No. 8 BYU achieved a historic upset victory over No. 2 Notre Dame with a 28-24 win at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. The Cougar offense relied on a dominant first half to secure the win in the high-stakes top-10 matchup.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier led the Cougars with four total touchdowns, including two rushing scores and one receiving touchdown. His performance included a touchdown pass to tight end Walker Lyons in the third quarter to give BYU the lead. Bachmeier also recorded two rushing touchdowns and one interception during the contest.
The game featured several pivotal moments and special teams errors. Notre Dame defensive end Boubacar Traore was ejected for targeting during the first quarter. Additionally, Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr fumbled a ball while attempting to spike it during the second quarter, preventing the Irish from scoring before halftime. BYU also experienced special teams issues, including a fumbled punt and a failed fake punt that allowed Notre Dame to score two field goals.
The final moments of the game saw Notre Dame attempt a comeback drive. The Irish completed a fourth-down conversion but failed to score on the final play of the game, which was a pass to the back of the end zone with four seconds remaining. No penalty was called despite contact between the players on the final play.
The matchup came at a time when No. 1 Georgia faced an upset by unranked Auburn, creating potential implications for the top ranking. Entering the game, Notre Dame was a double-digit favorite with a spread of -10.5 points.
BYU's next scheduled game is an away matchup against UCF on Oct. 24, 2026.
