Out of luck: BYU football comeback isn’t enough in loss to Notre Dame
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- BYU running back Lopini Katoa looks for a hole to run through during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
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- BYU defenders make a tackle during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
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- BYU running back Chris Brooks avoids a tackle during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
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- BYU quarterback Jaren Hall throws a pass during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
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- BYU running back Hinckley Ropati runs the ball up the field during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
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- BYU running back Chris Brooks runs up the field during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
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- BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
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- BYU defenders attempt to make a tackle during the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
One yard … three feet … 36 inches.
After a terrible first half and having surrendered more than 450 yards, the No. 16-ranked BYU football team had clawed its way back into the game and with under four minutes to play needed just 27 yards to have a chance to tie the game against Notre Dame at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday.
But first the Cougars needed to convert a fourth-and-1, a distance that on the surface appears like it should be fairly straightforward for a veteran offensive line and veteran running backs.
BYU chose to hand the ball to senior running back Lopini Katoa running straight ahead, but the Fighting Irish put eight defenders to match up against seven Cougar blockers.
One Notre Dame defender went low, resulting in two BYU blockers going down and allowing senior defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola to break free through the line. He caught up to Katoa as he attempted to squeeze through a tiny crease, hauling him sideways and backwards to prevent the Cougar conversion.
The BYU defense, which was on the field for almost 41 minutes, wasn’t able to give the Cougar offense the ball back and Notre Dame hung on for the 28-20 victory.
“It was obviously not the result we hoped for or planned on, but I’m proud of the fight that the team had coming back from the deficit at halftime,” Sitake said. “It still wasn’t mistake-free football so we couldn’t get things going. I felt like the defense was on the field too much. They had too much efficiency in the passing game and the run game still hurt us, so we’ve got to get better.”
Sitake said that BYU ran the play they felt was the most likely to get the first down, even though Katoa had seven carries for 45 yards to that point while Cougar senior running back Chris Brooks (who is listed as being 20 pounds heavier) had 14 carries for 86 yards.
“The coaches have to critique themselves and see what is the best play for us,” Sitake said. “We even took a timeout so we had time to think about it. It was disheartening that we weren’t able to get that. Credit Notre Dame for making the play but that was frustrating.”
BYU junior quarterback Jaren Hall said the team was confident it would be able to get at least a yard running that play.
“We wrote that down for a short yardage play in this situation,” Hall said. “We’ve run it before this year and it’s worked. We just need to make it work.”
That was true of a lot of plays for the Cougars throughout an up-and-down contest, particularly in the fourth quarter.
BYU, which trailed by as many as 19 points early in the second half, had cut the deficit to just five and had the ball after Cougar junior linebacker Payton Wilgar tipped a Notre Dame pass and junior linebacker Max Tooley made a diving interception.
Two plays had gained just three yards, but on third down Hall fired the ball to the far sideline toward junior wide receiver Puka Nacua. Nacua, who appeared to have been dragged three or four yards after being grabbed by the defender with no flag, still managed to get his hands on the ball — only to see it slip through his fingers, forcing BYU to punt.
The Fighting Irish were able to get a big 46-yard run from sophomore running back Audric Estime to set up a field goal, pushing the Notre Dame lead to eight.
The Cougars would’ve needed a TD and a two-point conversion to tie, thanks in part to a miscue from the disastrous first half.
Hall started the game by underthrowing a deep pass on the first play and the Fighting Irish intercepted it, eventually turning it into a field goal.
The two teams exchanged punts on the next two possessions, but Cougar sophomore punt returner Hobbs Nyberg had a 42-yard punt return that set BYU up with great field position.
It took a fourth-and-goal conversion on the final play of the drive by Hall found sophomore wide receiver Kody Epps open for the 1-yard score to put the Cougars up.
A miscommunication on the sideline following the touchdown, however, resulted in the only BYU penalty of the game. The delay of game pushed the extra point back and freshman kicker Justen Smith missed it.
Most of the rest of the half belonged to Notre Dame and mostly to Fighting Irish junior tight end Michael Mayer.
He caught a number of big passes, including a 24-yard touchdown, that gave Notre Dame the lead for good.
BYU was able to get a huge goal-line stand on the next Fighting Irish possession, but on the very next play Hall was sacked for a safety.
Notre Dame tacked on another touchdown, a 30-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Drew Pyne to freshman wide receiver Jayden Thomas, to make the score 18-6 at the break.
The Cougars only ran nine offensive plays in the second quarter, with five of those coming in the last minute when BYU was out of timeouts.
The Fighting Irish then added another TD to start the second half, with Pyne hitting Mayer for a 19-yard score and it appeared the game was virtually over for BYU.
But instead of folding, the Cougars came roaring back.
Hall spotted Epps running wide open deep over the middle and the sophomore weaved through the Notre Dame secondary for a 53-yard touchdown to start the rally.
The Cougars then forced Notre Dame into a three-and-out and Brooks exploded for a 28-yard TD run on the second play of the fourth quarter to set up the drama of the final minutes.
“I give a lot of credit for the players fighting back in the second half and giving us give us a chance,” Sitake said. “We felt good when it was 25-20, felt good with where we’re at. We had the ball but just couldn’t generate enough momentum to get in the end zone and put more pressure on Notre Dame. But give them credit for making plays.”
