by Notre Dame continues its annual Shamrock Series on Saturday with this year’s opponent being No. 16 BYU and the game being played in Las Vegas. While the Irish may have fallen out of the AP Top 25 after starting the year in the top five, this is still one of the marquee games to watch this weekend.
Notre Dame had a week off to try to regroup after a shaky 2-2 start to the season. The Fighting Irish needed 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to get behind Cal, but found some offensive momentum in a 45-32 win over North Carolina. BYU has a quality win over Baylor, but allowed a combined 50 points in inconsistent performances against Wyoming and Utah State.
BYU and Notre Dame have played eight times in history, with each matchup coming since 1992. The Fighting Irish hold a 6-2 all-time advantage, including a 23-13 victory over the Cougars in 2013 behind 235 yards passing from the more aggressive moderator Tommy Rees. However, BYU and Notre Dame have never played at a neutral site.
Notre Dame vs. BYU: Need to know
Inconsistent startup: Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman became the first coach in program history to lose his first three games. Wins over California and North Carolina are encouraging, but it’s unclear what is sustainable. Each play looked slightly different, especially after QB Drew Pyne replaced the injured Ty Buchner in the starting lineup. With such inconsistency, Notre Dame has yet to find a program identity.
Disappointing Waist: BYU moved up to No. 12 after outlasting Baylor in double overtime, but the Cougars haven’t been themselves since that game. After a 41-20 loss to Oregon, BYU needed late heroics to pull away from Wyoming and Utah State. Quarterback Jaren Hall has been consistently excellent with 1,438 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and just one interception, but the game has dried up with receivers falling in and out of the lineup. Playing Notre Dame is a major opportunity to get right on a national stage.
Defensive slugfest: Notre Dame and BYU feature two of the most physical defenses in the country. Although the offense has struggled, Notre Dame has remained consistent defensively behind the leadership of star defensive end Isaiah Foskey, a future NFL player. On the BYU side, 15 players have at least one tackle for loss. Linebacker Ben Bywater was incredibly disruptive with two tackles for loss, two pick sixes and a pass defensed. Points will come and both teams may need to try to get over the top to generate offense.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. BYU live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 8 | year: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Allegiant Stadium — Las Vegas
TV: NBC | Live broadcast: fuboTV (Try Free)
Notre Dame vs. BYU prediction, picks
Selected game | Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. BYU Cougars
Notre Dame has yet to find a rhythm after four games. Scoring 45 points against North Carolina was a nice step, but it’s hard to get much out of moving the ball against one of the nation’s worst defenses. BYU, by contrast, has shown boom and bust potential. Expect this matchup to be more of a blowout — the game has arguably been on Jaren Hall’s calendar for months. Prediction: BYU +3.5
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