THE BATTLE IN PROVO: NOTRE DAME AT BYU GAME NOTES

GAME NOTES VS. BYU

Saturday evening will mark the 10th meeting between Notre Dame and BYU. The series stands at a 7-2 Notre Dame advantage all-time.

• The Irish are 1-0 against the Cougars under Coach Marcus Freeman.

• The two teams last faced off at the 2022 Shamrock Series in Las Vegas on October 8, 2022, when the Irish defeated the No. 16 Cougars 28-20.

• Michael Mayer became the career receptions leader for a tight end against BYU in 2022, hauling in his record-breaking 141st reception on a 24-yard pass from Drew Pyne.

• The 28-20 win over No. 16 BYU in the 2022 Shamrock Series marked the first ranked win in the Freeman Era. Since that game, Freeman has led the Irish to 16 ranked wins.

• Notre Dame has won four consecutive games against BYU in 2005, 2012, 2013, and 2022.

• Notre Dame has faced only two Big 12 teams in the Freeman Era: Oklahoma State (2022 Fiesta Bowl) and BYU (2022 Shamrock Series). The Irish are 1-1 in those contests.

• When Notre Dame and BYU last met, BYU was a fellow FBS Independent; this will be Notre Dame’s first meeting with BYU in its Big 12 era.

• Saturday’s matchup between No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 8 BYU will mark the first time both teams have been ranked in series history.

• This is the highest ranking either team has had when facing one another. Notre Dame was the No. 3 team in the nation when the Irish traveled to Provo in 1993 and defeated the Cougars 45-20.

• This will be the 42nd time ESPN’s College Game Day has appeared to celebrate a matchup featuring the Fighting Irish.

• Notre Dame is 20-21 all-time with College Game Day in attendance, winning five of its last six games in such environments. 

OFFENSE: 

Jordan Faison extended his reception streak to 27 games against Stanford, tying Chris Brown for second-longest in program history. Faison leads the Irish with 28 catches, 387 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions this season. He has 126 career receptions for 1,705 yards. • Matt Jeffery is a two-sport athlete at Notre Dame with 22 career football appearances and 25 lacrosse appearances. He totaled 19 goals and 12 assists in 2026. On the football field, Jeffery blocked a punt against Michigan State and caught his first career touchdown pass at Purdue. • Jaden Greathouse caught three passes for 30 yards against Stanford, including a three-yard touchdown for his second score in as many games. Greathouse has 11 receptions for 138 yards in 2026 and 75 career catches for 1,068 yards and 11 touchdowns. • Mylan Graham has five receptions for 37 yards in six appearances this season after catching two passes against Stanford. His eight-yard reception against Michigan State capped a highlight play in which CJ Carr rolled over a defender to avoid a sack, got up and completed the pass for a first down. • Will Black has started all six games at left tackle in 2026 after making his first career start in the season opener against Wisconsin. He helped Notre Dame rush for a season-high 361 yards against Stanford without allowing a sack. • Anthonie Knapp has started all 33 games of his career. After 27 starts at left tackle, Knapp has started all six games at left guard in 2026, helping the Irish produce season highs of 361 rushing yards and 598 total yards against Stanford. • Ashton Craig is 15-3 as Notre Dame’s starting center, with all 15 victories coming by double digits. Craig made his 18th career start in the 58-7 win over Stanford, helping the Irish rush for a season-high 361 yards. • Joe Otting went 6-0 as Notre Dame’s starting center to close 2025, with all six victories coming by double digits. • Guerby Lambert has started 18 consecutive games for Notre Dame, including all six games at right tackle in 2026. The Irish rushed for a season-high 361 yards and did not allow a sack against Stanford. • Sullivan Absher has started 10 of Notre Dame’s last 11 games at right guard, with the Irish winning all 10 starts by double digits. He made his fifth consecutive start of the season against Stanford. • Cooper Flanagan has six catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns through six games in 2026. He caught a two-yard touchdown pass and added a season-long 27-yard reception at Purdue. • James Flanigan scored his first career touchdown in Week 1 at Lambeau Field. His father and grandfather both played for the Packers. Flanigan has four receptions for 22 yards through six appearances this season. • Micah Gilbert has 19 receptions for 378 yards and two touchdowns through six games. His career-high 170 receiving yards against Michigan State were the most by an Irish player since Chase Claypool’s 180 against Wake Forest on Nov. 4, 2017. • CJ Carr threw three touchdown passes against Stanford, his third consecutive game with at least three. Carr is 102-of-144 passing (.708) for 1,378 yards and 16 touchdowns against one interception this season. His 40 career touchdown passes tie Rick Mirer for eighth in program history. • Noah Grubbs completed five of seven passes for 56 yards against Stanford in his third appearance of the season. Grubbs is 14-of-22 passing for 164 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. • Aneyas Williams caught a career-long 70-yard touchdown pass against Stanford, the longest touchdown reception by an Irish running back since Chris Tyree’s 76-yarder against Central Michigan in 2023. Williams has 294 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, plus eight catches for 104 yards and a score. • Nolan James Jr. rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries against Stanford, including a season-long 31-yard score. James has 335 rushing yards and 87 receiving yards this season and leads the Irish with eight touchdowns — five rushing and three receiving. • Jonaz Walton rushed for a Notre Dame true-freshman record 181 yards on 13 carries against Stanford, scoring his first career touchdowns on runs of 97 and 40 yards. Walton has consecutive 100-yard rushing games and leads the Irish with 409 rushing yards on 52 carries, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt. 

