There is a buzz in the air as no. 8 BYU gets ready to host no. 2 Notre Dame. It's arguably the biggest game in the history of LaVell Edwards Stadium. It is the second top 10 matchup in BYU history and the first ever played in Provo. GameDay is in town, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will be on the call, and the Cougars will be at the center of the college football world.
Notre Dame comes into this game riding a 16-game winning streak. Not only have they won 16 straight, the Fighting Irish have won all 16 games by double digits. Notre Dame has been dominant in virtually every category.
You could make the argument that this is the best team to come to Provo since no. 1 USC in 2004. There are future NFL players on both sides of the ball for Notre Dame, headlined by quarterback CJ Carr and cornerback Leonard Moore.
Fortunately for BYU, they future pros on both sides of the ball as well. The Cougars have a path to an upset in this game. Kelly Poppinga's defense has been one of the best defenses in college football led by Keanu Tanuvasa, Cade Uluave, Faletau Satuala, Evan Johnson, and Therrian Alexander III among others.
The environment at LaVell Edwards Stadium will be electric, especially if Notre Dame doesn't jump out to an early lead. We predict BYU will be much more competitive than most national analysts expect. BYU is built to play close games. BYU limits possessions, protects the football, and plays complimentary football. BYU's pace and style can hurt its perception when it comes to style points, but it's an asset in a game like this.
This game is going to come down to the BYU offense. We expect the BYU defense to do its part to give BYU a chance to win. Can the offense put up enough points to win without star running back LJ Martin? Without a proven running back, it's going to be tough sledding for the BYU offense.
We think Bear Bachmeier will show that he has taken a step forward as a sophomore, but the lack of a consistent rushing attack will be too much to overcome. We have the Cougars losing a close one in Provo.
BYU 20 | Notre Dame 24
Previous 2026 Score Predictions
Before every game, we submit our score prediction. Through five games, our total margin variance is nine points. Below were our score predictions for the game compared to the actual final score.
Game | Prediction | Actual Score |
|---|---|---|
BYU vs Utah Tech | BYU 62 | Utah Tech 6 | BYU 63 | Utah Tech 7 |
BYU vs Arizona | BYU 31 | Arizona 20 | BYU 28 | Arizona 17 |
BYU at Colorado State | BYU 41 | CSU 20 | BYU 41 | CSU 23 |
BYU at TCU | BYU 31 | TCU 17 | BYU 17 | TCU 10 |
BYU vs Iowa State | BYU 31 | Iowa State 17 | BYU 24 | Iowa State 10 |
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