Nick Saban has seen just about everything in college football, but BYU’s upset of Notre Dame still left a lasting impression on him. The ESPN College GameDay analyst was in Provo last weekend when the No. 8 Cougars stunned the No. 2 Fighting Irish 28-24 at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, the legendary former Alabama coach said nothing in his time on the show has matched it.

“That was the most excitement and energy and passion that I’ve seen, you know, in college football since I’ve been on the show,” Saban said. “Of course, when I was coaching, you never saw that part of the game.”

"That was the most excitement and passion that I've seen since I've been on College GameDay..

That BYU team plays with so much confidence and it starts with Coach Sitake" ~ Coach Saban#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/n7HFNjjCh0

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 23, 2026

Saban, now in his third season on GameDay, pointed to BYU head coach Kalani Sitake as the driving force behind the Cougars’ fearless performance.

“The leadership there, the coach, I mean, he’s like dancing before the freaking game,” Saban said. “I see that kind of confidence, and I didn’t see a lot of guys that were tight or had a lot of anxiety the way they went out there and played and competed in the game. I think that’s a reflection of his leadership and the way he goes about coaching his team, and a confidence they have in themselves.”

That confidence showed up when it mattered most. Down late, BYU put together a 10-play, 55-yard drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Bear Bachmeier to tight end Walker Lyons with 1:47 left. The defense then held on as CJ Carr’s final throw sailed past Jaden Greathouse as time expired, sending fans pouring onto the field.

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Bachmeier was spectacular, throwing for 224 yards and a touchdown, running for two more scores and even hauling in a touchdown catch on a backward pass. He became the first FBS player in 30 years to record a rushing, passing and receiving touchdown against an AP Top 5 opponent in the same game.

Notre Dame was the highest-ranked opponent BYU has beaten since No. 1 Miami in 1990. The win also sent the Cougars soaring to No. 2 in the AP Top 25, their highest ranking since their 1984 national championship season.

Now 6-0, BYU will try to stay unbeaten when it faces UCF on Saturday.