DEFENSE:

Boubacar Traore recorded a sack that forced a fumble and his second career interception against Stanford, becoming the first Irish player since at least 1998 with both in the same game. He has 17 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries this season, with 21.5 career tackles for loss. • Loghan Thomas recorded four tackles against Stanford, bringing his season total to 11 through six games. Thomas has two tackles for loss and two sacks, recording sacks against Michigan State and Purdue. • Rodney Dunham added two tackles against Stanford and has nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery through six games in his freshman season. Dunham recorded his first career sack at Purdue. • Armel Mukam made his second consecutive start against Stanford after returning to the starting lineup at North Carolina. He has 10 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack through six games in 2026. • Francis Brewu made his fifth consecutive start against Stanford and has 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks this season. Brewu recorded Notre Dame’s only sack at North Carolina, a seven-yard loss. • Elijah Hughes has appeared in all six games in 2026 and recorded three tackles, all in the win over Rice. Hughes has 36 career tackles, including 24 in 18 appearances for Notre Dame. • Tionne Gray has appeared in all six games in 2026, making starts against Michigan State and Purdue. He has 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack this season. • Bryce Young has 16 tackles and shares Notre Dame’s team lead with 5.5 tackles for loss through six games. Young has three sacks, including a career-high two at Purdue, after posting a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss against Rice. • Keon Keeley recorded two tackles and a pass breakup against Stanford. He has appeared in all six games in his first season with the Irish, totaling six tackles. • Jaiden Ausberry recovered a fumble on Stanford’s opening play, his second recovery of the season and fourth of his career. Ausberry has 17 tackles and a tackle for loss this season, with 129 career tackles in 39 appearances for the Irish. • Jaylen Sneed made his 51st career appearance against Stanford, adding a tackle and a quarterback hurry. Sneed has 21 tackles this season and 128 in his Irish career. • Drayk Bowen led Notre Dame with six tackles against Stanford and leads the Irish with 30 this season. Bowen has 189 tackles in 46 career appearances and scored his first career touchdown on a 15-yard fumble return at Purdue. • Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa recorded his third career interception at North Carolina, returning it 14 yards to set up a Notre Dame touchdown. He has 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery through four appearances this season, with 98 career tackles. • Madden Faraimo has appeared in all six games in 2026, recording three tackles. He made his first tackle of the season against Michigan State and has 19 career tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks. • Christian Gray has seven tackles and a pass breakup through six games in 2026. Gray has six interceptions and 23 pass breakups in his career, along with 29 career starts. • Leonard Moore has eight tackles and four pass breakups through five appearances this season. Moore has seven career interceptions, the most among returning Irish defenders, along with 22 career pass breakups. • Adon Shuler has 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble through six games this season. Shuler added a tackle against Stanford, bringing his career total to 141, along with six career interceptions. • Luke Talich recorded five solo tackles against Stanford and has 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a team-high two interceptions through five appearances this season. Talich recorded his sixth career interception and blocked a PAT at North Carolina. • Joey O’Brien has nine tackles and a half-sack through six games in his freshman season. O’Brien made his first career start at Purdue, recording a career-high five tackles and a half-sack. • DJ McKinney has started all six games in his first season with Notre Dame, recording seven tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception and two pass breakups. His 55-yard interception return for a touchdown came in the season opener against Wisconsin. • Jayden Sanders made his first Notre Dame start against Stanford, recording a solo tackle and two pass breakups. Sanders has six tackles and a team-leading five pass breakups through six appearances in his first season with the Irish. 

