ESPN Scores Major Ratings Win With BYU Defeating Notre Dame

The BYU Cougars put on one of the best performances in program history, knocking off No. 2 Notre Dame with a 28-24 win on Saturday. As it turns out, this was one of ESPN College Football's best non-SEC games in the past decade.

The clash between the Cougars and Irish pulled in 9.2 million viewers at its peak on Saturday night. This was the most-watched Big 12 controlled game since 2022 and the second-best mark this decade. This wasn't just isolated to the game either. ESPN College GameDay from Provo has its third-best ratings in show history. An outstanding feat that will likely have the network feature the Cougars on a consistent basis.

Bear Bachmeier lifted BYU to a four-point win over Notre Dame, earning AP National Player of the Week honors. This was the biggest game of Kalani Sitake's career and ended with a thrilling stop at the goal line to preserve the victory.

The wild Saturday saw five of the top 8 teams in the AP Top 25 lose on the same regular-season day for the first time since the poll was created in 1936. No. 1 Georgia’s 27-24 loss to Auburn. The top two teams in the country lost on the same day for the first time in the regular season since Nov. 17, 2012.

There hasn't been a college football Saturday with so many upsets in the AP Top 25 era. No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas all fell in Week 7. The Cougars' only ranked opponent left on the schedule is No. 10 Utah. This year's edition of the Holy War falls on Nov. 7 in Salt Lake City.

Bachmeier ran for two TDs, threw for one and caught another. He finished with 224 yards passing to push the Cougars (6-0) past the Irish for the first time in two decades. Preston Rex added 66 yards on 10 carries to help BYU stay undefeated midway through a third consecutive season under Sitake.

After Bachmeier's go-ahead score, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr completed several clutch passes to drive the Irish (6-1) into Cougar territory. This included a fourth-down pass to Micah Gilbert that put Notre Dame at the BYU 9 with four seconds left. His final pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

The Cougars survived one final Notre Dame possession, sending the LaVell Edwards Stadium crowd into a frenzy. The significance of this win extends beyond one Saturday night. Notre Dame entered the matchup ranked second nationally and riding a 16-game winning streak. BYU not only ended that run, but also earned its highest-ranked victory since defeating No. 1 Miami in 1990.

The statement win for BYU pushed them up in the latest AP Top 25 poll ahead of Week 8. Sitake's team jumped six spots to No. 2 in the country. BYU football's highest ranking in school history since 1984, when they spent a month at No. 1, which was the Cougars undefeated national championship season.