Notre Dame was staring down the barrel of a potential No. 1 ranking come Sunday morning, but then Saturday night happened in Provo. The BYU Cougars, a team the Irish themselves asked to play, pulled off a stunning 28-24 upset, absolutely wrecking those dreams. It was one of those crazy Saturdays in college football, with No. 1 Georgia, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Texas, and No. 7 Alabama all going down, paving the way for the Irish to climb to the top. Nope. Not a chance.
Bear Bachmeier Delivers The Ultimate Revenge
The hero for BYU, sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier, made this upset extra spicy. This is the same Bachmeier who tried to commit to Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman back in 2023, only for the Irish to pass on him, holding out for Deuce Knight instead. Talk about an incredible twist of fate, because Bachmeier delivered touchdowns passing, rushing, and receiving against his former suitor. His game-winning play came inside the final two minutes on 3rd-and-goal from the 7, a dart to tight end Walker Lyons. Lyons, who just arrived this year from USC, gathered the ball in his midsection while sliding to the turf in the end zone, practically right in front of the stunned Notre Dame faithful in LaVell Edwards Stadium. That crowd of 65,179 was the biggest since Notre Dame’s last visit in 2004, which, guess what, was also a loss for the Irish.
BYU Marches All Over ND’s Elite Defense
BYU came out swinging, charging to a 21-10 halftime lead. That’s a huge deal because Notre Dame’s defense entered this game as the nation’s No. 4 scoring defense, giving up a stingy 11 points per game. But BYU didn’t care. They consistently marched the field, putting together touchdown drives of 75, 75, and 72 yards. The Irish defense managed to hold BYU scoreless for the first 28 minutes of the second half, trying to claw their way back, but Bachmeier delivered the magic on that final 10-play, 55-yard drive to seal the upset.
What’s next for these teams? BYU is now 7-0 and should absolutely skyrocket into the top-5 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Honestly, after all the chaos, they might even get some serious consideration for the top spot. They’ve got a massive showdown looming on November 7 against their fellow unbeaten and heated rival, Utah. For Notre Dame, this loss makes their season boil down to one game: that same first Saturday in November. They’ll face Miami, likely the nation’s top-ranked team after surviving rival Florida State in double-overtime, in primetime on NBC. Get ready, because those stakes are immense for the Irish.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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