Notre Dame football will play in one of the biggest Week 7 games, as the Irish, along with ESPN College GameDay, will travel to Provo, Utah to face the BYU Cougars.
Both teams are ranked inside the US LBM Coaches Poll top-10, making the contest one that will make an impact on the College Football Playoff. Due to Notre Dame not having a conference affiliation and the Big 12 not being a premier conference anymore, each team has some concerns that a slip up or two during the season could spell doom.
The Irish know that they have to win two of three out of their big games, BYU, Miami and SMU, and this will be the first real test of the year. For Notre Dame to avoid slipping up, they’ll have to play a clean game and be themselves. Here are three keys for an Irish road win over the Cougars, and a signature victory for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame’s defense forces Bear Bachmeier to play from the pocket
Bear Bachmeier was unreal vs Iowa State this weekend:
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) October 12, 2026
🔵 22/30
🔵 329 Pass Yards
🔵 2 TD's
🔵 109 Rush Yards pic.twitter.com/tIm3vFZzXL
This will be the best quarterback to date that the Irish have faced, as Bachmeier was named as the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the year in 2025. He’s been much better so far this season, as his completion rate, yards-per-completion, quarterback rating and touchdown-to-interception ratio’s have all improved. Bachmeier has also been a much more efficient running, averaging of 6 yards-per-carry, as his 6-foot, 2-inch and 230-pound frame is better suited this fall for running over defenders.
Bachmeier can do a lot, but the key for Notre Dame’s defense will be keeping him in the pocket. With the anticipated return of star cornerback Leonard Moore, the Irish secondary gets significantly better. Without starting running back LJ Martin, Bachmeier will be tasked to do more, and that could mean throwing it more. I believe if that’s the Cougar’s game plan, it’s not going to end well for them.
Notre Dame doesn’t give up on the run game
Jonaz Walton is Notre Dame's RB1. The true freshman just made it official 🍀🔥
— CFB Performances (@performancesCFB) October 10, 2026
10 CAR, 161 YDS, 2 TDS vs Stanford
His first career touchdown went 97 yards. Then he added a 40-yarder. Back-to-back 100-yard games in a three-man backfield. pic.twitter.com/zJlrtbkVNf
BYU is one of the best teams in the country limiting their opponents running game, allowing just 80.4 yards-per-game, which is good for No. 10 nationally. It took more than a few games for Notre Dame to find the right mix of backs, but with the emergence of Jonaz Walton and Nolan James Jr., the unit looks like what it has the past few seasons. It’s not going to be easy going up against a very good front 4 and linebackers, but the Irish offense line has been mixing up its run blocking, making it difficult on defenses to key in on which plays are being run. This can’t stop against the Cougars, even if the run game isn’t effective early. Keep pounding, wear down BYU, and hit some big runs late into the night. This is Notre Dame’s bread and butter and they shouldn’t shy away from it.
Notre Dame controls its emotions
It all starts in practice 🎯
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) October 15, 2026
Coach Freeman breaks down how the details translate to game day on the latest episode of Wake Up the Echoes presented by @SoFi → https://t.co/RIecLnAbu4#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/yuFCs3cnhk
For the most part, many believe that the Irish are the much more talented team, but college football can be crazy sometimes. Freeman already alluded to the team wanting to take on a road challenge like BYU, and without having played in one so far this year, emotions could run high. Early on, Notre Dame needs to be calm, cool and collected, even if the Cougars are the team that lands a punch first. The Irish just need to play their game, don’t let things they can’t control get to their heads, and keep their discipline. We’ve haven’t seen many hiccups in that department this fall, and in games like this, it can cost you. If Notre Dame is able to play a clean game without penalties, they should return to South Bend with win No. 7.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Three keys for Notre Dame to avoid a top-10 road upset vs. BYU