LAS VEGAS — Drew Pyne threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns, Michael Mayer caught 11 passes for 118 yards and two scores and Notre Dame won its third straight by beating No. 16 BYU 28-20 on Saturday night.
The game was the 11th edition of Notre Dame’s annual Shamrock Series and marked the first time the Irish faced a fellow independent since a 44-6 victory over Army in 2016.
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The Irish opened 0-2 under first-year coach Marcus Freeman with losses against No. 3 Ohio State and at home to Marshall.
“It was hard-fought,” Freeman said. “This group just continues to battle. They get better each week. We’re finding a way to get better. You see the outcome today and I’m really happy for this team. I love coaching this group.”
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BYU (4-2) was led by quarterback Jaren Hall, who was 9 of 17 for 120 yards passing with two touchdowns. Chris Brooks rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries while Kody Epps caught four passes for 100 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Notre Dame improved to 11-0 all time in the Shamrock Series in front of 62,742, the largest crowd for a college athletic event in Nevada history.
“This was a home game for us. The fans showed out,” Mayer said of the pro-Notre Dame crowd.
Trailing 25-6 early in the second half, the Cougars made things interesting by scoring 14 unanswered points to make it 25-20.
After Brooks cut Notre Dame’s lead to five with a 28-yard touchdown run, Cougars linebacker Max Tooley picked off Pyne and put the ball back in the BYU’s hands. But the Cougars went three-and-out.
Blake Grupe’s 20-yard field goal gave the Irish an eight-point lead. BYU then drove into Notre Dame territory but had its drive halted when defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola dragged Cougars running back Lopini Katoa down on 4th-and-1.
Notre Dame set the tone early when TaRiq Bracy intercepted Hall on the first play from scrimmage. The Irish’s ensuing drive stalled at the BYU 8-yard line and they settled for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
The Cougars defense came up big on Notre Dame’s second possession, and BYU specialist Hobbs Nyberg returned a punt 42 yards to the Irish 26. Seven plays later Hall found a wide-open Epps in the flat to give BYU a 6-3 lead.
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The Irish would answer in the same corner of the end zone early in the second quarter when Pyne hit Mayer for Notre Dame’s first touchdown.
Later in the quarter, the Cougars defense held the Irish on a 4th-and-1 at the BYU 4. But on the next play, Notre Dame’s Jack Kiser sacked Hall on first down for a safety to extend the lead to 12-6 and give the Irish the ball with a little more than six minutes left in the half.
Pyne, who completed 22 of 28 passes, capitalized and drove the Irish downfield before hitting Jayden Thomas on an inside fade route in man-to-man coverage for a 30-yard touchdown strike. A two-point conversion failed, and the Irish took an 18-6 lead at the half.
Six of Pyne’s first seven completions were to Mayer, the sixth being the second-quarter touchdown that put the Irish back in front. The catch gave Mayer the program’s all-time reception record by a tight end with his 141st career catch.
“Today’s not about me, today’s about the team getting a big win,” Mayer said. “The offense played great, the defense played great, we came to Vegas and got a W and that’s all that matters.”
BYU: Hosts Arkansas on Saturday.
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Notre Dame: Hosts Stanford on Saturday.
