No. 16 BYU (4-1) vs. Notre Dame (2-2), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Line: Notre Dame by 3 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Notre Dame leads 6-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
BYU opens a tough two-week stretch with games against Notre Dame in Vegas and Arkansas at home. The Cougars have lost three straight in the series with the Irish since beating them in 2004. Notre Dame bounced back from its 0-2 start with two straight wins but has lost three straight against Top 25 opponents.
KEY MATCHUP
BYU QB Jaren Hall vs. Notre Dame pass defense. The Irish secondary will have its hands full against Hall, who boasts nine consecutive games passing for 250 yards or more dating back to last year. Notre Dame allows 213.2 yards passing per game, while its pass efficiency defense ranks 94th in the country.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BYU: LB Max Tooley. The Cougars rank sixth in the nation for the most defensive scores, and Tooley is credited with both, returning interceptions for touchdowns. Tooley leads the team with 15 solo tackles and is second with 29 total.
Notre Dame: QB Drew Pyne. The Irish come in rested after an open date. Pyne is 2-0 as a starter with six touchdowns against one interception. Pyne is completing 69.8% of his passes and is averaging 7.3 yards per attempt.
FACTS & FIGURES
BYU is 14-4 all-time in Las Vegas, including 1-0 in Allegiant Stadium after last year’s 24-16 win over Arizona in the inaugural Las Vegas Kickoff Classic. … The Cougars have outscored opponents 52-20 in the first quarter. … BYU’s defense ranks No. 19 nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 175.6. … Freeman isn’t taking any chances in Las Vegas, and said he’ll personally be doing bed checks at 8:30 p.m. Pacific. … Notre Dame is 126th nationally in red-zone defense. Opponents have scored on all 12 trips inside the 20-yard line (9 TDs, 3 field goals).
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