Miami’s perfect run is over, and the timing makes the sting even sharper. The Hurricanes dropped a 31-24 decision at No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday, a loss that not only ended the unbeaten season but also leaves Miami waiting on Tuesday’s College Football Playoff rankings with plenty of uncertainty hanging over it.
The comeback effort had real juice, but it wasn’t enough. Miami erased a 21-point deficit after falling behind 24-3 early in the third quarter, with quarterback Darian Mensah throwing three second-half touchdowns to pull the Hurricanes within one score. Without injured star receiver Malachi Toney, Cooper Barkate delivered a huge night with 10 catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and tight end Elija Lofton was just as dangerous, finishing with seven receptions for 113 yards and another score.
Notre Dame had answers all night. CJ Carr went 29 of 40 for 319 yards and three touchdowns, while Micah Gilbert caught nine passes for 98 yards and two scores.
Miami never got Carr on the ground, finishing without a sack and with only one quarterback hurry. That marked the fourth straight opponent to throw for at least 300 yards against the Hurricanes.
The game turned on a controversial fourth-down incompletion to Lofton in the end zone with less than four minutes left, ending Miami’s push.
Now the Hurricanes turn back home, where Duke visits Saturday at noon ET on ABC. Duke comes in at 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC.
The loss also figures to hit Miami hard in the playoff picture. The Hurricanes entered the weekend at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, but the defeat to Notre Dame should send them tumbling out of the top five.
Around them, several teams strengthened their cases: No. 2 Georgia beat No.
10 Ole Miss 42-7, No. 3 Utah stayed unbeaten with a 28-20 win over No.
9 BYU, No. 8 UCLA moved to 9-0 with a 34-20 victory over Minnesota, No.
5 Alabama handled No. 14 LSU 31-13, and No.
23 Oregon upset No. 12 Ohio State 41-28.
Wake Forest, the ACC’s other team in the initial CFP rankings at No. 16, also improved to 8-1 after a 77-0 win over Merrimack.
There was at least one positive update out of Saturday’s loss. Miami coach Mario Cristobal said Malachi Toney’s ankle surgery went well and that a return in about four weeks is still possible.
"Timeline is as soon as four, four and a half weeks from procedure time," Cristobal said after the game.
Earlier in the week, Miami landed a major recruiting win when five-star wide receiver Brysen Wright committed to the Hurricanes over Florida and Texas. Wright also announced that he is reclassifying from the 2028 recruiting cycle to the 2027 class. Before the move, Rivals Industry Ranking had him as the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver and No. 3 overall prospect in 2028.
Miami’s football disappointment came alongside a mixed NFL weekend for ProCanes. Rueben Bain Jr. forced a key fourth-quarter fumble for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Chicago receiver Luther Burden III, setting up a touchdown and two-point conversion that tied the game at 24, though Tampa Bay later lost 27-24 on a last-second field goal.
Akheem Mesidor had two tackles, including one solo stop, in the Los Angeles Chargers’ 44-22 loss to Houston. Kamren Kinchens recorded one tackle as the Los Angeles Rams beat Washington 20-13.
Andy Borregales made all three of his extra points in New England’s 45-27 loss to Green Bay. Greg Rousseau and the Buffalo Bills were set to face the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
Around the program, Miami men’s basketball bounced back Friday with an 83-57 win over Wagner after opening the season with a 77-67 loss to No. 1 Florida.
Shelton Henderson led the way with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, plus five assists and three steals. Malik Reneau added 12 points, and Caleb Gaskins chipped in 11 points and six rebounds.
The Hurricanes host North Florida tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Miami women’s basketball stayed unbeaten Sunday, rolling past Stetson 79-39 to move to 3-0 under Tricia Cullop. Gal Raviv scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, Ahnay Adams had 14, and Amarachi Kimpson added 10.
The Hurricanes are back home Thursday against Saint Peter’s at 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
The weekend also brought a strong showing from Miami volleyball, which beat No. 23 Stanford in five sets Friday before sweeping California on Sunday.
Women’s soccer closed its regular season Thursday with a 1-0 loss at No. 6 Notre Dame, finishing 10-5-3 overall and 4-4-2 in ACC play.
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 🡒]