Miami walked out of South Bend with its first loss of the season, and the 31-24 defeat to Notre Dame came with a familiar mix of frustration and flashes of fight.
The Hurricanes were buried early, then surged late, but the hole proved too deep to climb out of. Notre Dame built a 24-3 lead before Miami finally found its rhythm, and the Irish held on from there.
Head coach Mario Cristobal didn’t sugarcoat what he saw afterward. “Proud of our players for the resilience they showed through,” he said post-game.
Miami’s offense never looked quite right without Malachi Toney. The star wideout was out after suffering a high ankle sprain Wednesday in practice, then underwent surgery and is expected back for the College Football Playoffs.
Cristobal described him this way: “He’s like an alley cat,” said Cristobal. “He always lands perfectly on his feet, no matter what body position he contorts himself into.”
“But he got a little bit tangled up and fell awkward,” he continued.
Toney’s absence loomed large. He entered the game with 1,027 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns through eight games, good for nearly 40% of Miami’s receiving yards. Without him, the Hurricanes managed just three points in the first half and struggled to build any real offensive flow.
“It was tough. Besides how good of a player he is, he’s a real leader,” said wide receiver Cooper Barkate. “He wanted us to go out there and play like he was out there.”
Barkate and Elija Lofton tried to carry the load, combining for 205 yards, 17 catches and three touchdowns. Beyond that duo, though, no other Miami receiver had more than two receptions.
The defense had its own problems. Miami did limit Notre Dame to 93 rushing yards on 29 carries, but CJ Carr picked apart the secondary. The Notre Dame quarterback completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns as the Irish piled up 412 total yards.
“Our defense had a hard time getting our cleats in the ground,” said Cristobal.
Miami gave up a field goal on Notre Dame’s first possession, then surrendered two second-quarter touchdowns to trail 17-3 at halftime. The Irish pushed the margin to 24-3 early in the third quarter, leaving the Hurricanes staring at a 21-point deficit.
That’s when Mensah and the offense finally woke up. After a sluggish first half that included a trip to Notre Dame’s 1-yard line without a touchdown, the quarterback started looking like the player who had guided Miami to eight straight wins. He hit Lofton for a 12-yard touchdown, then found Barkate for another score to pull the Hurricanes within seven.
“We rallied in the third quarter, and that’s what I was proud of,” Barkate said.
Mensah finished with 276 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 24 of 43 passes while leading Miami to 21 second-half points. But a third-quarter interception stalled the comeback and let Notre Dame stretch the lead back to two touchdowns.
The most painful sequence may have been the one that never counted. In the fourth quarter, Lofton appeared to haul in a game-tying touchdown, with both hands on the ball and both feet in the end zone, but officials ruled it incomplete after a Notre Dame defender jarred the ball loose. The call stood after review.
“Like we told our team before we left Miami, do not leave it in the hands of the officials because that’s what you’re going to get out here,” continued Cristobal.
“I thought it was a touchdown,” Barkate said.
Cristobal was blunt about the ruling. “Very disappointed with how that was called,” added Cristobal. “It’s bulls-t.”
Miami now turns quickly to Duke, and Barkate said the message in the locker room was clear. “[Coach Cristobal] let us know it’s supposed to hurt,” Barkate finished. “But Monday, it’s all forward on Duke.”
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Miamis CFP Push Just Got Personal Against Duke
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There is also the matter of Manny Diaz returning to face the program he once led, this time as Dukes coach, which adds another layer to a game already carrying real stakes for the Hurricanes. With Miamis playoff hopes still in play, this is the kind of November meeting that can feel bigger than the standings, especially when the opponent arrives with so many personal connections. [Read more 🡒]