plays later, Noah James reeled off a 16-yard carry for another first down. Notre Dame is now threatening on the edge of the red zone with a chance to take their first lead. 

End 1Q: BYU 7, Notre Dame 3

BYU leads Notre Dame early in a pivotal matchup after an impressive opening drive. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier connected on five of his first six passes to set up a three-yard rushing touchdown to strike first in Provo. 

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr has hit on four of six passes, but one of his few misses was an airmailed touchdown to Jordan Faison that forced a field goal. However, running back Noah James Jr. is starting to get going after breaking off a weaving 26-yard rush into BYU territory. 

The Fighting Irish will be without potential All-American defensive end Boubacar Traore after he was ejected during the first drive for targeting. 

1Q: BYU 7, Notre Dame 3

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr hit on his first three passes for 31 yards as the Irish marched down the field. But after a stop by the BYU defense on second down, Carr airmailed a wide open touchdown throw to Jordan Faison, forcing the Irish to settle for a field goal and maintain an early deficit. 

1Q: BYU 7, Notre Dame 0

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier had a masterful first drive for the Cougars. Bachmeier dropped back and connected on 5-of-6 passes for 49 yards -- with multiple coming against pressure -- to set up a three-yard touchdown run. Bachmeier also drew a roughing the passer penalty against the Irish. 

The Cougars' offense was the biggest question coming into the matchup. While BYU rushed only one time for three yards with running backs, there was plenty to like about Bachmeier's poise in the pocket. And now, BYU's offensive line will benefit from the Irish losing top edge rusher Boubacar Traore to a targeting penalty. 

Notre Dame defensive end Boubacar Traore made a critical mistake for the Fighting Irish. Traore launched late into BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier and was called for targeting. He will miss the rest of the game with the penalty. 

Traore was perhaps the biggest advantage for Notre Dame against BYU's offensive line, which is missing starting right tackle Andrew Gentry. Now, more pressure will fall on defensive end Bryce Young. 

Notre Dame won the toss and opted to defer, meaning BYU's offense will get the first shot. The Cougars are without their top player, running back LJ Martin, and have to prove they can generate consistent offense against one of the best teams in college football. 

Don't let the line fool you; a war is coming in Provo. BYU's defense is vastly underrated, and Notre Dame showed some messiness against a depleted North Carolina squad. The loss of running back LJ Martin will be too much to overcome for the Cougars and will prevent them from winning the game, but BYU will comfortably cover the spread and threaten late in a low-scoring game. Pick: BYU +10.5

BYU running back LJ Martin ranked among the most productive players in college football last season, but the star offensive weapon will miss his second straight game with a lower body injury. 

Without Martin, the Cougars running backs were a nonfactor against Iowa State, combining for only 40 yards rushing. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier had to take on a bigger role with 109 yards on nine carries. The Cougars could get backup Sione Moa back, but the sophomore has not played many snaps in a BYU uniform. Finding offense is the greatest challenge facing the Cougars against a stacked Notre Dame defense. 

For No. 8 BYU, Saturday night's home showdown with the Fighting Irish offers a chance to show the College Football Playoff selection committee a closer look is necessary at one of the Big 12's best ahead of the first rankings later this season.

BYU is playing for a nice resume boost on Saturday, Notre Dame is fighting for its CFP life

Brad Crawford

PROVO, Utah -- It took just a simple message. 

Last October, BYU athletic director Brian Santiago was working with a scheduling broker to find nonconference games for the Cougars. BYU was likely to lose a two-game series with California after the ACC moved to nine conference games, leaving the program searching for a power conference opponent. 

Two months later, BYU and Notre Dame were both left out of the College Football Playoff. The pair were on track to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl before the Irish suddenly pulled out. As national backlash mounted, Santiago sent a message to Bevacqua giving his full support to Notre Dame for making the right decision for itself. Soon, Santiago got a call. 

"What if we played next year?" 

How BYU booked a program-defining date with Notre Dame in Provo

Shehan Jeyarajah