No. 8 BYU secured a 28-24 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame in Provo on Saturday night, snapping the Fighting Irish's 16-game winning streak. Bear Bachmeier led the unbeaten Cougars with a go-ahead touchdown pass and multiple rushing and receiving scores to secure the win.
Bachmeier recorded 224 passing yards and scored three touchdowns through the air, on the ground, and as a receiver. He became the first quarterback since Steve Young in the 1983 Holiday Bowl to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in a single game. His performance included a five-yard touchdown run and a one-yard dive, alongside a six-yard touchdown pass to Walker Lyons with 1:47 remaining in the game.
Preston Rex contributed 66 yards on 10 carries to help BYU maintain its 6-0 record for the third consecutive season. The victory marked the first time the Cougars have beaten Notre Dame since 2004 and their first win against a top-10 opponent since 2018.
Notre Dame, now 6-1, struggled to finish drives in the red zone. Despite CJ Carr throwing for 261 yards and Nolan James Jr. adding a rushing touchdown, the Irish could not complete a final drive after a fourth-down pass to Micahel Gilbert put them at the BYU 9-yard line with four seconds left.
Earlier in the game, Notre Dame cut an 11-point halftime deficit to five points in the fourth quarter following field goals. Jonaz Walton scored a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Irish a lead with 9:31 remaining, but the Cougars responded with the go-ahead score from Lyons.
The game was part of a Saturday where five of the top eight teams in the AP Top 25 lost on the same regular-season day. This included No. 1 Georgia's 27-24 loss to Auburn, marking the first time the top two teams in the country lost on the same regular-season day since Nov. 17, 2012.
BYU is scheduled to play at UCF on Oct. 24. Notre Dame is scheduled to play at Navy on Oct. 31.
