Brigham Young University and Notre Dame have more in common than most would expect at a cursory glance. BYU and ND are both religious institutions that simply don’t “fit in” with the majority of the college athletic landscape, possessing differentness difficult to define but very easily felt. That “differentness” is best described by former Notre Dame head coaching legend, Lou Holtz. “Notre Dame is just special. People ask me to describe it. I say if you’ve been here, no explanation is necessary. If you haven’t been, no explanation will suffice.”
When BYU announced it would become an independent program, the Fighting Irish gained a westerly ally in a rapidly-changing college football landscape. Notre Dame immediately extended a handshake of friendship, signing a six-game series with the Cougars. So what kind of ally has Notre Dame landed?
Bronco Mendenhall took control of BYU’s program in 2005 and has amassed an impressive 79-24 (.767) record. Mendenhall has shepherded the Cougars to seven straight bowl games, a national ranking five times out of the last six seasons and, in the past seven seasons, BYU has won 10 games or more five times.
Initial Impressions
At first glance, BYU’s 8-5 record in 2012 may appear subpar, and arguments have floated around the internet the dip in performance is due to the Cougars being unable to handle an independent schedule. Paul Johnson, head coach of the ACC Coastal Division champions, Georgia Tech, would argue such criticisms hold little to no validity, as BYU crushed Georgia Tech, 41-17 in 2012. And while BYU posted an underwhelming record, the Cougars lost to Notre Dame, Boise State and Utah by a combined total of 9-points.
Biggest Hits
OL, Brayden Kearsley (4-star, Aloha, OR)
Kearsley was the premier signature for BYU in the Class of 2013. BYU’s only 4-star prospect, Kearsley was the 25th best offensive tackle in the nation and the 3rd best overall player in Oregon. His other notable offers included Arizona State, Arkansas, Washington, UCLA and Utah.
DL, JonRhyeem Peoples (3-star, Rigby, ID)
Peoples may not necessarily appear to be an impact signature for BYU based on the fact he wasn’t nationally ranked and only held offers from BYU, Utah and Utah State, but Peoples’ scouting profile tells a different story. The multi-colored hair he boasts implies a personality as big as his 6’6”, 300 pound frame, and Peoples could eventually be a big name and big man up front for the Cougars.
OL, Thomas Shoaf (3-star, Columbus, IN)
The Cougars raided Notre Dame territory for offensive line help, landing Thomas Shoaf, the 65 th ranked offensive tackle in the Class of 2013 and the 15th best overall player in Indiana. Shoaf chose BYU over offers from Ball State, Indiana and Iowa.
Biggest Misses
BYU’s tale of 2012 was two-sided. The Cougars possessed one of the most suffocating defenses in the nation – something Notre Dame experienced first-hand – with the 3rd ranked defense in all of college football. The Cougars’ struggles came courtesy of their offense, which ranked 60 th overall. How to fix such an issue? Mendenhall’s philosophy is offensive production starts first and foremost with the offensive line, which is why BYU signed 8 offensive linemen in the Class of 2013 (four of which were junior college transfers).
Brigham Young’s recruiting miss is actually courtesy of their biggest recruiting coup: 4-star offensive lineman, Brayden Kearsley. While a major signing for the Cougars, BYU is counting on Kearsley to crack the starting lineup as a true freshman, never an ideal situation for any college football program.
Notre Dame vs. BYU Recruiting Battles
| Notre Dame | BYU |
|---|---|
| Eddie Vanderdoes (DL) | None |
Recruiting brouhahas rarely occur between BYU and Notre Dame, as evidenced by the above list, which is relatively misleading. Vanderdoes, a 5-star Notre Dame signee, held offers from most programs, though BYU was never truly in the running for his services. The fact is BYU is not truly a threat on the recruiting trail, as evidenced by BYU’s 70th class ranking in 2013. This, however, is a statistic worth throwing out. Bronco Mendenhall’s Cougars squad consistently performs at a high level regardless of recruiting rankings, and Notre Dame’s come-from-behind victory over BYU this past season serves as a perfect reminder and example.
Overall Summary
Brigham Young University is an important ally and friend to the University of Notre Dame. In addition to having another independent program to schedule, BYU offers continuously quality football. Winning at the collegiate level, as ND head coach Brian Kelly has said on numerous occasions, is not easy, yet Bronco Mendenhall has made it look so during his tenure in Provo. In addition to a tough opponent, BYU offers first-class fans, as the Cougars’ fan base ranks as one of the kindest I have had the pleasure to come across while attending Notre Dame football games.
BYU and Notre Dame have much in common and hopefully a deep and lasting friendship and partnership is in the making.
Scott Janssen is a blogger for the Huffington Post and has authored several nationally-featured articles as well as co-founded a nationally-featured non-profit organization. In his spare time he takes his NCAA Football ’13 online dynasty way too seriously and alienates those around him by discussing football 24 hours a day. Scott can be reached at scottjanssenhp@gmail.com.
First off, I have got to say Notre Dame is a class act. I was rooting for them in the Natty. Secondly, BYU’s class rankings are a bit deceiving as Bronco has very specific criterion for his recruits which reduces his recruiting pool significantly. Therefore, when he finds a recruit that matches all of the above, he offers very early. The recruiting class is generally finished in June with some recruits committing when they are sophomores. As such, many of the recruits don’t participate in the full recruiting circuit thereby receiving high marks. Still not as high as the likes in the SEC and the B10, but still a deceiving recruiting ranking.
My first visitor experience to South Bend was in ’94, I was very impressed with the quality of the Notre Dame fans, everyone was helpful and kind, and even after Notre Dame lost, they were very complimentary of BYU and our fans after the game, proving that class can be found in winning and losing, my return trips were just as enjoyable even as I watched my team lose on those return trips. I wish more fan bases would try to emulate the atmoshphere of sportsmanship that can be found in Southbend during the fall.
BYU has great fans. It was a pleasure sitting by them at the game this past year.
How did Jim McMahon get thru BYU