PROVO, Utah — Both Notre Dame and BYU were denied at-large berths to the College Football Playoff a season ago. Now they face one another in a top-10 matchup with a huge opportunity to build a case for a CFP bid this season.
The No. 2 Irish (6-0) and No. 8 Cougars (5-0) meet Saturday in Provo in the first game of a two-year, home-and-home series. Oddsmakers have made BYU a 10½-point home underdog.
Both teams have emerged as regular contenders for CFP bids since the playoff field expanded to 12 teams. With each team facing criticism for weak early schedules, this game represents a chance for both to make a statement that they’re not paper tigers.
This is the first time in series history that both teams are ranked, and it will be the first top-10 matchup played at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“You want to play against the best and you know this is going to be, on paper, the best opponent we’re going to see to date,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “I love it. They love it because they’re competitors. So let’s go do it.”
Notre Dame and BYU last played in 2022 in Las Vegas. The Irish held off a second-half rally in a 28-20 victory to take a 7-2 lead in the all-time series.
“We ended up losing that game, but I thought it was a really good experience for our players,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. “I’d like to think that we’re different as a program and a team now than we were in that game, but so is Notre Dame.”
For BYU, Notre Dame is the highest-ranked opponent the Cougars have faced at home since playing host to No. 1 USC in 2004. Ironically that’s also the last time the Irish traveled to Provo, falling 20-17 to BYU in the season opener for both teams.
Having a chance to play a team of Notre Dame’s caliber is a meaningful milestone for BYU players and coaches.
“I feel like everybody growing up just knows Notre Dame to be a powerhouse,” defensive tackle Viliami Po’uha said. “They’re a name that has been in every household for every kid that wants to play football.”
Replacement series
A series between Notre Dame and BYU was born out of necessity after both teams needed to fill sudden holes in their respective schedules.
The Cougars replaced USC on the Irish’s schedule after Notre Dame could not reach an agreement with the Trojans on a date for a game this season. It led to a temporary pause in the longtime rivalry, which will resume in 2030.
BYU had to replace California when the Bears pulled out of a home-and-home series after the ACC moved to a nine-game conference schedule.
“Notre Dame, they’re the ones that reached out and wanted this game, and so it’d be crazy for us to turn it down,” Sitake said. “When they reached out and wanted this series and wanted this game, I thought that was a huge opportunity for us to play them.”
The teams had a chance to meet last season — Notre Dame and BYU were invited to play in the Pop Tarts Bowl — but the Irish ultimately declined the invitation after their CFP snub
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.Defensive battle
Notre Dame leads the nation in total defense, allowing 214.2 yards per game. BYU tops the Big 12 in the same category, yielding 254.4 yards per contest. Opponents are scoring 11 points per game against the Irish and 13.4 against the Cougars.
Notre Dame linebacker Drayk Bowen expects the running game to decide which defense prevails.
“They’re a run-heavy team,” Bowen said. “We’re a stop-the-run team. It’s going to be who can establish the line of scrimmage first and who can set the other one back behind the sticks. If we can do that, you know we’re going to have a pretty good night.”
Sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier likely will shoulder much of the load for BYU in the running game. The Cougars’ top rusher, LJ Martin, is out until November with a lower-body injury. Martin led the Big 12 with 1,305 rushing yards last season.
Elevating its game
Notre Dame has been preparing for the altitude of LaVell Edwards Stadium since the summer. At 4,649 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest elevations in college football. South Bend, Ind., is less than 1,000.
Freeman said he consulted his assistants who have coached in high-altitude venues as well as D.J. McKinney, a defensive back who played at Colorado before transferring to Notre Dame.
“The biggest thing is reemphasizing the things we’ve already educated them on, and how you hydrate and how you fuel your body is even more crucial earlier,” Freeman said. “They have to make sure that they really focus on recovery after each play and how you take these deep breaths and how you settle down and calm down your breathing.”
AP’s Mike Marot contributed.