No. 8 BYU defeated No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 on Saturday night, Oct. 17, 2026, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in a historic upset that ended the Fighting Irish's 16-game winning streak. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier accounted for four touchdowns in the victory, but the game's conclusion was marred by a Big 12 officiating error that left Notre Dame without a final opportunity to match the Cougars' late touchdown.
Bachmeier Leads Offensive Surge
The victory marks the highest-ranked opponent BYU has defeated since knocking off No. 1 Miami in 1990. The matchup, which featured ESPN's College GameDay and ABC primetime coverage, was decided in the final minutes after a defensive stand by the Cougars prevented a late Notre Dame rally.
Sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier delivered a versatile performance, leading the Cougars through the air and on the ground. Bachmeier completed 23 of 36 passes for 224 yards, including a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to tight end Walker Lyons that reclaimed the lead with 1:47 remaining.
In addition to his passing, Bachmeier rushed for two touchdowns and recorded a receiving touchdown on a double pass. He became the first FBS player in 30 years to record a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown against an AP Top-5 opponent in a single game. He is also the first Cougar to achieve that specific feat since Steve Young did so in the 1983 Holiday Bowl.
The Cougars' offense utilized creative play-calling throughout the night. In the second quarter, Bachmeier scored a 15-yard receiving touchdown on a misdirection play-action pass to Kasper, who threw the backward pass back to the quarterback. Later in the half, Bachmeier jumped from the one-yard line for a rushing touchdown to give BYU a 21-10 lead.
In the first quarter, BYU took an early 7-0 lead following a 75-yard drive capped by a designed quarterback run by Bachmeier. The game was also marked by an early ejection for Notre Dame defensive lineman Boubacar Traore, who was removed from the game following a roughing-the-passer penalty that included targeting during BYU's opening possession.
Notre Dame's offense was led by quarterback CJ Carr, who completed 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards. Jaden Greathouse was a primary target, recording eight receptions for 125 yards. Despite the effort, the Irish could only manage one touchdown in the second half, scoring a 24-21 lead with 9:31 remaining before the Cougars responded with a 10-play, 55-yard drive.
Notre Dame's defense, featuring eight tackles each from Luke Talich and Drayk Bowen, held the Cougars to just seven points in the second half. However, the Irish defense was unable to stop the decisive BYU drive that ended with the Lyons touchdown.
Officiating Controversy and Review
The conclusion of the game has drawn scrutiny following an admission from the Big 12 that the replay booth made a costly mistake. According to a statement from the conference, time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground on a late Notre Dame pass, but the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew.
On the final drive, Carr attempted a fade to Jaden Greathouse in the south end zone that fell incomplete. While the broadcast scorebug showed 0:01 remaining, the conference stated that the in-stadium clock showed time still remained when the ball hit the ground. This error prevented Notre Dame from having one final snap to match the Cougars' touchdown.
Impact on Standings
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay noted that the replay booth should have reviewed the in-stadium clock to determine if a second remained for a final Notre Dame play. This incident follows a similar scenario from November 23, 2024, when BYU was on the receiving end of a similar officiating decision during a game against Arizona State.
Following the error, the Big 12 promised a full review of its end-of-game officiating process before Week 8, though the 28-24 result stands. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman declined to blame the officiating, stating, "I know people are going to look for me to put blame on somebody else. That's not what we do around here. We own it."
Final Results
The loss drops Notre Dame to a 6-1 record and snaps a 16-game winning streak. For BYU, the win moves them to 6-0. The match was played in front of a sold-out crowd at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
