Irish’s plays like pro

Record Nevada college crowd sees Notre Dame win

A projected first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft looked right at home on an NFL field Saturday.

Michael Mayer, the consensus No. 1 tight end draft prospect in the nation, caught 11 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in Notre Dame’s 28-20 victory over No. 16 Brigham Young at Allegiant Stadium in the annual Shamrock Series game.

“Today’s not about me,” Mayer said. “Today’s about the team getting a big win. The offense played great, and the defense played great. We came to Vegas and got a ‘W,’ and that’s all that matters.”

Mayer’s performance was witnessed by 62,742 fans, the largest crowd for a college athletic event in Nevada history.

Mayer gave the Fighting Irish the lead for good with a 24-yard touchdown grab early in the second quarter. He added another score on a nifty over-the-shoulder catch after beating a defensive back across the field to the front corner of the end zone for a 19-yard TD to put Notre

Dame (3-2) ahead 25-6 midway through the third quarter.

The Irish then held off a furious Cougars’ rally.

After BYU (4-2) scored two touchdowns to get within 25-20 in the fourth quarter, Puka Nacua dropped a third-down pass that would have given the Cougars a first down near midfield with 11 minutes remaining.

Notre Dame got the ball back and kicked a field goal to extend the lead to eight points with 6:07 to play.

The Cougars were then stuffed on back-to-back runs on third and fourth down from the Notre Dame 27yard line with 3:37 left.

Logan Diggs then had a 33-yard run on second-and-17 on the ensuing drive to help the Irish run out the clock. Mayer had a key block on the second level to help clear the way. Three more runs picked up 10 yards and allowed Notre Dame to take two knees to end the game.

“I’m so proud of their fight,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “I told them at halftime (BYU) wasn’t going to quit. I challenged my guys to match their intensity.”

Freeman said he started to sense a bit of panic from his team as the game tightened down the stretch, but took advantage of a timeout before the fourth-down stand.

“I told them to calm down and just get the stop,” he said. “We challenged them, and that was a huge play.”

The Irish are 11-0 in the Shamrock Series, a yearly neutral site game that dates to 2009. It was only the third time they won by less than double digits, though Saturday’s stats suggest a more one-sided game.

Notre Dame racked up 496 yards of total offense and held the ball for 40:55, limiting BYU to 280 yards and 19:05 of possession.

Quarterback Drew Pyne was efficient in guiding the Irish offense, completing 22 of 28 attempts for 262 yards and three scores.

He found Jayden Thomas three times for 74 yards, including an acrobatic touchdown grab with 1:03 to play before halftime when Thomas battled Jakob Robinson for a jump ball in the end zone.

But Pyne went to Mayer whenever he needed a big play, and his big target cashed in time and again.

“He’s kind of uncoverable,” Pyne said.

Mayer’s first touchdown was his seventh catch of the game and the 141st of his career, moving him ahead of Tyler Eifert atop the school’s all-time receptions list for tight ends.

“He’s a freak,” coach Marcus Freeman said of Mayer. “He’s a heck of a football player.

“He’s special, but the thing you love about him is he’s our hardest worker. When your best player is your hardest worker, it sets a great example. And he’s not a finished product, but he understands that and he wants to be pushed.”

The Irish got off to a good start in front of a raucous crowd that saw both fan bases well-represented.

BYU quarterback Jaren Hall took a deep shot on the first play of the game only to have Notre Dame’s Tariq Bracy intercept the pass.

The Irish settled for a field goal and saw the Cougars go ahead three possessions later when they cashed in a long punt return with a short touchdown drive.

Mayer’s first touchdown was followed by a safety and then the Thomas score to give Notre Dame an 18-6 halftime lead.

“I have to say something about the atmosphere here,” Freeman said. “It was a great environment and a unique experience.”

Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-journal Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer catches a touchdown Saturday against BYU at Allegiant Stadium.

Brigham Young receiver Kody Epps celebrates a TD catch during the first half at Allegiant Stadium.

Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-journal Notre Dame forces a safety in a game witnessed by 62,742 fans, the largest crowd for a college athletic event in Nevada history.