On offense, BYU will be missing its heartbeat, RB LJ Martin, along with starting LT Andrew Gentry for the second straight week. They were able to get by last week against Iowa State, in large part due to QB Bear Bachmeier’s dual-threat abilities, but the Notre Dame defense will provide a different level of test for this unit. Defensively, they were also able to maintain a high level of play against the Cyclones last week despite several key players with injuries.

On Monday, August 3rd, Notre Dame and USC announced the renewal of the historic Jeweled Shillelagh trophy after the talks had fizzled out this past offseason. The Trojan Athletic Department had pushed heavily for a late-season matchup against the Irish, as a USC win would likely fare better in the playoff race. However, Notre Dame strongly pushed for an early-season matchup.

EDGE Darieon Prescott announced his commitment to Notre Dame live on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday.

OL Albert Simien announced his commitment to Notre Dame on Friday morning live on SportsCenter, giving the Irish a huge recruiting win in the SEC’s backyard.