Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
BYU beats No. 2 Notre Dame 28–24: Bachmeier scores four ways and the Cougars hold on at the goal line
No. 8 BYU stayed unbeaten after Bear Bachmeier ran for two touchdowns, caught another and threw the late winner to Walker Lyons. Notre Dame reached the BYU 9 with four seconds left before its final pass fell incomplete.
No. 8 BYU defeated No. 2 Notre Dame 28–24 in Provo after Bear Bachmeier delivered touchdowns as a runner, receiver and passer, then the Cougars stopped a final Irish drive at the goal line.
The final 1:47 decided it
BYU had just lost a 21–10 halftime lead when Notre Dame went ahead 24–21 with 9:31 remaining. After an interception, the Cougars forced a three-and-out and started at their own 45. Bear Bachmeier then led a 10-play, 55-yard drive, finding Walker Lyons for a six-yard touchdown on third-and-goal with 1:47 left. The extra point made it 28–24.
Notre Dame reached the 9, but time expired
C.J. Carr answered with a 15-play drive that included two fourth-down conversions. Notre Dame reached the BYU 9 and used its final timeout with four seconds remaining. Carr rolled right and targeted Jaden Greathouse, but the pass sailed beyond him as time expired. The official recaps agree that the game ended on that incomplete pass; this article does not treat later debate over contact or the clock as a changed result.
Bachmeier scored as a runner, receiver and passer
Bachmeier completed 23 of 36 passes for 224 yards and the winning touchdown. He also ran for two scores and caught a touchdown on a double pass, accounting for all four BYU touchdowns in three different roles. Walker Lyons caught five passes for 49 yards, including the six-yard winner. BYU improved to 6–0 and beat its highest-ranked opponent since the 1990 victory over No. 1 Miami.
The comeback was real, but left points behind
Notre Dame trailed 21–10 at halftime after Carr lost the ball while attempting to spike it near the goal line. The Irish cut the deficit with two field goals after taking possession in BYU territory, then Jonaz Walton’s three-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion produced the 24–21 lead. Carr finished 27 of 49 for 261 yards, while Greathouse caught eight passes for 125 yards. The comeback reached the doorstep but not the end zone on the final snap.
What the result changes — and what it does not
BYU remained unbeaten at 6–0, while Notre Dame fell to 6–1 and had a 16-game winning streak snapped. The result strengthens BYU’s national résumé and changes the next ranking discussion, but no future poll position or postseason berth is guaranteed here. The verified event is the 28–24 final, the late Lyons touchdown and the final defensive stop.
