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Friday’s news about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the BYU Cougars getting closer to playing a game (possibly in 2022 in Las Vegas) really started a buzz on the internet. Irish fans were excited at the thought of a game in Sin City where they will have a chance to walk into the confession booth with a full list, and BYU fans just want a game against ND — but are still moaning for a game in Provo.
As it has been discussed many times before, the Irish owe BYU a game in Provo and have had talks over the years about when that may possibly happen. As much as opposing fans hate Notre Dame, they absolutely love them in their respective home stadiums. It’s a marquee game, and creates all the buzz and excitement you could possibly want in a college football game on your home field.
One BYU alum, in particular, took the opportunity on Friday to trash talk about BYU’s 2004 20-17 win in Provo over the Tyrone Willingham led Notre Dame team. That alum was former BYU linebacker Brady Poppinga who played in the 2004 game, and he had a special tweet for Cougar fans.
To all cougar Nation hoping to see a matchup of @BYUfootball vs. @NDFootball at Lavel Edwards Stadium, I would like to apologize on behalf of the 2004 BYU football team that absolutely kicked the living crap out of Notre Dame when they came into LES. They have PTSD from that game https://t.co/oUmgTTkinO
— Brady Poppinga (@BradyPoppinga) July 9, 2021
“Kicking the living crap out of Notre Dame,” meant the first game of a 6-6 Irish campaign — a game that saw both teams rush for a combined 33 yards (Darius Walker did not play in this game), while neither gained more than 285 yards total on the day.
It was also a 3 point game.
This didn’t sit well with former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, and he wasn’t about to let his brother-in-law’s former Green Bay Packers teammate get away with this weak stuff without being called out.
I guess by @BYUfootball standards a 3 point victory is kicking the crap out of a team. Full disclosure, we primarily prepared for @UMichFootball all TC. I didn’t do enough to help us win in 2004… 2005 tho lol…was fun. Should have been 7/8 TDs if @charlieweissr didnt pull us
— Brady Quinn (@Brady_Quinn) July 10, 2021
That 49-23 ass whooping in 2005 was the perfect response to the disaster in 2004. Quinn set records that day along with former Irish WR Maurice Stovall and it set right the crappy performance of the year earlier.
Poppinga snapped right back:
The fact that you responded to that tweet tells a different story bud. remember, you only got within 3 points cuz your defense scored seven for you late in the game. After that 1st quarter never felt the game was in the balance. And yeah, we were overly focused on Stanford too.
— Brady Poppinga (@BradyPoppinga) July 10, 2021
For the record... BYU lost to Stanford the very next week by a score of 37-10, and Quinn let him know about it.
And yeah we actually beat that @UMichFootball team that next week, how’d that @StanfordFball game go for you?!
— Brady Quinn (@Brady_Quinn) July 10, 2021
Quinn fired another bullet, but even though the sentiment was on point, Poppinga was in the NFL in 2005.
Lol. Can’t let you tell lies. And Weren’t you there in 2005 for history??? How’d that feel, lol
— Brady Quinn (@Brady_Quinn) July 10, 2021
And all of this is just funny.
BYU fans actually believe to their core that in some way Notre Dame is “scared” to play them in Provo. Since that 2005 game, the teams have played two more times — both were Irish wins and both were in South Bend. And now, with this Vegas game seeming more and more likely, they’re feeling pretty bitter about their true place in the college football pantheon — which is about several rungs below Notre Dame. That’s why BYU will willingly allow what was supposed to be a game on their home field to be moved to Vegas. They want a premier game as an Independent because they don’t have the status to get a schedule like Notre Dame’s to help their national prestige.
Bummer.
Poppinga had every right to say what he said, and so did Quinn. God bless college football and this planet’s non-stop holy wars.