Notre Dame vs BYU Predictions: 4 Bold Projections for Fighting Irish vs Cougars in Provo on Saturday Night

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Saturday’s college football slate is loaded with fantastic ranked-versus-ranked matchups throughout the day. Fittingly, it will all be capped off under the lights at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo with the second-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0) taking on the eighth-ranked BYU Cougars (5-0) in a physical matchup that should be very entertaining.

Let’s dive into our bold predictions for Notre Dame vs BYU.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Held Under 100 Rushing Yards

Notre Dame has started to get its rushing offense on track as of late after early struggles against Wisconsin and Rice. Freshman running back Jonaz Walton (409 rush yards and 7.9 ypc) is the biggest reason for that, with the 5-foot-9 back’s explosiveness really showing off as of late. However, BYU’s defense enters Week 7 having allowed just 3.2 yards per carry (19th) and just 88.3 rushing yards per game (11th). The Cougars are stout up front, and in a game where they’ll want to try and limit how often the Fighting Irish are on the field, we think they’ll be successful in holding Notre Dame under 100 rushing yards.

Jordan Faison Scores 2 Touchdowns

Because Notre Dame has been blowing out a lot of teams and the offense ranks 111th nationally in passing rate (42.39 percent), wide receiver Jordan Faison has had more limited opportunities compared to other true No. 1 receivers around the country. In two of the five games this season where he’s pulled down at least four receptions, Faison has scored multiple touchdowns. Saturday night’s matchup should see Carr attempt 27-plus passes for only the third time this season, and he’ll hit his far and away favorite target twice in the red zone for touchdowns, including in the first quarter.

Bear Bachmeier Held Under 175 Total Yards

Bear Bachmeier is a treat to watch, and the sophomore quarterback will have to be the do-it-all centerpiece of BYU’s offense on Saturday night. That’s because standout running back LJ Martin is poised to miss his second consecutive game. The Cougars are going to need to get very creative for Bachmeier in this one, especially since Notre Dame will be able to win the battles at the line of scrimmage. Against a defense that has allowed just 3.9 yards per play this season (T-2nd in FBS), we think Bachmeier will struggle mightily. He’ll take multiple sacks and finish with fewer than 175 yards of offense despite combining for over 35 pass attempts and carries.

Leonard Moore Snags His First Interception of 2026

Opponents have rightfully tried to stay away from Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore this season. After all, he snagged five interceptions last season, just one of the many reasons why he earned unanimous All-American honors. However, with the Cougars missing their top running back and the added pressure of wanting to take down the Fighting Irish, Bachmeier will take more chances. He’s going to test Moore more than he should, and one of those passes will be intercepted, with Moore’s first interception of the season setting up a scoring drive for Notre Dame.

Related: Week 7 College Football Predictions, including Notre Dame vs BYU

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