Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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18 OCT. 15, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TYLER HORKA N o t re Da m e w i l l h ave b e s t player on the field in most games it plays in 2022. That player made all the difference in a 28-20 victory for the Fighting Irish in yet another Shamrock Series suc- cess story at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. His name is Michael Mayer. And he might be the best tight end in the country. "He's not a finished product, and that's tough to say for a guy who holds probably every record for tight ends at Notre Dame," Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said. He's getting there, though. In a city where performers transform into folklore legends in a variety of en- terprises, there was no such transfor- mation necessary for Mayer even if his head coach said he's not a finished product. All 62,742 in attendance al- ready knew what Mayer was capable of. He proved it on a platform akin to the way Floyd Mayweather would have in a boxing ring across the street at T- Mobile Arena or Bill Burr would have on a comedy stage at the Laugh Factory farther down The Strip. Best of the best type of stuff in Sin City. Mayer caught 11 passes for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. His sixth catch of the night, which was his first touch- down, set the school record for all- time receptions by a tight end (141). He passed Tyler Eifert. His 10th catch of the night set a Notre Dame single- game record for tight end receptions. The record-setting outing was made possible by the passing prowess of ju- nior quarterback Drew Pyne, making his third career start. Pyne completed 22 of 28 throws for 262 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. "The reason I'm so comfortable out there is because I love each and every one of the guys I'm on the field with," Pyne said. "They're all my best friends, and that just makes me really comfort- able to go operate." Pyne outdueled BYU's Jaren Hall largely because Notre Dame controlled the ball for 40:55 to BYU's 19:05. Hall connected on only 9 of 17 passes for 120 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 in- terception. The Notre Dame ground game once again dictated tempo with 45 rushing attempts for 234 yards (5.2 yards per carry). Defensive lapses such as allowing BYU to gain 20 yards on third-and-18 from its own 5-yard line and a 53-yard passing touchdown over the middle of the field ultimately did not matter. The Irish had the game won with Pyne, Mayer and the three-headed running back monster of Audric Estime (14 car- ries for 97 yards), Logan Diggs (17 car- ries for 93 yards) and Chris Tyree (11 carries for 42 yards). A decisive defensive stop on fourth- and-1 from the Notre Dame 27 with less than 4 minutes left went a long way, too. "This was a great example of the O- line and D-line driving the culture," Freeman said. FIRST QUARTER BYU 6, NOTRE DAME 3 Top Moment: On the very first play from scrimmage, graduate student cor- nerback TaRiq Bracy intercepted BYU's Hall at midfield and returned it to the BYU 44. Feature Performer: Five of Mayer's 11 receptions came in the first quar- ter. He was targeted an additional two times. He had 49 receiving yards in the first frame. Stats: Notre Dame outgained BYU 83 to 46 in total yards. Only 2 of BYU's yards were through the air. The Irish controlled the ball for 9:10. Items: Graduate student kicker Blake Grupe connected on a 26-yard field goal after Notre Dame's drive following the interception stalled … A 42-yard punt return set BYU up on the Notre Dame 26; the Cougars scored a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 2 to capi- talize on the big special teams play … Pyne found Mayer for 11 yards on third- and-9 to keep an eventual scoring drive alive late in the quarter. SECOND QUARTER NOTRE DAME 18, BYU 6 Top Moment: Pyne floated a pass to- ward the left pylon that Mayer went up and got for a 24-yard touchdown. It was the record-breaking connection, too. Feature Performer: Pyne threw 2 of his 3 touchdowns in the second quar- ter. He had 110 passing yards and com- pleted all 7 of his attempts. Stats: Notre Dame outgained BYU 176 to 17. Notre Dame averaged 8.0 yards per play to BYU's 1.9. Notre Dame was 4 of 5 on third down, while BYU was 0 of 2. The Irish possessed the ball for 12:22. I te m s : E s t i m e wa s s t u f fe d o n fourth-and-1 from the BYU 4 with just less than 7 minutes left in the quarter, so the Irish came away empty-handed on a 10-play, 68-yard drive … It didn't matter because Notre Dame sacked Hall for a safety on the very next play and went on to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession … Sophomore wide receiver Jayden Thomas caught the first touchdown of his career on a 30-yard fade in which he wrestled the ball away over a defender … Notre Dame was un- successful on a two-point conversion. THIRD QUARTER NOTRE DAME 25, BYU 13 Top Moment: Mayer caught his sec- ond touchdown of the game from 19 yards out when Pyne put the ball in a perfect spot. MONEY MAYER Tight end Michael Mayer shines under bright Sin City lights in Notre Dame's 28-20 victory over BYU Mayer delivered a signature performance with 11 catches for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Cougars. PHOTO BY DAVID BECKER