Notre Dame football vs BYU: Cougars who must be stopped
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team takes on BYU in Week 6 out of their bye week, and here are some Cougars who must be stopped on Saturday night.
After their bye week, the Notre Dame football team will head to Las Vegas to take on the BYU Cougars in their annual Shamrock Series game. For the Irish, this is the perfect opportunity to get back on the map in terms of the national rankings, as they have not received a vote in weeks, and BYU is currently ranked No. 16 overall.
The Cougars have earned that No. 16 ranking by playing consistent football all season long, and outside of the loss to Oregon, they have looked almost unstoppable at times. On Saturday night, the Irish have to try and key in on these three Cougars.
Notre Dame football vs BYU: Cougars who must be stopped
Jaren Hall
We start at the top, as not only is Jaren Hall a tremendous signal-caller, but he has the potential to be a first-round pick next April. He does it all from the quarterback spot, is deadly accurate, is not afraid to take shots downfield, and has put up gaudy numbers through the first five games of the Cougars season.
Hall has tossed 12 touchdowns against only one interception, has spread the wealth, with four players having over 15 catches this season, and does not make mistakes. The Irish pass rush will have to get him off his mark if they hope to win this one.
Christopher Brooks
Not only is Jaren Hall an excellent quarterback, and the main focus for this Irish defense, but the Cougars also have a tremendous running back in Christopher Brooks. A transfer from Cal, Brooks has dominated in his first season with the Cougars, and is averaging six yards per carry in his first season with BYU.
Having both Brooks and Hall make this Cougars offense a tough one to defend, so the chess match between BYU and defensive coordinator Al Golden will be one to watch on Saturday night.
Ben Bywater
Ben Bywater is the kind of linebacker you can build your whole defense around, and in 2022, the statistics are there to prove it. Not only is Bywater leading the Cougars in tackles, but he also has a sack and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with two, showing his incredible versatility.
Max Tooley is another linebacker the Irish offense needs to worry about, as he is second in tackles, and has two defensive touchdowns to his name this season. BYU’s defense can struggle at times, especially against the run, but this linebacker unit could be as good as any in the country right now.