COMPLETE GAME NOTES: https://storage.googleapis.com/byucougars-prod/2026/10/12/MTx1P5Vzuq0a9mGw4rdeUsNtZ1PA4fjYnuNPbR12.pdf

####################

BYU NOTES:

THE SERIES. BYU and Notre Dame are meeting for the 10th time in the series and the third time in Provo. BYU trails 2-7 overall but even at 1-1 at home. Notre Dame won the last meeting 28-20 in 2022 as part of the Shamrock Series for the Fighting Irish in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. The last time Notre Dame visited Provo was 2004 when BYU won 20-17 to open the year. ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY. College football’s premier pregame show is returning to Provo for the second-time ever for Saturday’s Top-10 clash. ESPN College GameDay Built by the Home Depot airs live from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. MT on ESPN, ESPNU, the ESPN App and Disney+. BYU previously hosted the show in 2009. TOP-10 MATCHUP. This is the first meeting of two top 10 teams at LaVell Edwards Stadium when No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 8 BYU square off. It is just the second time BYU has ever been part of a top-10 game after taking on No. 9 Texas Tech in last year’s regular season while ranked No. 8 at the time. No. 2 Notre Dame is the highest-ranked opponent to come to Provo since No. 1 USC in 2004. This is the 10th time a team ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll has played at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Saturday will be BYU’s sixth all-time against teams ranked 1st or 2nd in the AP poll, and third such game at home. The Cougars are 1-4 all-time against teams ranked 1/2, but 1-1 in Provo. RANKING. BYU was 8 in the AP Top 25 poll released this week and No. 8 in the Coaches Poll. BYU is 43-11 under head coach Kalani Sitake when playing as an AP Top 25 ranked team. The Big 12 had five teams ranked in the AP Top 25, including BYU (8), Texas Tech (10), Utah (11), Oklahoma State (18) and Houston (20). Arizona, BYU’s week two opponent, received votes in the poll. IN SEARCH OF 6-0 STARTS. With a win over Notre Dame, BYU would move to 6-0 to start the season for fourth time under Kalani Sitake. It would also be three consecutive 6-0 starts for the first time ever at BYU. In its history, BYU has had seven 6-0 starts, with three of them coming from Kalani Sitake coached teams (2025, 2024, 2020). BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE SINCE 2024. BYU is No. 3 at 28-4 with a winning percentage of .875 since 2024 among FBS teams. Only Indiana (33-2, .943) and Notre Dame (30-4, .882) have a better winning percentage than the Cougars. NIGHT TIME PRIME TIME. With a 5:30 p.m. start in prime time, the Cougars have had good luck in night games. The Cougars are 41-4 in the last 45 night games winning 15 consecutive in the dark. BYU is 28-3 at home at night winning eight in a row at LaVell Edwards Stadium. KNUTE ROCKNE VISITS BYU. In 1923, BYU athletic director E.L. Roberts asked the legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne to come to Provo for a coaching seminar to help the young program. Rockne spent weeks instructing and sharing his knowledge of the game with BYU head coach Alvin Twitchell and other coaches. The two schools did not meet on the gridiron until 1992 despite the early connection, but the early days of BYU’s program looked to the fellow faith-based institution as a blueprint for success. 

COMPLETE GAME NOTES: https://storage.googleapis.com/byucougars-prod/2026/10/12/ZvPSdQsuHpusgzC1f2ByUs40xPeQP8Rs3Y23kxnN.pdf

About The Author