No. 8 BYU vs. No. 2 Notre Dame: Game day preview plus score prediction
Oct 17, 2026, 12:44 AM
PROVO — BYU vs Notre Dame. Is there anything else left to say?
It’s a moment that BYU football fans have been waiting years for—the biggest regular-season game in BYU football history.
That’s not hyperbole.
Pregame Cougar Tracks on Cougar Canyon.
Be there from 2-3 p.m. Let's have some fun. pic.twitter.com/WWUGLZdwJa
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 17, 2026
It’s a big one. Gargantuan, some would say. Not only for BYU, but for the Big 12 Conference to potentially open the path for two bids into the College Football Playoff.
It’s also important for Notre Dame, which is getting put on notice for its strength of schedule. BYU is one of its toughest games this season.
No. 8 BYU vs. No. 2 Notre Dame
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. (MDT)
TV: ABC
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM) — Extended pregame begins at Noon
Three gameday thoughts
1. Turnovers are non-negotiable for BYU in this game
BYU has won two games this season while losing the turnover margin. This is one of those games where that can’t happen. Notre Dame QB CJ Carr has only thrown one interception this season.
Bear Bachmeier has been excellent in his BYU career at taking care of the football. Much of the offense centers around him.
Kalani Sitake preaches that the program is the ball when it’s in a player’s hands, emphasizing the importance of ball security. BYU has to keep the program off the ground.
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2. Bear Bachmeier has to be special on the ground
It’s a shame that BYU enters this massive game without LJ Martin. Last week, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year rolled into LaVell Edwards Stadium on a scooter. He’s out this week and out for the UCF game. Then after that, it’ll be a “week-to-week” deal.
That means an increased workload on the ground for Bear Bachmeier.
Last week, the star sophomore quarterback had a career-high for rushing yards with 109 yards on the ground in the 24-10 win over Iowa State.
Can he hit the century mark against this lights-out Notre Dame defense that is filled with NFL prospects? Or will it be a repeat of what happened in Lubbock last year against Texas Tech?
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Maybe 100 yards shouldn’t be the expectation, but Bachmeier has to find success on the ground to keep the Irish on their heels.
3. BYU looks to deliver in ‘Primetime’
The national media will pounce all over BYU as if they are Chris Hansen in a Dateline NBC special if they perform poorly in this game.
“You get blown out by Texas Tech in Lubbock. You’re not competitive in the Big 12 Championship. Then you lose at home to Notre Dame. You see how this looks?”
It’s a narrative-altering moment for BYU. If they deliver in “primetime,” they can lay claim to be in the upper crust of the sport at this point of the season.
Two BYU vs Notre Dame questions
1. Will BYU increase the tempo at all in this game?
BYU is 135th nationally in seconds ran per play at 31.5 seconds. Notre Dame isn’t much quicker at 29.9 seconds.
Possessions could be valuable in this game.
For a Notre Dame team that isn’t used to elevation, could BYU look to come out of the gate with some more tempo than they have run this season?
The Irish looked to get acclimated to the elevation by staying at Deer Valley in Park City this week.
2. Will BYU’s defense be able to get off of the field on third down?
Notre Dame is 46th nationally on third-down conversion percentage at 44.6% this season. Middle of the road, but some of that is due to starters being pulled in games from blowouts.
When it’s the Notre Dame attack with Carr, freshman running back Walton, and others, will the BYU defense be able to hold strong?
The Irish are third nationally in offensive success rate. So that means, if it gets to third down, it’s likely going to be a third-and-short. Can the BYU defense get the push up front with Keanu Tanuvasa, Tausili Akana, Bodie Schoonover, and others to get a stop? It’ll be a key part of the game.
Carr is precise in his decision-making, and he has no problem dumping off passes to the running backs for big gains if BYU looks to bring the heat.
One score prediction for BYU vs Notre Dame
I’ll admit, throughout the week, I’ve thought this was a loss for BYU. And it still might end up being a setback. However, BYU has been battle-tested. It’s a group that returned last January for games like this.
Will it be pretty? No. I expect a defensive slugfest. And BYU won a game like that two weeks ago at TCU.
It’s a little bit of a vibes pick. The pick stems from BYU’s defensive success. They have to do enough to impact the timing for Notre Dame star CJ Carr. I’ll call for them to do enough to create an opportunity to spring the upset in the fourth quarter, and they’ll do it.
Score prediction: BYU 21, Notre Dame 20
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
