Bear Bachmeier Says Notre Dame 'Disrespected' His Family While He Was in HS, BYU QB Kept 'Receipts'

BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier went into Saturday's game against Notre Dame with some added motivation.

"Out of high school, Notre Dame disrespected me and my family pretty badly, and I wasn't going to lose to those guys," the sophomore told reporters following the Cougars' 28-24 victory over the second-ranked Fighting Irish. "There was no way I was going to lose to those guys tonight."

Bachmeier added he had "some receipts kept" but declined to specify on the source of the disrespect:

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Taking down the No. 2 team in the country at home is always a massive occasion. Immediately after the game ended, it was apparent the result carried even more meaning for Bachmeier.

The Cougars star was instrumental in the win. He threw for 224 yards, one touchdown and an interception, and he ran for 45 yards and two scores. His six-yard TD pass to Walker Lyons proved to be the decisive score.

Bachmeier originally enrolled at Stanford before enrolling at BYU ahead of the 2025 season. The firing of Cardinal coach Troy Taylor gave he and brother Tiger a window to exit in the spring.

Notre Dame was among the schools that offered Bachmeier a scholarship during his high school recruiting process. The Fighting Irish had signed CJ Carr during the 2024 cycle, so he may not have been a top priority for coach Marcus Freeman and his staff.

The school's pursuit of Bachmeier was one of the subplots coming into Saturday's highly anticipated clash.

"When I think about Bear, you could see him on film in high school," Freeman told reporters . "He had a strong arm; he was a gifted quarterback that had strengths in the run and the pass."

The coach added that Bachmeier "comes from a great family."

Perhaps the coming days will bring more context to Bachmeier's postgame remarks. Until then, fans are left to speculate why he had such a large chip on his shoulder.