Notre Dame Meets Lofty Preseason Expectations in Win Over No. 16 BYU
Notre Dame tipped its hand to No. 16 BYU with a chance to seal an Irish victory.
It didn’t matter.
On third and four with 1:54 remaining, four Notre Dame tight ends entered the game along with 227-pound running back Audric Estime. Without any receivers on the field, the Irish made their intentions clear: they were going to run the ball.
Even with that knowledge, the Cougars failed to stop Estime from picking four yards for the first down.
BYU then watched as Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne took two consecutive knees to drain the clock for a 28-20 victory.
It’s the type of performance the Notre Dame coaching staff expected from its offensive line at the start of the season.
“They knew we were running it,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “I told them, that's the sign of a great offensive line. When they know you're running the ball and you're able to get first downs, that's an o-line driven program.”
Notre Dame (3-2) picked up its third straight victory, a welcome sign to the fanbase after starting the Irish started 0-2 with losses to Ohio State and Marshall. In two weeks, Notre Dame went from preseason No. 5 to unranked.
The offense struggled in both defeats and received the bulk of the blame.
Now, behind a significantly improved offensive line, the Irish are starting to show signs that they can play up to preseason expectations.
Against BYU, the offensive line prevented Pyne from getting sacked and the junior signal-caller responded by connecting on 22 of 28 throws for 262 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception on a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Pyne’s main target throughout the game was All-American tight end Michael Mayer. He snagged 11 receptions for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns and set a single-game Notre Dame record for receptions by a tight end.
In the process, he also broke for Irish tight end Tyler Eifert’s career reception record. With seven games left in his junior season, Mayer has 148 career receptions and counting.
Despite a one-score victory, Notre Dame dominated the Cougars throughout much of the contest. The Irish held BYU to 67 total yards in the first half and produced 496 yards of offense to the Cougar’s 280.
It’s the second game in a row that the Irish outgained its opponent by more than 200 yards.
At the same time, it was far from a complete performance from the Irish.
On defense, the Irish continue to give up big plays. The Irish allowed a 54-yard touchdown reception to BYU receiver Kody Epps, as well as a 20-yard rush up the middle by BYU running back Katoa Lopini on third and 18.
On offense, the Irish sustained drives of 68, 49 and 62 yards, which accounted for more than one-third of Notre Dame’s total yards. Yet those offensive possessions resulted in a turnover on downs, an interception and a field goal from the 1-yard line.
That’s three Irish points on 179 yards of offense.
Ultimately, a lack of execution kept BYU in the game, and the Cougar offense had the ball in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie the game.
Fortunately for the Irish, they made big plays when it mattered. Defensive linemen Jayson Ademilola and Nana Osafo-Mensah teamed up to stuff Katoa at Notre Dame’s 27-yard line on fourth and one and returned the ball to the Irish offense.
“It's what we're going to have to do until we get to the point where we're executing even at a higher level,” Freeman said…
“In college football, the parity is pretty close for a lot of us. Against a team like BYU, you're going to have to find a way. They're never going to lay down, and you're going have to find a way to finish.”
The Irish may be able to comfortably defeat talented teams like North Carolina and BYU once they’re able to limit big plays on defense and score more touchdowns from the red zone.
For now, an eight-point win and Freeman’s first victory over a ranked opponent will have to do as Notre Dame continues to prove it's still one of the best programs in college football.
"I'm so proud of the fight,” Freeman said. “We knew BYU was going to be a tough team. And I told them at halftime this team wasn't going to quit. And I challenged our guys, we've got to match their intensity. And to find a way to win, to find a way to execute really when it mattered the most. I'm extremely proud of this group.”