Provo • Rece Davis has covered plenty of games in Utah, but Saturday’s top-10 tilt between No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 8 BYU may come with a unique first.

Davis arrived in Provo early as part of ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew, where he’ll host the popular pregame studio show from the grass outside Heritage Halls on BYU’s campus.

There’s plenty Davis likes about this week’s “GameDay” stop, including an “electric” crowd and the return of former ESPN colleague and BYU quarterback Steve Young as the celebrity guest picker.

“He was like a daredevil on the field,” Davis said. “He was like Cosmo before Cosmo started doing stunts. I want to see that kind of energy from Steve on Saturday.”

But before all that, the host really wants to try his first dirty soda.

“I hope I’m a man of few vices,” Davis told local media Friday. “But my primary vice is Diet Dr Pepper, and I drink it straight or on the rocks. So we’re going to find out if I can live with this ‘dirty soda’ concept.

“I hear it’s a wonderful thing,” he added. “And I hear there’s one close.”

Of course, in between his trip (or trips) to Swig, Davis also has a game to preview.

Notre Dame leads the overall series with BYU, 7-2, including a 28-20 win four years ago in Las Vegas.

BYU starting quarterback Bear Bachmeier was a rising sophomore at Murrieta Valley High School then. Four years later, he’ll try to lead the Cougars to a win in what many are calling the biggest home game in program history.

With Bachmeier’s running ability and BYU’s total defense that ranks No. 7 nationally, the Cougars might have just a chance against the Irish, according to ESPN analyst Steve Coughlin.

“Bear’s played in big games before,” he said. “You’ve got to rely on your quarterback and your defense if you’re going to upset a top-five team.”

Coughlin, better known as “Stanford Steve” at ESPN, was more reticent about Utah’s dirty soda trend than Davis.

But in addition to taking a drive up Provo Canyon and visiting Sundance Mountain Resort to take in Utah’s “picturesque” scenery, he’s also dissected plenty of film — and there’s a lot to like about Bachmeier.

The former Stanford tight end highlighted Bachmeier’s dual-threat nature, his 15-2 record as a starter and his role in leading the Cougars to the Big 12 championship game as a true freshman.

Coughlin also hasn’t forgotten where the BYU quarterback was before his move to Provo.

“I’m just a little biased, because you guys stole Taysom Hill from Stanford, and then you stole Bear Bachmeier, so it’s hurting,” Coughlin said cheekily.

“The list is long,” he added when reminded that defensive end Nusi Taumoepeau also flipped his commitment from Stanford before signing with the Cougars.

Bachmeier will need help, of course. But not just from Legend Glasker, a potential return of Sione Moa and a defense led by Cade Uluave, Cannon DeVries and Evan Johnson.

Coughlin mentioned BYU’s “Roar of Cougars” student section and the expected capacity crowd of 62,073 awaiting the Irish.

“Keep the crowd involved,” he said. “I think a lead would be huge. If (BYU) can play with a lead, we haven’t seen Notre Dame much without one, and we know their streak of winning games by double-digits.”

Win or lose, how BYU performs against the Irish won’t just say a lot about the Cougars. It will also shine a spotlight on — or be used as an indictment of — the Big 12.

“I think the Big 12 is sneaky deep and good this year,” Davis said, “largely because there’s a really good collection of quarterbacks. This is the ultimate team game, but try winning these games without a good quarterback. And there are a lot of them in the Big 12.”

Bachmeier is among them. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr is no slouch, either. Carr currently has the third-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy.

“Bear’s big and physical,” Davis said. “I think he’s really improved as a passer.

“I think CJ is just a surgeon. He’s getting better all the time. He’s a little more athletic than you think, though he’s certainly not the runner that Bear is, but he’s a tremendous passer.”

The result of the game will shine a spotlight on BYU’s playoff chances, too. Are the Cougars another nice story out of Provo, or a bona fide contender in the Big 12 and beyond? The 10.5-point underdogs may not need to win to establish themselves.

Of course, it wouldn’t hurt.

Plenty of college football judgments will be cast from Saturday’s prime-time game at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and not just the ones Davis makes if he takes his first trip to the drive-thru to sample Utah’s sugary soda,

But like BYU’s offense or potential CFP odds, he’s willing to embrace it.

“Diet Dr Pepper is clearly the nectar of the gods — and I don’t even have a deal with them,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve never gotten one free can of Diet Dr. Pepper, or been in their ‘Fansville’ commercials. Do you think Lane Kiffin drinks Diet Dr. Pepper? There’s no shot of that. But you know I do, and I get nothing.”