Quarterback: A-

Bear Bachmeier threw a pick, and did miss on a few throws, but that was it. The sophomore signal-caller was the best quarterback on the field on Saturday when going up against Heisman candidate CJ Carr for Notre Dame, and it really wasn’t that close. Bachmeier proved effective with his feet, as he often does, and rushed for 45 yards and two touchdowns, but his overall passing was the best part of his game. Going against a formidable Irish secondary, Bachmeier went 23-36 through the air for 224 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he rose to the challenge when it mattered most, and particularly when hitting Walker Lyons with a 6-yard touchdown pass, which proved to be the game-winning score.

Running backs: B

Preston Rex had his best game to date, proving effective on enough rushing plays to keep the Notre Dame defense honest and finished with 66 yards rushing on just 10 carries. He also proved effective in providing pass protection while freshman Journee Tonga was a big limited with his reps. The expectations weren’t high for the running back position without the services of LJ Martin, but the group largely performed what they were asked and did nothing to outright damage BYU’s chances with their overall play.

Receivers/Tight ends: A

Walker Lyons came up big early in providing more offensive punch than most anticipated and was there in the end to haul in the game-winning touchdown. The USC transfer is beginning to assert himself and BYU’s offense is the beneficiary. Legend Glasker also performed well when it mattered most, beating Notre Dame’s top secondary to work open to receiver some critical passes late in the game. Kyler Kasper also came up big on multiple occasions with Jojo Phillips also flashing for two big receptions, which included a key 3rd-down conversion late.

Offensive line: B+

The Cougar offensive line performed admirably, and perhaps particularly freshman Bott Mulitalo, who graded out the highest of any accompanying lineman from his right tackle position. Overall the group protected Bachmeier well, allowing him to operate in the pocket as receivers worked their way open versus Notre Dame’s talented secondary. The running lanes weren’t there for portions, but at certain times there was open room for the running backs to operate and make productive gains.

Defensive line: B-

The Irish were able to mount a better running attack than most were anticipating, and particularly during short-yardage situations. The line did firm up a bit throughout the course of the game and the pass rush did provide some good pressure at junctures to force incompletions from Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. It wasn’t a dominating performance by BYU’s defensive front by any means, but given just how good Notre Dame’s offensive line is, the group grades out relatively high.

Linebackers: B

Isaiah Glasker returned a lot sooner than most anticipated and made a strong impact with his play, finishing with four tackles while knocking down three passes. Cade Uluave made a strong impact, although he just missed on a couple of sacks that would have proved pivotal in not making the game come down to the very last play. Overall the group was solid in holding Notre Dame to 24 points scored while stepping up at critical moments.

Safeties/Cornerbacks: B+

Raider Damuni made a big impact in both his run support and coverage assignments. The senior safety returned much earlier than anticipated from injury and made a strong impact on the game’s final outcome with his play. Faletau Satuala also proved big and impactful throughout. The cornerback play was very solid throughout despite a few blown coverages. Special mention goes to seldom-used Mathias Leach, who had to fill in for the injured Jayven Williams late and responded big in limiting down-the-field opportunities.

Special Teams: D

The decision to fake a punt was nearly disastrous for the team, along with a muffed punt by returner Cannon DeVries. Those two instances switched the momentum toward Notre Dame, and without the exemplary play by both the defensive and offensive units, could have flipped the entire outcome. The only positive marks goes to punter Fuller Shurtz, who pinned Notre Dame inside the 20 yard line on two of his three punts during the contest.

Coaching: B-

Again, the decision to go for a fake punt was nearly disastrous in securing the outcome and weighs down the overall grade for coaching considerably. Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick called almost a perfect game throughout the first half before becoming a bit too conservative throughout the third quarter of play. Roderick’s play-calling on BYU’s final possession was nearly flawless, however, earning him high marks. On defense Kelly Poppinga did well in mixing coverages and keeping CJ Carr and Notre Dame’s passing attack out-of-synch for much of the game.