News Article
Published
Oct 20, 2026 at 12:07 PM EDT
BYU delivered one of the biggest wins in program history Saturday, holding off No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in Provo to stay undefeated at 6-0.
The No. 8 Cougars built a 21-10 halftime lead before the Fighting Irish rallied to go ahead 24-21 in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier answered with a decisive drive, finding tight end Walker Lyons for the go-ahead touchdown. Bachmeier finished with 224 passing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and one passing touchdown.
The win marked BYU's highest-ranked win since beating No. 1 Miami in 1990, and pushed the Cougars to No. 2 in the AP Top 25, their highest ranking since the 1984 national championship season.
The win also gave BYU's College Football Playoff hopes this season a major boost. According to the latest Polymarket odds, the Cougars' chances of making the CFP have climbed above 66%, up from around 40% before the game.
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BYU already has a strong resume heading into the back half of the college football season, with wins over Utah Tech, Arizona, Colorado State, TCU, Iowa State, and Notre Dame. The wins over Colorado State and TCU came on the road, and they now sit 3-0 in Big 12 play, with the Notre Dame game proving they can go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the country.
Their next stretch of matchups will be crucial for keeping the momentum going. BYU travels to UCF on Saturday before hosting Arizona State on Oct. 31. After that comes a road game against rival Utah, who currently sits No. 10 in the country and is also undefeated at 6-0. After that, they'll close out the season by hosting Baylor, going to Kansas, and facing Cincinnati back in Provo.
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With the expanded 12-team playoff, BYU has a good chance to make the postseason this year. They were one of the biggest snubs last season, with just one loss on the season heading into the Big 12 Championship Game against Texas Tech. But that win over Notre Dame will be huge for the committee this time around, and if they can knock off their rival Utes on Nov. 7, their case becomes even stronger.