Story by
Roundtable Sports
Notre Dame Players of the Game From The Loss to BYU
- Story byRoundtable Sports
- Notre Dame Players of the Game From The Loss to BYU
(Rob Gray, USA TODAY Sports)
Notre Dame's 16-game win streak ended last night when the Irish fell to BYU by a 28-24 score. Notre Dame fell behind early, trailing 21-10 at halftime, but the Irish rallied in the second half, taking a 24-21 lead late in the game. BYU responded with a score and the Irish offensive drive fell eight yards short.
Despite the loss there were several players who stood out for Notre Dame. Below are my players of the game:
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OFFENSE - WR Jaden Greathouse
Stats: 8 catches, 125 yards, 15.6 YPC
Runners Up: RB Nolan James Jr., WR Jordan Faison, OL Guerby Lambert
Notre Dame finally made senior Jaden Greathousea focal point of the offensive game plan and he responded with an outstanding performance. Greathouse finished with a career-high eight catches in the game, and his 125 yards was just three off his previous best, which he set in the 2024 national championship game against Ohio State. His 24-yard catch on a slot fade in the second quarter sparked a drive that ended inside the 5-yard line. He also kickstarted Notre Dame's first scoring drive of the second half. His longest catch of the day came in the fourth quarter when Greathouse broke free behind the defense to haul in a 38-yard catch, which set up the go-ahead score.
Greathouse saved some of his best football for the final drive of the game. He made a brilliant contested catch on 4th-and-3 to keep the Irish alive, and he ran a tremendous route before hauling in a 24-yard diving catch that got the Irish into the scoring zone. He was the intended target on the final play of the game, which ended with a blown officiating call where pass interference should have been called in his favor. Greathouse also had several key blocks in the run game, including one that sprung Nolan James Jr. free for a 26-yard gain.
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DEFENSE - S Luke Talich
Stats: 8 tackles, 1 TFL
Runners Up: DT Francis Brewu, CB Jayden Sanders, LB Jaylen Sneed
It was certainly an off night for the Irish defense, but that was not the case for Talich. The senior was all over the field, setting a career-high with eight tackles. Talich was active coming downhill and was a key figure in the Irish slowing down the BYU run game. Notre Dame struggled to contain the BYU tight ends early in the game, and an adjustment they made was putting Talich down in coverage against Walker Lyons, who was shut down after that move was made. Talich has been Notre Dame's best safety this season, and this game was a perfect example.
It wasn't a defensive play, but Talich was also right there for the Irish when BYU ran a fake punt in the third quarter.
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SPECIAL TEAMS - PK Spencer Porath
Stats: 3-3 field goals, 2-2 extra points (10 points)
Runners Up: WR Bubba Frazier
Porath nailed all five of his kicks in this game and led the team with 10 points. Porath nailed field goals of 46, 39 and 31 yards. He also made both of his extra points as he continues being a top portal addition for Notre Dame. Freshman receiver Bubba Frazierused his elite speed to get down and cover a punt that BYU muffed and Frazier recovered.
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