BYU beats Notre Dame 28-24 on late touchdown in top-10 showdown
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- BYU beat No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in Provo, Utah, on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
- Bachmeier found Walker Lyons for the winner with 1:47 left.
- BYU stays unbeaten at 6-0. Notre Dame falls to 6-1 and loses its shot at No. 1.
BYU stunned No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 on Saturday night.
The winning score came with 1:47 left on the clock. The game took place in Provo, Utah. It was one of the best games of the college football season so far.
Both teams came in unbeaten. Notre Dame stood at 6-0. BYU stood at 5-0.
Notre Dame held the number 2 rank. BYU held the number 8 rank. Only one team could stay perfect.
BYU did.
What happened
BYU struck first. The Cougars drove 75 yards on the first drive of the game. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier finished it with a 5-yard touchdown run.
BYU led 7-0 with 9:21 left in the first quarter.
Notre Dame lost a star player on that same drive. Defensive lineman Boubacar Traore was ejected for targeting. Targeting means a hit to the head of a defenseless player.
The call gave BYU a first down. It also took Notre Dame's sack leader off the field.
Notre Dame answered with a field goal. Kicker Spencer Porath hit from 46 yards. BYU still led 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The Irish took their first lead in the second quarter. Running back Nolan James scored on an 8-yard run. The drive covered 84 yards in 12 plays.
Notre Dame led 10-7 with 10:37 left in the half.
Then BYU pulled out a trick play. Bachmeier threw a backward pass to Kyler Kasper. Kasper threw the ball back to Bachmeier.
Bachmeier ran into the end zone untouched. The 15-yard score put BYU back in front, 14-10.
Bachmeier scored again before halftime. He leaped over defenders for a 1-yard touchdown run. The score gave BYU a 21-10 lead with 1:29 left in the half.
Notre Dame had one last chance before the break. The Irish drove to the BYU 5-yard line. Quarterback CJ Carr tried to spike the ball to stop the clock.
A spike is when the quarterback throws the ball at the ground on purpose. But Carr never had full control of the snap. The ball came loose.
BYU fell on it. Officials reviewed the play and ruled it a fumble. Notre Dame lost at least three points.
BYU led 21-10 at halftime.
The third quarter belonged to Notre Dame's defense and special teams. Special teams means the kicking and punting units. First, BYU muffed a punt.
A muffed punt is a dropped catch on a kicked ball. Notre Dame's Bubba Frazier recovered it. Porath kicked a 31-yard field goal.
BYU led 21-13.
Next, BYU tried a fake punt. The punter tried to run for a first down. Notre Dame stopped him for a loss.
The Irish took over deep in BYU territory. Porath kicked a 39-yard field goal. BYU led 21-16 after three quarters.
Notre Dame finally took the lead in the fourth quarter. Running back Jonaz Walton scored on a 3-yard run. Walton also ran in the two-point conversion.
A two-point conversion is a bonus play worth two points after a touchdown. Notre Dame led 24-21 with 9:31 left.
The Irish defense then made a big play. Cornerback Jayden Sanders intercepted a deep pass from Bachmeier. Notre Dame had the ball with about eight minutes left.
But the Irish could not add points. They punted the ball back to BYU.
BYU took over and drove down the field. The Cougars marched 55 yards in 10 plays. The drive took 3:56 off the clock.
On third down, Bachmeier found tight end Walker Lyons in the end zone. BYU led 28-24 with 1:47 left, according to USA TODAY.
Notre Dame had one last drive. The Irish reached the BYU 37-yard line with 45 seconds left. They could not score again.
BYU held on for the win.
Why it matters
This win proves BYU belongs with the best teams in the country. The Cougars beat the number 2 team. They did it at home, in front of their own fans.
They stayed unbeaten at 6-0. Their hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff are now real. The playoff is the season-ending tournament that crowns the national champion.
The loss hurts Notre Dame in a big way. A win would have made the Irish the number 1 team in the country. That is because Auburn upset Georgia earlier on the same day.
Georgia had been ranked ahead of Notre Dame. Instead, Notre Dame falls to 6-1. The Irish must now win out and hope for help.
Bachmeier was the star of the night. He ran for two touchdowns. He caught one touchdown.
He threw the winning pass. He did it all against one of the best defenses in the country.
Notre Dame had allowed only 11 points per game before Saturday, according to USA TODAY. That ranked fourth in the nation. BYU scored 28.
The game also showed how small plays decide big games. The targeting ejection hurt Notre Dame early. The fumbled spike cost the Irish points before halftime.
The muffed punt and the failed fake punt gave Notre Dame life. In the end, BYU made the last big play. That is often how top-10 games end.
Dundee and Rangers also drew 2-2 on the same Saturday. Fans across the sport got a full day of close finishes.
What happens next
New rankings come out this week. BYU should climb. Notre Dame will drop.
The exact spots depend on the voters. But the direction is clear. BYU moves up.
Notre Dame moves down.
BYU must now keep winning. The Big 12 race is still open. The Big 12 is BYU's league, or conference.
Every week brings a new test. A loss would undo much of this good work. A strong finish could put BYU in the playoff.
Notre Dame has no more room for error. The Irish can still reach the playoff. But each week gets harder from here.
The defense must stay strong. The offense must cut out the mistakes. The fumble before halftime cannot happen again.
Fans should watch the next rankings and the playoff picture. Every game now matters in the playoff race.
Both teams must now rest and recover before their next games. BYU has the inside track. Notre Dame must chase.
Saturday night in Provo may be the night that changed both seasons.
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