No. 2 Notre Dame travels to No. 8 BYU in one of the biggest matchups of Week 7. The Fighting Irish are off to a blazing 6-0 start, beating five of their six opponents by at least 17 points. Last week, they demolished Stanford 58-7 to easily clear bowl eligibility.
BYU is also off to a strong start in Big 12 play, including a win over a one-loss Arizona squad to cement themselves in the conference title picture. The Cougars have a 28-4 record since the start of the 2024 season, trailing only Indiana and Notre Dame for best in the country.
Notre Dame and BYU have played seven times in history, with the Fighting Irish holding a 5-2 advantage. Cougars coach Kalani Sitake played for BYU during its first victory vs. the Irish in 1994, but Notre Dame has won four straight, including a matchup in 2022.
Keep it locked here as CBS Sports provides you with live updates, highlights and analysis as Notre Dame faces BYU.
Don't let the line fool you; a war is coming in Provo. BYU's defense is vastly underrated, and Notre Dame showed some messiness against a depleted North Carolina squad. The loss of running back LJ Martin will be too much to overcome for the Cougars and will prevent them from winning the game, but BYU will comfortably cover the spread and threaten late in a low-scoring game. Pick: BYU +10.5
BYU running back LJ Martin ranked among the most productive players in college football last season, but the star offensive weapon will miss his second straight game with a lower body injury.
Without Martin, the Cougars running backs were a nonfactor against Iowa State, combining for only 40 yards rushing. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier had to take on a bigger role with 109 yards on nine carries. The Cougars could get backup Sione Moa back, but the sophomore has not played many snaps in a BYU uniform. Finding offense is the greatest challenge facing the Cougars against a stacked Notre Dame defense.
For No. 8 BYU, Saturday night's home showdown with the Fighting Irish offers a chance to show the College Football Playoff selection committee a closer look is necessary at one of the Big 12's best ahead of the first rankings later this season.
PROVO, Utah -- It took just a simple message.
Last October, BYU athletic director Brian Santiago was working with a scheduling broker to find nonconference games for the Cougars. BYU was likely to lose a two-game series with California after the ACC moved to nine conference games, leaving the program searching for a power conference opponent.
Two months later, BYU and Notre Dame were both left out of the College Football Playoff. The pair were on track to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl before the Irish suddenly pulled out. As national backlash mounted, Santiago sent a message to Bevacqua giving his full support to Notre Dame for making the right decision for itself. Soon, Santiago got a call.
"What if we played next year?"
