BYU beats No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 on late touchdown and final defensive stand

BYU answers Notre Dame’s comeback

No. 8 BYU defeated No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 on Saturday at a sold-out LaVell Edwards Stadium, remaining unbeaten at 6-0. Notre Dame rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and took a 24-21 lead with 9:31 remaining before BYU responded with the game’s decisive drive. ^[1]

The Cougars moved 55 yards in 10 plays and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:47 left. Notre Dame then drove to the BYU seven-yard line over 15 plays, but a final pass intended for Jaden Greathouse fell incomplete as time expired. Reuters’ national roundup independently recorded BYU’s 28-24 upset. ^{[1] [2]}

Early BYU lead creates pressure

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier scored twice on short runs in the first half as the Cougars built a 21-10 advantage. Notre Dame played much of the night without defensive lineman Boubacar Traore, who was ejected for targeting on BYU’s opening possession. ^[1]

Notre Dame also lost a scoring opportunity just before halftime. Quarterback CJ Carr attempted to spike the ball near the BYU goal line but lost control, and a Cougars defender recovered after review. Instead of reducing the deficit before the break, the Irish went to halftime down by 11. ^[1]

Irish rally falls short

Carr completed 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards. Greathouse caught eight passes for 125 yards, helping Notre Dame climb back into the game. The defense held BYU to seven second-half points, and the Irish briefly led after overcoming turnovers, an ejection and inconsistent first-half execution. ^[1]

The final possession covered most of the field but ended without enough time for another snap. That sequence summarized the game: Notre Dame generated enough offense to threaten, yet earlier mistakes left no margin once BYU answered with its only points after halftime. ^{[1] [2]}

A major ranking result

BYU’s win was one of several major upsets on October 17. Georgia, Alabama, Indiana and Texas also lost, according to the national roundup. The Cougars will enter the next ranking cycle unbeaten with a victory over the No. 2 team, while Notre Dame falls to 6-1 and must rebuild its playoff case over the remaining schedule. ^{[2] [3]}