Oh my heck, Cougar Nation. Bryce Halvorsen-Tuilagi here, and I'm writing this from the trail up Y Mountain, which is where I chart every play, because the view is fantastic and the Wi-Fi is not. I'm a mountain-bike guide by trade, so I know a thing or two about steep climbs, tight switchbacks and finishing strong. And Saturday night, friends, we finished strong.
Why did the Notre Dame fan bring a ladder to Provo? He heard BYU was No. 2 now and wanted to see the view. Okay, that's a dad joke. But it's also true, so it counts double.
Part 1: The Night We Beat the Irish
BYU 28, Notre Dame 24. At LaVell Edwards Stadium, in front of 65,179 people, against a Notre Dame team that came in ranked No. 2 and riding a 16-game winning streak. It's our first win over Notre Dame since 2004 and our first win over a top-10 team since 2018. We're 6-0 for the third straight season, and AP voters moved us up to No. 2. Oh. My. Heck.
And Bear Bachmeier? That young man did everything except sell the concessions. He ran for two touchdowns, a 5-yarder on the opening drive and a 1-yard dive late in the second quarter. Sandwiched in the middle, he caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Kasper. AP said he became the only FBS quarterback in the last 30 seasons to score both a rushing and a receiving touchdown against an AP Top 25 opponent. Then he threw for one too. Passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in one game. That's a trail-guide hat trick: he led the hike, carried the gear and took the group photo.
He finished 23 of 36 for 224 yards. We led 21-10 at halftime, helped by Isaiah Glasker pouncing on a fumble when Notre Dame tried to spike the ball at our 5 in the final seconds of the half.
Now, I'll be honest, because honesty is the best switchback. The third quarter was a rough descent. A penalty on Kasper wiped out a 39-yard touchdown catch by JoJo Phillips that would have made it 28-10. Then we had a muffed punt return and a failed fake punt, and the Irish turned both into field goals. Jonaz Walton scored and ran in the two-point try to put Notre Dame up 24-21 with 9:31 left. Then Jayden Sanders intercepted Bear at the Notre Dame 15.
But the defense forced a three-and-out, and Bachmeier drove us 55 yards in 10 plays. He found Walker Lyons for a 6-yard touchdown with 1:47 left. Cade Uluave made nine tackles. Notre Dame drove to our 9, and the last pass fell incomplete in the end zone.
One more honest note. The next day, the Big 12 said its review found that time remained on the clock when that last pass hit the ground, and that the replay crew cleared the play incorrectly. The league said it would conduct a complete review. The final score stands, and I'll say this: our defense still had to make one more stop either way, and that defense has been doing it all year. We play the game in front of us, then we keep riding.
Part 2: Into the Bounce House
Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Eastern, on FOX. No. 2 BYU (6-0) at UCF (3-3), at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando. BYU leads the series 4-1, and we've won the last three meetings, including 37-24 in Orlando in 2024 and 41-21 in Provo last season.
The Knights' Trail Map
First, kind words, because my mom reads these. UCF quarterback Keyone Jenkins is completing 70.3% of his passes, with 806 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions. In his last game he threw four touchdowns at Oklahoma State. Duke Watson has 483 rushing yards. UCF scores on 95.5% of its red zone trips, eighth in FBS, and it's plus-4 in turnover margin. And the Knights had a bye last week, so they're rested.
Now let's check the trail conditions. UCF lost that game at Oklahoma State 42-28. The Knights were driving for a possible go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Jenkins's backward pass was knocked down and returned 28 yards for a touchdown. AP noted that UCF had lost a lead for the second straight week and had dropped 12 straight road games. Twelve! I've led hikes with fewer wrong turns than that.
Good news for the Knights: this one's at home. Bad news: their passing game ranks 106th in FBS, at 192.7 yards a game, and their pass defense ranks 105th. And UCF holds the ball for just 27:56 a game, 117th in the country. Our defense would love to send them right back to the sideline benches.
Our Gear Check
BYU's defense is the best gear in the pack. We allow 15.2 points a game (14th in FBS) and 86.2 rushing yards (eighth). Tausili Akana has 3.5 sacks and Uluave leads us with 35 tackles. On offense we convert 56.5% of our third downs, third in the country, and we run for 206.7 yards a game. Bachmeier has 1,257 passing yards, nine touchdowns and just two interceptions this season, and Legend Glasker leads our receivers with 444 yards. LJ Martin has 344 rushing yards on just 44 carries.
We also have to clean up the little stuff. Two special teams mistakes almost cost us against Notre Dame. A good trail guide checks the brakes before every ride.
About That Name
UCF opened in 1968 as Florida Technological University. It kept that name until 1978, when the state changed it to the University of Central Florida. So the Knights already went through one rebrand. I respect a school that knows how to pivot. It's like me switching from road bikes to mountain bikes: same legs, much cooler stories.
Trailhead Talk: A Tale of Two Towns
Provo. Let me give you the view from the top. Provo had 115,162 people at the 2020 census. It sits on the east bank of Utah Lake at 4,549 feet, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, with the Wasatch Range rising right behind it. Y Mountain towers over the city, and the big block Y was first built on it in 1906 out of rock and lime. The trail to the Y climbs 1,074 feet, and it's one of the most hiked trails in Utah Valley. Provo was even nicknamed the Garden City for all its orchards.
And our home field, LaVell Edwards Stadium, seats 62,073, the largest in the Big 12, at an elevation of 4,649 feet. When visitors say they're out of breath, we just smile and offer them a water bottle.
Orlando. Orlando is a fun town with a lot of rides. It has more theme parks and attractions than anywhere else in the world. But here's my most beloved fact about it. The most famous one, Walt Disney World, isn't in Orlando at all. It's about 21 miles southwest, in a place called Bay Lake. The only theme park inside Orlando city limits is Universal. So Orlando's most famous landmark lives in a different town. That's like me telling you I live on Y Mountain when I actually live in a cul-de-sac near the Provo River. Close-ish. Not really.
And the Bounce House got its nickname because the stands shake when the crowd jumps in unison. Friends, out here we have actual mountains that don't move. That's the difference between a mountain and a bounce house. One is a geological formation. The other is a birthday party.
Orlando is also flat. The lakes are nice, but there's no Y on any hill, because there aren't any hills. I'll bring my mountain bike anyway, just in case. I'll ride it around the parking lot and pretend.
Coming Down the Mountain
Here's how I see it. BYU is 6-0, ranked No. 2, with a top-15 defense and a quarterback who can beat you three different ways. UCF is rested, scores in the red zone and will have the home crowd bouncing. But the Knights struggle to throw the ball, struggle to defend the pass and keep their offense on the field for less time than almost anybody. If our defense keeps doing its thing and we clean up special teams, we'll leave Orlando 7-0 and still smiling.
Why did the Cougar refuse to play hide-and-seek in Orlando? Because nobody can hide at No. 2. Oh my heck, I'm sorry. Go Cougs.
My call: BYU Cougars 28, UCF Knights 21.