Miami’s trip to Notre Dame gave Darian Mensah a little bit of everything: a rough start, a furious response, and one mistake that swung the game back the other way.
The Hurricanes were already staring at a 24-3 hole on the road when Mensah began to settle in. He didn’t look like the Heisman frontrunner early, but the second half turned into a different story. After Miami clawed back into the game, Mensah helped fuel the surge - until his second interception of the season stopped the momentum cold.
With Miami trailing 24-17, Mensah had Elija Lofton open on an out route, but the throw sailed behind him and was picked off. It was the kind of turnover that can erase a comeback in a heartbeat, and this one did exactly that.
Mensah didn’t hide from it afterward.
“Yeah, it’s definitely encouraging, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to start faster,” Mensah said after the game in review. “I’ve got to play better.
Can’t turn it over in those situations. I’m really just hurting for our guys right now.”
The first half was a slog for Miami’s quarterback. He completed 50% of his passes and managed just 74 yards before the break.
Then the game flipped. In the second half, Mensah threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns on 18-31 attempts, giving Miami a real shot at pulling off a near-historic win.
Even without their superstar receiver, the Hurricanes found other playmakers stepping up and producing at a high level. But once the go-ahead score never came, the comeback effort eventually ran out of road.
“Just backs against the wall,” Mensah said. “You know, we didn’t have any other option but to go.
You know, I’m proud of our guys for the way we fought back. Obviously wasn’t enough and it hurts, but we got to use it going into next week.
Miami now turns the page and gets ready for Duke next week, with Mensah set to face a red-hot, hungry team - the same one he and Cooper Barkate left at the last minute to go.
In Other News...
Miami Suddenly Faces A Bigger Test Than Just One Loss
A night that began with No. 1 on the scoreboard and in the rankings ended with Miami taking a 31-24 loss to Notre Dame and sliding to No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25. The bigger concern, though, may have come off the field, where the Hurricanes were already trying to absorb the absence of star receiver Malachi Toney, who sat out with a high ankle sprain.
Miami still controls a path back into the College Football Playoff conversation, but it is now a narrower one. The Hurricanes likely need to handle the rest of their schedule and add an ACC title to stay in the hunt, and doing that without Toney for the regular season makes the margin for error even thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Cristobal Sounds Off After Miamis Most Infuriating Moment At Notre Dame
Mario Cristobal had plenty to say after Miamis trip to Notre Dame ended in frustration, and it started with the play that had the Hurricanes thinking they had forced one more swing at the finish. Elija Lofton appeared to haul in what looked like a game-tying touchdown catch, but officials ruled it incomplete after review, leaving Miami to settle for a 31-24 loss in a game that was already tight enough to hinge on a single call.
Cristobal made his disappointment clear in the postgame press conference, taking issue with the officiating while still congratulating Notre Dame on the win. For Miami, the sting was not just the final score but the way the ending unfolded, with a review that upheld the call and left the Hurricanes replaying what might have been in a loss that will linger well beyond Saturday night. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Faces One Big AP Poll Question After Weekend Shakeup
The weekend reshaped the top of the college football conversation in a hurry, and Miami was right in the middle of it. The Hurricanes loss to No. 4 Notre Dame came as part of a wild slate that also saw No. 11 Ohio State fall to unranked Oregon, while Alabama handled LSU and Tennessee took care of Kentucky, giving the AP poll voters plenty to sort through when the new rankings arrive.
For Miami, the bigger issue is not just the sting of one defeat, but what it means in the broader playoff picture. A No. 1 team losing to another highly ranked opponent is the kind of result that forces a fresh look at the hierarchy, and the Hurricanes now wait to see how much ground they give up in the national conversation after a weekend that changed the shape of the race. [Read more 🡒]