Five Questions Notre Dame Must Answer Against BYU

The Irish have looked great through the first six games, but a true test awaits in the form of the undefeated BYU Cougars in Provo. Here are the questions that must be answered

Oct 10, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) runs the ball against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There was some juice heading into Notre Dame's first game against Wisconsin, but I feel it was more due to it being the first game after a long offseason rather than the hype being Badger-specific. Since then, no home or road game has truly provided that "big game" feel and energy, and that's nobody's fault. The schedule just is what it is.

How will Notre Dame handle the initial rush of the game?

This game will be very different. The BYU crowd will be loud and proud and feel the Irish ducked them in the Pop-Tarts Bowl last year. They have a point to prove.

How will the Irish handle that initial rush of crowd and game energy for the first time this season? If this program is as mature as it should be, it settles in and handles the moment.

Will Notre Dame be able to slow down Bear Bachmeier's legs?

With running back LJ Martin, the reigning B12 player of the year, out with injury, BYU QB Bear Bachmeier becomes the Cougars' most gifted runner. He is not afraid to take off and is very skilled at doing so. Notre Dame must have the discipline to keep him in check in the run game, or it could be a frustrating night for the Irish defense.

The first Irish player since at least 1998 with both a strip sack and an interception in the same game.#GoIrish☘️ | @24era24 pic.twitter.com/ghQuAA0Ggk

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 12, 2026

Can the Irish pass defense cover the middle of the field?

It's hard to be super critical of any area of Notre Dame's team after a 6-0 start with all wins coming by double digits. But if there is one area that is starting to appear to be a weak point, it'd be defending the pass in the middle of the field.

This is something that North Carolina feasted on by throwing to tight end Jelani Thurman. And while Stanford was unable to capitalize on this part of the field the way the Tar Heels did, there were still opportunities to connect here.

The Irish will need to do a better job locking down this part of the field to beat BYU and Miami. Surely upcoming opponents have seen that there are opportunities to succeed here, and the Irish need to be better in both zone and man coverage in this area.

Will the Notre Dame run game continue its upward trend?

Early in the year, the Irish run game was not great. But after a few weeks of the offensive line "gelling" and navigating the need to replace Jeremiyah Love and JD Price, things are coming together nicely.

Notre Dame ran the ball against a good North Carolina defensive front for 241 yards and for 361 yards on Stanford. That being said, BYU is a different test entirely as the Cougars only allow an average of 80 yards on the ground per contest.

Notre Dame must be effective in the ground game to open up everything and anything else Mike Denbrock wants to run.

This is CJ Carr's moment to shine

CJ Carr has had a fantastic start to the season. He's managing the Irish offense with maturity and poise, protecting the football, and hitting on some passes downfield when the opportunity presents itself.

While this is appreciated and impressive, for Carr to get an invite to New York for the Heisman presentation, his numbers against BYU and Miami will carry much more weight than against six unranked opponents. The time is now for CJ to lead the offense and shine. He must have a good day for the Irish to get an elusive top-ten road victory.