Jordan Bench

That weekend was magical for BYU football. I've been going to games for as long as I can remember, and October 17 was the most fun I've ever had at one.

Some of my core memories growing up are traveling with my family to watch the Cougars play big games across the country. During my senior year of high school, my dad took my brother and me to South Bend to see BYU play Notre Dame. Manti Te'o was playing for the Irish then. I remember walking around campus, seeing the architecture, and taking in everything that came with game day at Notre Dame. There was a familiar feeling to it, too. BYU and Notre Dame have different religious traditions, but faith is a big part of both schools.

Years later, the BYU–Notre Dame conversation picked up again. In 2025, BYU put together an incredible season with Bear Bachmeier and made a case for the College Football Playoff. We lost to Texas Tech in the conference championship and missed the playoff. Notre Dame missed it too, and there was plenty of talk about which team was better. People even talked about a bowl matchup, but Notre Dame opted out of playing in a bowl. We never got the game.

Then the 2026 schedule came out: Notre Dame at BYU on October 17. It immediately felt like the biggest game of the year.

By game week, both teams were undefeated. Notre Dame was No. 2, BYU was No. 8, and this would be the first top-ten matchup ever played in Provo. Notre Dame was favored by 10.5 points. A lot of people didn't think BYU could win. I did.

The weather couldn't have been better. Clear, sunny skies, around 70 degrees, and an evening kickoff. All week, the media broke down the matchup. By Friday night, I felt like a five-year-old on Christmas Eve.

When my eyes opened Saturday morning, my mind was already racing. I jumped out of bed, ran to my office, and turned on College GameDay. Students had been camping out all week. The place looked electric. The commentators leaned into the Catholics-versus-Mormons angle, and a BYU student kicked a field goal to win $3 million. It was barely morning and the day already felt huge.

We watched as a family—Abbey, Beau, Blaire, Benny, and me—and got a workout in downstairs. Around noon, the real preparation started. We put on our game-day clothes, got Beau and Blaire settled with a babysitter, and Abbey, Benny, and I headed to Provo. We got there in time for Cougar Walk, J-Dawgs, and the usual conversations with family and friends before kickoff.

The stadium was packed. I couldn't see an empty seat. We knew the stars would have to align. We were without LJ Martin and a starting offensive lineman, and Notre Dame had some big boys. They're the wagyu of cows. Biggest of them all.

But we had Bear Bachmeier. The Swiss Army knife of quarterbacks.

All night, we cheered and smacked the clappers they gave us at our seats. BYU came out hot and took a 21–10 lead into halftime. The third quarter was rough. The fourth was nerve-racking. With less than two minutes left, we put together a drive to go up 28–24. Notre Dame got the ball back, and every play felt like it might be the last one—until, finally, it was. We stopped them and won.

We rushed the field afterward. I can't remember having more fun at a game in my entire life. The buildup, the setting, the way it ended—you couldn't ask for a better story. This is one of those BYU games we'll be talking about for decades.

The next day, BYU jumped six spots to No. 2 in the AP poll. That made for a pretty fun Sunday. All the people who thought we didn't stand a chance got to eat their words, and the rest of us got to relive it. I stayed up late Saturday and Sunday watching highlights, analyst breakdowns, and hot takes from just about everywhere I could find them.

I've loved BYU football my whole life. I've traveled to watch it with my dad, and now I get to share days like this with my own family. This one is going to stick with me for a long time.