BYU's Matthias Leach says he helped up Notre Dame's Jaden Greathouse to show respect

BYU cornerback Matthias Leach pulled Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse to his feet in the end zone after the Cougars' 28-24 win on Saturday and told him the Fighting Irish had played an incredible game, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. ESPN cameras caught the moment, and the clip had gone viral by Sunday morning. ^[1]

Leach told the Tribune that a few plays earlier he had stood over Greathouse after breaking up a pass and reacted in a way he regretted. "In that very moment, I could've taken the moment to talk mess and let it go," he said, recalling BYU's 17-14 loss to Kansas in 2024. "While the game's going on, I might not like you. But at the end of the game, football brings everyone together." He said he learned the lesson from his high school coach, Keith Houston, at Chisholm Trail High School in Fort Worth, Texas. ^[1]

Leach was on the field because of injuries in the second half, and he finished with two tackles and a pass breakup in the win. Defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga said he was proud of how Leach played and that the performance showed BYU has more depth at corner than the staff thought. Greathouse, Notre Dame's top receiver, had a game-high eight catches for 125 yards. ^[1]

Leach redshirted in 2024, appeared in one game last season and has played a limited role this year, including four tackles and his first career interception in the season-opening 63-7 win over Utah Tech. The Tribune reported that he knew nothing about BYU before former defensive coordinator Jay Hill began recruiting him from Fort Worth. ^[1]