Holy smokes, what a game. No. 2 Notre Dame just saw their incredible 16-game win streak, dating all the way back to last season, officially come crashing down in a brutal 28-24 loss to No. 8 BYU on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium. This one went down to the wire, and it just had to end with CJ Carr’s pass falling incomplete in the end zone on the very last play, trying to snag that go-ahead touchdown. Ouch.
Carr’s First Half Fumble Set a Painful Tone
BYU jumped out early, grabbing a 7-3 lead by the end of the first quarter. Our guys, Notre Dame, fought back quick in the second with Nolan James Jr. powering in an eight-yard rushing touchdown to take the lead. But then the Cougars just took over, scoring on their next two drives and pushing ahead 21-10. What really stung, though, was when Notre Dame was driving deep into BYU’s red zone late in the first half. Carr fumbled while trying to spike the ball, totally blowing a chance to get points on the board. BYU kept that 21-10 lead heading into halftime, and you just knew that moment could come back to bite us.
Third Quarter Turnaround, Then Bachmeier Stings Back
The third quarter? That’s when things got wild. BYU started making mistakes, first with a muffed punt that basically handed Notre Dame a field goal. Then, on their very next possession, they got gutsy and tried a fake punt from their own 28-yard line. Guess what? Notre Dame shut it down cold! Our guys followed that up with another field goal, cutting the deficit to 21-16. BYU’s offense couldn’t get anything going, and we capitalized big time when Jonaz Walton rumbled in a three-yard rushing touchdown, flipping the script and giving Notre Dame the lead!
But hold up, it wasn’t over. Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier actually threw a pick on their next drive, but their defense stepped up and forced a Notre Dame punt. And wouldn’t you know it, Bachmeier came right back, leading a clutch 10-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a short touchdown pass to Walker Lyons. Just like that, BYU was back on top, 28-24.
Heartbreak at the 8-Yard Line
So, there we were. Notre Dame got the ball back, drove all the way down to BYU’s eight-yard line on that final possession. The whole game, the entire 16-game win streak, came down to one play. Carr let it rip into the end zone, trying to be the hero, but the pass fell incomplete. Time expired, and that was it. A 28-24 heartbreaker. Marcus Freeman’s squad is now sitting at 6-1, and man, that streak ending like this? It’s gonna sting for a while. They had a chance right there at the end, and just couldn’t punch it in. What a gut punch, for real.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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