BYU’s Todd Watkins hauls in a must have go towards tight protection by Notre Dame’s Dwight Ellick. This reception allowed BYU to maintain the ball and run out the clock to beat Notre Dame 20-17 on Sept. 4. 2004. Stuart Johnson, Deseret Information
BYU coach LaVell Edwards and Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz speak at midfield following recreation Oct. 15, 1994. Mark Philbrick, BYU Photograph
After he was one of many prime 10 highschool quarterbacks within the nation out of Redmond, Washington, in 1999, Matt Berry’s profession at BYU didn’t go in addition to the previous Prep Star All-American would have favored.
Numerous accidents, resembling two damaged fingers, derailed Berry’s time in Provo, and the 6-foot-5 signal-caller ultimately gave technique to future NFL second-round draft choose John Beck.
“It was a beautiful recreation. We had been lucky to get a victory. We had a really stable crew with (Todd) Watkins, (Austin) Collie, Dennis Pitta, Brady Poppinga, who had a few sacks, some excellent gamers who would go on to do extremely nicely within the NFL.” — Former BYU QB Matt Berry on the Cougars’ 20-17 win over Notre Dame in 2004
However Berry will all the time have the evening of Sept. 4, 2004, at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
“I believe that was undoubtedly my signature win,” Berry informed the Deseret Information on Monday.
And it got here towards the mighty Notre Dame Combating Irish, no much less.
Taking on for Beck within the second quarter of the season opener after Beck had suffered a shoulder damage, Berry threw a 42-yard landing go to Austin Collie — the primary TD catch of Collie’s good profession — and a game-sealing 37-yard go to Todd Watkins to carry the Cougars to a 20-17 win in entrance of a standing-room-only crowd of 65,251 in Provo.
That win, in what can be the ultimate seasons for BYU coach Gary Crowton and Irish coach Tyrone Willingham, was BYU’s second over the Irish after the Cougars surprised ND 21-14 at Notre Dame Stadium in 1994. It nonetheless stands because the Cougars’ final win within the sequence.
Notre Dame has received the final three matchups, all performed in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish received revenge in 2005 with a 49-23 win as Charlie Weis’ crew crushed Bronco Mendenhall’s crew within the shadow of Landing Jesus.
After BYU joined Notre Dame as a university soccer impartial in 2011, the Irish received by scores of 17-14 and 23-13 in 2012 and 2013, respectively, within the first two video games of what was purported to be a six-game sequence between 2012 and 2020.
Which brings us to 2022. The No. 16 Cougars and 2-2 Notre Dame will sq. off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MDT in Las Vegas within the ninth assembly between the faith-based faculties. Notre Dame leads the sequence 6-2.
Berry, now dwelling in Sandy, Utah, together with his former Cougarette spouse and the CEO of a well being care software program firm he co-founded, mentioned he might be there in Sin Metropolis, cheering on the Cougs.
The daddy of three daughters closely concerned in sports activities would possibly simply share a few of his reminiscences from the breakthrough 2004 win, as he did with the Deseret Information the opposite evening.
“It was a beautiful recreation. We had been lucky to get a victory,” Berry mentioned. “We had a really stable crew with Watkins, Collie, Dennis Pitta, Brady Poppinga, who had a few sacks, some excellent gamers who would go on to do extremely nicely within the NFL.”
Berry remembers glancing into the gang earlier than the sport, and though it didn’t match the 1993 crowd of 66,247 — the most important crowd in stadium historical past — that watched No. 3 Notre Dame pummel the Cougars 45-20 in Provo, it was extra packed than he had ever seen it.
“I keep in mind the awe of enjoying Notre Dame and having them come to Provo,” he mentioned. “It was the most individuals (at LES) in a protracted, very long time. I keep in mind it was standing-room-only.”
BYU jumped forward 20-3 within the third quarter after Collie’s large TD and withstood a giant Notre Dame comeback engineered by quarterback Brady Quinn. BYU took over with 2:23 remaining and was capable of run out the clock, because of Watkins’ large catch.
“I keep in mind coach Crowton mentioned, ‘Hey, simply throw it so far as you may to Watkins,’” Berry mentioned. “That was once I was throwing with type of half a hand (because of the fracture suffered the earlier season towards New Mexico) however it received the job achieved. Watkins made an unbelievable leaping catch to offer us the primary down and we kinda grinded out the clock from there.”
