Bear Bachmeier scored three different ways and No. 8 BYU stopped second-ranked Notre Dame at the goal line on October 17, 2026, securing a 28-24 victory in Provo, Utah. The thriller capped a historic day of college football upsets while sparking immediate controversy over a missed final-play clock error.
The night air inside LaVell Edwards Stadium carried the weight of expectation for a program seeking validation on the national stage. Playing before 65,179 fans in a stadium hosting ESPN’s College GameDay for just the second time, the Cougars put on a physical masterclass. BYU opened the game by marching 75 yards in 11 plays, capped by quarterback Bear Bachmeier’s 5-yard touchdown run up the middle. It set the tone for an evening where the sophomore quarterback would repeatedly baffle the Irish defense.
Bachmeier finished the half by demonstrating his unique versatility. After Notre Dame responded with a field goal and an 8-yard touchdown run from running back Nolan James Jr., the BYU offense dialed up a trick play. Bachmeier caught a short pass from Kyler Kasper and rumbled 15 yards into the end zone, then later dived over the goal line from a yard out to push the lead to 21-10 at halftime. When asked about carrying the offensive load as a Catholic quarterback playing in front of a partisan crowd, Bachmeier kept his perspective simple. We’re tired of being disrespected,
Bachmeier told reporters after the game, according to the New York Post.
Notre Dame Rallies After BYU Blunders
The visiting Irish clawed their way back into the contest during a chaotic third quarter. BYU nearly seized total control when Kasper hauled in what appeared to be a 39-yard touchdown pass, but a penalty wiped the play off the board. Moments later, the Cougars committed back-to-back special teams gaffes. Freshman Bubba Frazier recovered a muffed punt return at the BYU 41-yard line, and later in the half, BYU coach Kalani Sitake attempted a risky run out of a fake punt deep in his own territory that failed.
The fake punt — that’s on me. We thought we had a good call there. Notre Dame had a better one.
Kalani Sitake, BYU head coach
Capitalizing on those short fields, Notre Dame converted two field goals and marched downfield for a go-ahead score. Jonaz Walton plowed across the goal line on a 3-yard run with 9:31 remaining in regulation, giving the Fighting Irish a 24-21 advantage. For a defense that had allowed just 115 rushing yards on 30 carries all night, according to statistics compiled by UHND, the momentum swing felt palpable. Yet Notre Dame’s persistent red-zone struggles ultimately proved fatal to their championship ambitions.
The Game-Winning Drive and Final Goal-Line Stand
Facing a deficit late in the fourth quarter, Bachmeier engineered a decisive 10-play, 55-yard drive. With just under two minutes remaining on the clock, the quarterback delivered his first passing touchdown of the evening, finding tight end Walker Lyons for a 6-yard score that reclaimed a 28-24 lead for the Cougars. Notre Dame still had one final chance, mounting a frantic drive that included a crucial fourth-and-2 conversion and a fourth-and-5 conversion with four seconds left to reach the BYU 7-yard line.
On the game’s final snap, Irish quarterback CJ Carr targeted Jaden Greathouse in the back right corner of the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete as time supposedly expired. As a sea of blue-clad humanity stormed the LaVell Edwards Stadium turf, reality settled in for a defeated Irish squad that dropped to 6-1 on the season.
It was the most memorable moment of my life.
Cade Uluave, BYU linebacker
Officiating Errors and Post-Game Fallout
The celebrations in Provo were immediately followed by scrutiny over how the final seconds were managed. Replays and stadium clocks clearly showed that one second remained on the dial when Carr’s pass hit the turf on the final play. Beyond the unaddressed clock error, analysts noted that a potential pass interference penalty against the BYU secondary went unflagged on the play.
The Big 12 conference issued an official statement acknowledging the officiating breakdown after the final whistle blew. It was determined that time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew,
the Big 12 said.
Despite the controversy, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman refused to use the officials as an excuse during his post-game media session. I know people are going to look for me to put blame on somebody else,
Freeman said, according to USA Today. That’s not what we do around here. We own it.
The loss halted a 16-game winning streak for the Fighting Irish, while BYU’s monumental victory applies a layer of armor to its own pursuit of the College Football Playoff.