Notre Dame squandered multiple scoring opportunities on Saturday and paid the price in a 28-24 loss to BYU. A last ditch drive ended with a CJ Carr pass falling harmlessly to the turf in the end zone. The Irish could have won on that final play but they did not deserve a victory. They were outplayed and outcoached at every turn. BYU was the aggressor and survived their own mistakes because they refused to fold.

It was obvious that the Irish were in trouble from the opening whistle. Cougar quarterback Bear Bachmeier carved up Chris Ash’s soft zone defense like a Thanksgiving turkey. To make matters worse, defensive end Boubacar Traore earned a targeting call during this week series. He spent the rest of the evening on the sideline.

Notre Dame could only muster a field goal in response to BYU’s opening drive touchdown. Later, runs by Nolan James put the Irish on top by 10-7 early in the second period. Bachmeier then took over by engineering scoring drives of 75 and 72 yards. These marches were sandwiched around a quick three and out by the Irish offense. BYU used a variety of plays including misdirection and reverses to keep Notre Dame on roller skates.

Carr and the Irish got the ball back trailing 21-10 with 1:29 left in the half. He moved the team inside the Cougar five yard line with seconds remaining. Shockingly, the ball slipped from Carr’s hand as he took a snap and tried to spike it. The play was ruled a fumble and BYU recovered. Coming up empty in this possession was deflating and would come back to haunt the Irish.

Carr and the offense started slowly in the second half. The first two possessions ended in failure but the Cougars handed them a gift the second time around.  Cannon DeVries muffed the punt from Jasper Scaife and the Irish recovered in BYU territory. Notre Dame could manage only a field goal, however, and now trailed 21-13.

After a defensive stop by the Irish, the Cougars again handed the visitors another golden opportunity. Their fake punt was diagnosed and smothered by Luke Talich and friends. Notre Dame took over on BYU’s 24 yard line. Another head scratching series by Mike Denbrock and Carr went nowhere. Spencer Porath was summoned to cut the deficit to 21-16 with another field goal.

This stretch of three offensive series yielding zero, three, and three points would prove fatal. Notre Dame did come back with a score to take the lead early in the fourth quarter. Jonaz Walton was finally given a chance to carry the ball and made the most of it. His touchdown and two point conversion with 9:31 remaining gave the Irish a 24-21 lead.

Bachmeier went back to work and started to move the Cougars. Following a 28-yard completion to Kyler Kasper, Bachmeier went right back to his 6’6” receiver. Irish cornerback Jayden Sanders covered it well and pulled down an interception. Yet another bit of good fortune went for naught, however, as the offense failed to take control. Another disastrous three and out by Denbrock and Carr gave the ball right back to BYU.

This time, Bachmeier made the Irish pay. He willed the Cougars to paydirt and capped the drive with a six-yard scoring pass to Walker Lyons. BYU now led by 28-24 with 1:47 left on the clock.

Carr guided Notre Dame down the field with a couple of fourth down conversions along the way. Four seconds remained with the Irish on the Cougar eight yard line. Denbrock used a final timeout to call yet another fade pass. The result was all too predictable. The game ended in the same manner as the second quarter – Notre Dame came up empty.

Yes, there was pass interference on the final pass to Jaden Greathouse. Yes, there was one second on the clock when Carr’s pass hit the turf. No, the Irish were not going to get the benefits of those calls on the road. Ultimately, the game was lost when Notre Dame failed to take advantage of its earlier scoring chances. They should not have needed a touchdown at the end of the game to win. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Can the Irish get off to a fast start and take the crowd out of the game? No, they were passive on defense and out of synch on offense. Carr was uncharacteristically erratic early.
• Which team will generate the most productive ground game? Notre Dame looked good in stretches but the Cougars outrushed them by 121-115.
• Can the Irish pass rushers harass and contain Bachmeier? Not at all. Traore’s absence hurt while Ash elected not to blitz. That strategy backfired.
• Will BYU’s aggressive corners shut down Faison, Greathouse, and Gilbert? Greathouse had eight receptions and Faison had six. Still, BYU’s coverage was good enough to deny the Irish in several key moments.
• Which special teams will make a significant contribution? The muffed punt recovery and stuff of BYU’s fake were potential game changing plays. Notre Dame simply failed to capitalize.
• Can the Irish secondary cover BYU’s tall receivers and tight ends over the middle? Not at all. Bachmeier had a field day against the Irish zone.
• Will Notre Dame’s offensive line be able to pick up BYU’s blitzes? Protection was not bad but BYU pressured Carr into several poor throws. He was a pedestrian 27 of 49 for 261 yards. Carr had no touchdowns or interceptions but was nearly picked on three different occasions.
• Can either team force a turnover to alter the course of the game? BYU’s two turnovers cost them only three points. Carr’s botched spike of the football cost Notre Dame much more.
• Will Notre Dame’s depth counter the effects of the altitude in Provo? The Irish defense failed to protect a slim lead in the fourth quarter. Too many unproductive series by the offense certainly did not help them.

The targeting foul by Traore and Carr’s untimely fumble were examples of Notre Dame beating Notre Dame. Coach Freeman talks about this principle repeatedly. Unfortunately, these mistakes surfaced when this team faced its first major test of the season. It is wrong to blame the players for this outcome, though. This loss was primarily due to a coaching failure.

Both offensive and defensive game plans were poor. Neither unit adjusted effectively if at all. BYU’s winning fourth quarter drive looked just like its first one. There was no pass rush. Carr’s incomplete passes looked like replays on a loop. Walton was grossly underutilized. There were 49 passes and only 30 rushes (five by Carr). I could go on.

It was also disappointing that the  Cougars were the aggressor all evening. Notre Dame was reactive and often appeared confused. Maybe a few things will be fixed during the bye week. I tend to doubt it because both coordinators are married to their faulty schemes. In short, the team that was supposed to leave no doubt managed to create a ton of it.