Notre Dame football faces its biggest test of the season so far when the Fighting Irish travel to Provo, Utah, to take on the BYU Cougars at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his Notre Dame squad hold a 6-0 record and sit at No. 2 in the latest AP poll. BYU, led by head coach Kalani Sitake, is also undefeated and ranked No. 18 in the country.

This promises to be an intriguing battle between two teams built similarly in a lot of ways. Both want to run the football at a high clip. Both have a talented quarterback who can win in multiple ways. Both also lean on a stellar defensive unit. With College GameDay in town, only one of these teams leaves Saturday night still unbeaten.

Several of my A to Z Sports colleagues joined me to run through score predictions for Notre Dame vs. BYU. Each gave context for the final score, along with key players to watch and the storylines that matter most. Here is what our staff cooked up.

Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Alabama

I’m happy for the people of Provo, and it’s going to be exciting to see them show up for college game day ahead of the biggest gate maybe in the history of their program. But once foot touches leather later that day, I expect the Fighting Irish to put a hurting on the Cougars. Notre Dame is a bona fide national championship contender with one of, if not the best, rosters in the sport. BYU is a good Big 12 team, but no team they have played this season or will play poses the threat in terms of physicality, explosion, and coaching that Notre Dame will. Give me the Fighting Irish in a big one.

Final score prediction: Notre Dame 30, BYU 15.

Brandon Little, A to Z Sports Ohio State

Neither Notre Dame nor, uh, BYU has a notable win to this point in the college football season, so we’re about to find out who both teams are in week 7. First, I want to get out of the way that I think the talent disparity will be on display in the game, and the Fighting Irish are going to roll through Provo without much issue. These are two similar teams in terms of their programs, as both are relying on strong defenses to this point in this season. Notre Dame ranks first in yards allowed per game at 214, while BYU is in the top 10 itself at 254.4. The big difference is that BYU’s offense isn’t all that great, and if this rushing attack is shut down, the Cougars are going to struggle. I’ll take CJ Carr and his playmakers to get it done on the road in what should be a pretty strong environment.

Final score prediction: Notre Dame 24, BYU 13

Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Florida

This game is so interesting, especially after the whole BYU’s defense is more talented fiasco. The real question here isn’t as much about BYU as it is about Notre Dame. How good are they? This is their first real test this season, and I’m fascinated to see how they perform. It’s inarguable the Fighting Irish are the more talented team, but are they the better coached? Kalani Sitake is one of the best coaches in the country, and the Cougars will be prepared for this game in Provo. This will be a war, but talent will reign supreme with the Fighting Irish.

Final score prediction: Notre Dame 38, BYU 31

Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Miami

The environment in Provo is going to be wild in arguably the game of the day in college football. For the first time this season, the Irish will face off against a ranked foe and undoubtedly one of the two best teams on their schedule. The Irish have had moments where they’ve looked mortal this year, particularly in a sleepy first half against Wisconsin and a semi-competitive game against UNC. Come on. I think BYU has the talent to pull off this upset, particularly at home, but my hesitation lies with the absence of one player: Cougars running back LJ Martin. Martin, the 2025 Big 12 Player of the Year, suffered a lower body injury against TCU 2 weeks ago and will be out for this game. Last week against Iowa State without Martin, quarterback Bear Bachmeier led the ground attack with 109 yards. I have a hard time seeing that same level of success against Notre Dame defense that won’t have to account for Martin on the day. Bachmeier is still pesky, and this one lives up to its billing with second-half offensive success from the Cougars after a slow start. But CJ Carr reminds the country that he is a legit Heisman Trophy contender with a strong performance in the win.

Final score prediction: Notre Dame 30, BYU 26

Ryan Roberts, A to Z Sports Notre Dame

I’ve gone back and forth on this score prediction a ton. BYU has the home field, which always matters, especially in this type of game day environment, and especially when it is at night as well. I also respect the Cougars’ defense under Kalani Sitake. They have several players who will play in the NFL. However, I just don’t trust the BYU offense to score enough against Notre Dame to keep this game competitive down the stretch of the second half. Without LJ Martin at running back, this team is going to be too one-dimensional and rely too heavily on their quarterback, Bear Bachmeier, to be a sustainable offensive product. BYU’s defense will keep them around for a while, but I think eventually CJ Carr and this— and the Notre Dame rushing attack bust this one open in the second half.

Final score prediction: Notre Dame 31, BYU 14