Berry mentioned due to leaders resembling punter Matt Payne (who pinned the Irish inside their 20 six instances), Fahu Tahi, Curtis Brown, Daniel Coats, Cameron Jensen and Aaron Francisco, the Cougars had been “not intimidated in any respect” about enjoying the Irish.
“There's some type of heightened respect with Notre Dame, whether or not you go there or everytime you play them,” he mentioned. “I might say it's a heightened respect because of the legacy they've, however there was zero intimidation. No matter what the (odds had been), or what the expectations had been round us, the sensation within the locker room was that we had been going to win.”
Crowton mentioned after the 2004 recreation that it's “so enjoyable” to beat Notre Dame “simply because it's such a storied program,” and predicted the victory would give the Cougars momentum to place collectively a terrific season. However that didn’t occur. BYU misplaced 37-10 to Stanford the next week — Berry suffered one other hand damage the third play of the sport and was changed by third-string QB Jason Beck after which fourth-stringer Jackson Brown — to start a three-game slide that included a 42-10 loss to Reggie Bush and No. 1 USC in Provo and a 28-27 loss to No. 21 Boise State at Albertsons Stadium.
Berry returned for his senior season in 2005 when it was obvious John Beck was going to be the clearcut starter, bypassing alternatives to go elsewhere, and the Cougars made a return go to to South Bend. No. 9 Notre Dame pounded the Cougars 49-23, with Quinn racking up 467 passing yards.
Was Sept. 4, 2004, his proudest second as a Cougar?
“I don’t know, possibly,” he mentioned. “I'm nonetheless proud to be a Cougar. I don’t suppose it's any secret that I had a chance to go elsewhere, however didn’t. I'm very pleased with that. … It was a win individuals nonetheless speak about, or carry as much as me. They keep in mind how thrilling that recreation was, and simply being there to see all of it.”
And watch the final time BYU beat Notre Dame.
Reliving the 1994 win at Notre Dame
In fact, BYU’s win in Provo that September evening wasn’t the primary time the upstarts from out West knocked off the Mighty Irish.
On Oct. 15, 1994, BYU traveled to South Bend after having been walloped 42-16 and 45-20 by the Irish in 1992 and 1993 and rode off with a 21-14 win over No. 17 Notre Dame that turned referred to as the start of the top for legendary Irish coach Lou Holtz.
Present coach Kalani Sitake was a real freshman on that squad that received a two-yard landing run from Jamal Willis with 14:57 remaining within the recreation to take a 19-14 lead. Hema Heimuli’s two-point conversion run capped the scoring and the Cougars carried their very own legendary coach, LaVell Edwards, off the sphere on their shoulders.
“That was enjoyable. You're going towards Lou Holtz. You're going towards a program that once I was in highschool we had a number of guys within the St. Louis space that performed for Notre Dame. So simply seeing all the things there in South Bend was superior,” Sitake recalled Monday.
“Being a real freshman and enjoying in that recreation was a number of enjoyable. I believe there's a scene, an image the place Jamal Willis is leaping over the purpose line, and my children noticed the image. It's framed up right here (within the BYU soccer places of work foyer) someplace. Jamal is leaping in for a landing.
BYU coach LaVell Edwards and Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz speak at midfield following recreation Oct. 15, 1994.
Mark Philbrick, BYU Photograph
“My spouse (pointed to the image) and mentioned there's daddy. My child factors at Jamal and I say, ‘No, I'm the man down right here blocking for Jamal leaping excessive.’”
Sitake mentioned he nonetheless remembers how nicely Notre Dame followers handled the Cougars, though BYU had damaged by way of with the historic win.
“I used to be so impressed by the Notre Dame followers,” he mentioned. “A lot class. Getting off the bus and them clapping for us, it was such a cool setting. Even once we left with the win, standing ovation once we left.
“They actually appreciated the best way we performed that recreation,” he continued. “Only a nice setting, nice historical past behind it. Simply trying ahead to enjoying them once more and seeing their fanbase in that stadium, blended with ours. It'll be a number of enjoyable.
“It's a soccer recreation, so it will be intense. However there's going to be a number of respect and sportsmanship and sophistication I do know from the followers and undoubtedly from the gamers on the sphere.”
Cougars on the air
No. 16 BYU (4-1)
vs.Notre Dame (2-2)
Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MDT
Allegiant Stadium
Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: NBC
Radio: KSL NewsRadio 102.7 FM/1160 AM