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Wednesday, April 22, 2026
The Observer

Sports




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Cashing out in Vegas: Notre Dame brings home a hard-fought win against No. 16 BYU

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It was a monumental night for the Fighting Irish out in Las Vegas as they took down No. 16 BYU 28-20 in front of a 62,742 crowd at the NFL’s Allegiant Stadium. The Irish have never lost a Shamrock Series game, and they continued this perfect streak in last night’s 11th matchup. Referring to the night as a “great win for the program,” Dick Corbett head coach Marcus Freeman was proud his team was able to be part of such a special Notre Dame tradition in an electric Allegiant Stadium atmosphere.  


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Jayden Thomas steps up for Irish when it matters

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After some key departures at wide receiver last season and a couple of injuries, there were a lot of question marks surrounding Notre Dame’s wide receivers this season. In Saturday night’s win over No. 16 BYU, it was sophomore wide receiver Jayden Thomas that stepped up for the Irish. Thomas finished the night with 74 yards, which included a highlight reel touchdown catch at the end of the first half.


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Irish lose and draw to open hockey season

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This weekend the Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey team traveled to Colorado to play a pair of local teams in the Ice Breaker Tournament. In Friday’s matchup, the Irish squared off against the Denver Pioneers, a program with a longstanding hockey tradition. The Pioneers are the defending national champions and entered the season ranked No. 1. It was a big test for the Irish at the very beginning of the year, playing a quality team on the road. 




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Notre Dame topples BYU in Bible Brawl: 5 key moments

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Allegiant Stadium was electric and energy-filled tonight from both BYU and Notre Dame as 62,742 fans witnessed a close match of college football in the 2022 Shamrock Series. Ultimately, the Irish saw victory over the Cougars, 28-20. They never lost the lead, but the win was not always certain. It would not be a Notre Dame game without a borderline heart attack in the second half, and this game certainly fit the bill. The Irish offense did their job consistently well, except in the red zone where Tommy Rees’ questionable play-calling left points off the board. The defense fell short in the second half and cost the team a substantial lead, but the Irish were able to pull it together and perform when it mattered most. Notre Dame showed what they could do on offense — something Irish fans have been waiting to see. The defense was frustratingly inconsistent but created the 4th down stop when needed.



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‘Creating chaos’: Kiser ready to lead Irish over BYU

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The linebacker room will be one man short for the first half of this week’s game as J.D. Bertrand got called for targeting again against the Tar Heels two weeks ago. The rest of the squad has practiced filling in for the senior captain, shifting over and running different packages but a lot of those adjustments have fallen on graduate student Jack Kiser. 


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'I still love what I do': Patterson provides leadership amidst adversity 

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In a public display of anger and frustration, fifth-year senior offensive lineman and captain Jarrett Patterson stormed off the field after the clock hit zero in Notre Dame’s devastating 26-21 loss to Marshall last month. Patterson had a rough game at left guard, only adding to his turmoil.  Ripping off his jersey and having to be forcibly pulled back for the alma mater seemed inappropriate to many Irish fans — especially for a captain. Nevertheless, as time has passed, Patterson has taken it as a learning situation and described the emotions he felt that day.


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Keys to victory: BYU

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The Irish return to action after their bye week in a Shamrock Series showdown against No. 16 BYU in Las Vegas. The Irish looked impressive in their road victory over UNC, but they will need to be on top of their game this weekend against a very talented Cougars team. Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for the Irish this weekend.


The Observer

Observer sports staff predicts Notre Dame-BYU

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After a bye week, I'm trying to control my optimism and remind myself that UNC’s defense is abysmal. But there were a lot of things that looked a whole lot better against the Tar Heels two weeks ago, and with an extra week to make adjustments, I like the Irish's chances in Vegas. Notre Dame has never lost a Shamrock Series game. They're also 6-2 against BYU and have never given up more than 23 points.


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Shamrock Series presents unique recruiting opportunities for Notre Dame

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As the Irish prepare to take the field in Las Vegas on Saturday, their primary focus will be earning a much-needed statement win over BYU. However, the annual Shamrock Series game presents a unique opportunity for Notre Dame to showcase their brand to fans and recruits who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to see the Irish play close to home. 


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Thomas: Seven Irish players who need to step up after the bye week

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After a sluggish start, the Notre Dame football team has begun to turn things around. A gritty, if closer than desired, win over Cal pushed the Irish into the win column. A week later, head coach Marcus Freeman and Co. went on the road as underdogs and decimated UNC. Now, after a week off, the boys in the blue and gold, or should we say white and gold, head to Vegas. The game feels like a make-or-break moment in this season.



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Near misses costly as Irish fall to Indiana, 1-0

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On Wednesday night, Notre Dame men’s soccer traveled to Bloomington for a non-conference game against in-state rival Indiana. The Irish came within inches of goals on several occasions but were ultimately unable to get in the scoring column, suffering a 1-0 loss. The game had originally been scheduled for Sept. 3 but was postponed due to inclement weather conditions. The defeat moved the Irish to 5-4-1 (2-2) on the season, while the Hoosiers improved to 5-2-3.