Bear Bachmeier Leads Cougars to Massive 28-24 Victory in Provo
The BYU Cougars delivered one of the biggest wins of their season Saturday night, defeating No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium. No. 8 BYU remained undefeated at 6-0 after a dramatic finish, knocking off one of the nation’s top teams and strengthening its College Football Playoff hopes.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier delivered an outstanding all-around performance, accounting for four touchdowns as head coach Kalani Sitake’s team secured a statement victory in front of its home crowd.
Bachmeier Powers BYU’s Strong Start
BYU established control early, building a 21-10 halftime advantage behind Bachmeier’s playmaking ability. The quarterback scored two rushing touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass on a trick play, giving the Cougars an offensive spark that Notre Dame struggled to contain.
Bachmeier finished with 224 passing yards, one passing touchdown, two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. His versatility created problems for the Fighting Irish defense throughout the night.
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr completed 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards, but the Irish struggled to overcome the early deficit. Notre Dame’s defense also had difficulty slowing BYU’s offense during the first half.
Notre Dame Fights Back
The Fighting Irish refused to go away after halftime. Notre Dame capitalized on special teams mistakes and added field goals to cut into BYU’s lead.
Running back Jonaz Walton then scored on a three yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, helping Notre Dame take a 24-21 lead after a successful two point conversion.
The momentum appeared to have shifted toward the visitors, especially after Jayden Sanders intercepted Bachmeier with just over eight minutes remaining.
However, BYU’s defense forced a quick punt, giving the Cougars another opportunity to respond.
Late Touchdown Seals Historic Win
Bachmeier led a crucial 55 yard drive before finding Walker Lyons for a six-yard touchdown pass with 1:47 remaining. The score put BYU ahead 28-24 and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Notre Dame still had one final chance. Carr moved the Irish into scoring territory, completing a fourth-down pass to Micah Gilbert to reach the BYU nine-yard line with four seconds remaining.
Carr’s final throw into the end zone fell incomplete, allowing the Cougars to escape with the victory.
BYU Builds Playoff Momentum
The win improves BYU to 6-0 and gives the Cougars a major victory against a top five opponent. Notre Dame falls to 6-1 after seeing its winning streak come to an end.
With Bachmeier leading an undefeated team and BYU proving it can win close games against elite competition, the Cougars have made a powerful statement in the national playoff race.