Did BYU commit pass interference vs Notre Dame? See final play here

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Did BYU commit pass interference vs Notre Dame? See final play here

Did BYU commit pass interference vs Notre Dame? See final play here

Zac Al-Khateeb, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Sun, Oct 18, 2026 ·

4 min read

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No. 8 BYU held strong defensively to hold off No. 2 Notre Dame in a 28-24 home victory over the Fighting Irish .

The Cougars had to fight till the very last play on defense, with a CJ Carr pass to the end zone landing harmlessly to the turf.

But did officials miss a potential game-extending defensive pass interference call? And, more importantly, did they end the game early?

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BYU stuns Notre Dame to deny Irish's bid for top college football ranking

Bear Bachmeier and unbeaten BYU stunned Notre Dame 28-24 , ending the Irish's path to the No. 1 ranking. Relive the biggest plays, celebrations and reactions from the Cougars' statement victory.

Above, Bear Bachmeier of the Brigham Young Cougars warms up before their game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Provo, Utah.

(Chris Gardner, Getty Images)

Brigham Young Cougars tight end Walker Lyons makes a catch to score a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars tight end Walker Lyons celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Preston Rex of the Brigham Young Cougars is chased by Leonard Moore and Luke Talich of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of their game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Provo, Utah.
(Chris Gardner, Getty Images)

Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Kyler Kasper (3) makes a catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Bear Bachmeier of the Brigham Young Cougars is lifted by Bruce Mitchell and Kyle Sfarcioc #64 after scoring a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of their game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Provo, Utah.
(Chris Gardner, Getty Images)

A Brigham Young Cougars cheerleader performs before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Jojo Phillips makes a catch against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars safety Matthias Leach reacts during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars running back Preston Rex runs against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Raider Damuni of the Brigham Young Cougars celebrates breaking up a pass play against James Flanigan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of their game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Provo, Utah.
(Chris Gardner, Getty Images)

Brigham Young Cougars offensive line Siosiua Latu-Finau celebrates after a touchdown by quarterback Bear Bachmeier (not pictured) during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars defensive end Braxton Lindsey celebrates after a play during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier passes against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars cheerleaders celebrate with flags on the field during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Brigham Young Cougars fans celebrate after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
(Rob Gray, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

REQUIRED READING: Notre Dame asked for BYU. The Cougars made the Irish regret it

As Carr lobbed his pass to receiver Jaden Greathouse with four seconds left in regulation, it seemed as though the primary player in position to defend him, cornerback Evan Johnson, not only impeded Greathouse's ability to catch the pass, but also never turned his head around to make a play on the ball.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the game, ABC analyst Kirk Herbstreit said he thought as though the play warranted a penalty.

"If I'm CJ Carr, I'm thinking, 'Was he holding my guy's arm there?' ... I don't want to take away from anything what happened here. There was contact there throughout the route."

ABC rules analyst Matt Austin agreed with Herbstreit's assessment, saying Johnson's impeding Greathouse should have "warranted a flag."

Also of note: Replay seems to show there was one second remaining on the field clock and on the TV display after the ball fell to the turf, which would have meant one final down for Notre Dame to try and take the lead.

Officials called the play over and did not review whether more time was needed.

That ultimately ended in a 28-24 victory for the Cougars, who avenged last season's bowl game snub by the Fighting Irish in their win.

Quarterback Bear Bachmeier completed 23 of 36 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown to one interception, while his Notre Dame counterpart, Carr, completed 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards. Credit to the Fighting Irish for fighting back from a 21-10 halftime deficit: They whittled away at the lead in the second half before Jonaz Walton gave them a fourth-quarter lead, 24-20.

But it was Bachmeier's 7-yard pass to Walter Lyons at the 1:47 mark that proved the difference in the game.

Here's a look at some reactions to the finish:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Did BYU commit pass interference vs Notre Dame? See final play here

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