This week, One Foot Down asked our connected Notre Dame football fans to weigh in on what they say is the biggest obstacle to the Irish prevailing in Provo today.
We heard from 53 respondents, and almost six out of every ten said: Box in Bear Bachmeier, beat BYU.
Bachmeier is 77-for-106 for 1,o33 yards, with eight passing touchdowns against one interception. The sophomore can create chaos with his legs as well, rushing for 239 yards on 36 attempts and four additional touchdowns. The Irish haven’t yielded a rushing touchdown yet this year. Could the streak break today at Bachmeier’s behest?
About one-quarter of respondents said they thought the altitude would be the Irish’s Provo problem. LaVell Edwards Stadium sits 4,649 feet above sea level, which is the eighth highest in college football. For comparison, the Irish play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium, which sits about 723 feet above sea level. Will the Irish be left gasping for breath as BYU runs tempo? And will this be most apparent in the first quarter, the fourth, or never at all?
Just four percent of respondents picked the Cougars running backs, but I do have to wonder if that percentage would have been far greater if BYU’s best, L.J. Martin, were playing today. Martin, the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, leads the team in rushing with 344 yards on 44 attempts. He also caught five balls for 41 yards as a receiver. The Cougars will rely today on redshirt junior Preston Rex and freshmen Journee Tonga and DeVaughn Eka.
On this week’s podcast, Joshua, Brendan and myself all picked Notre Dame to cover the 10.5 point spread. Now is your time to weigh in. You can head over to FanDuel, the sponsor of this post, and lock in your pick and you can leave it in the comments below.