Saturday night in Provo, Utah, the heart of Notre Dame faithful was ripped out again. In the first half, it looked like another big game meltdown. The Irish were just out of sorts, conceding a 21-10 lead to the Cougars. In the second half, they gave hope they would get that long-wanted, top-ten road win. They chipped away at the BYU lead, even taking control 24-21. The Cougars would retake a lead late that they never relinquished, beating Notre Dame 28-24.

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.

The Notre Dame fanbase is quite accustomed to hate from opposing fans; however, the banter from the BYU faithful has been more reserved and intelligent than the average weekly feud.

This Saturday, October 17th, No. 2 Notre Dame will travel westward to take on No. 8 BYU in front of ESPN College GameDay in Provo, Utah. This matchup will mark the second instance in which both teams are currently ranked for the matchup. The Irish have dominated the series, beating the Cougars seven out of the nine total games played between the two. Now, the tension and anticipation rise as incense in front of the Golden Canyon backdrop; let's visit what makes this top-ten m