No. 2 Notre Dame didn’t just beat Stanford in Week 6 - it blasted the Cardinal so thoroughly that the Fighting Irish kept rolling toward the matchup everyone has had circled for November. Miami, meanwhile, sat out its bye week still unbeaten and still looking every bit like a team headed for the same collision course.
For now, both programs remain perfect. Notre Dame is 6-0 after a 58-7 win at Notre Dame Stadium, and Miami is 5-0 after getting a week off at 3-0 in ACC play.
The numbers backing up both teams are loud enough on their own, but the real story is what comes next: Notre Dame going to No. 8 BYU, then Miami, while the Hurricanes try to stay healthy before their own big stretch.
Notre Dame’s latest statement was a full-scale demolition. Running back Jonaz Walton set a program record for rushing yards by a true freshman in a game, finishing with 181 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. One of those runs went for 97 yards, the third-longest offensive play ever at Notre Dame Stadium.
CJ Carr kept the offense humming, completing 14 of 20 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns while also adding 41 rushing yards. The Irish hit big plays from all over the field - 97, 70, 40, 31 and 30 yards - and were already in control by halftime, leading 37-0. They finished with 361 rushing yards and held Stanford to 202 total yards.
The bigger picture around Notre Dame is even more imposing. The Irish have won 16 straight games, and every one of them has come by double digits.
Through six games, they’re putting up 44.0 points per game, which ranks fourth nationally, and allowing just 11.0. Their defense sits first in the FBS in total defense at 167.2 yards allowed per game and third in rushing defense at 51.7.
Miami’s case for staying in the top-tier mix is just as strong. The Hurricanes have outscored opponents 248-49 through five games and rank first nationally in rushing defense at 42.6 yards allowed per game and first in total offense at 549.6 yards per game.
Darian Mensah has been the engine. He has thrown for 1,438 yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions, while completing 84.2% of his passes for a 212.2 passer rating.
The bye week gave Miami a chance to catch its breath before hosting Florida State on Oct. 17.
Both teams are also managing injuries as the schedule tightens.
Notre Dame was without cornerback Leonard Moore against Stanford after he suffered a concussion in the North Carolina game. Moore, a unanimous All-American last season, has eight tackles and four pass breakups in the games he has played this year. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa also missed the Stanford game with a left thumb injury.
The Irish are also dealing with longer-term absences for safety Brauntae Johnson (left foot), defensive tackle Jason Onye (left ankle) and wide receiver Quincy Porter (left knee). Tight end Ty Washington sat out with an illness.
Miami’s injury list is more extensive. Running back Marty (CharMar) Brown and wide receiver Joshua Moore are out for the season after injuries suffered against Wake Forest. Edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot, who leads the team with five sacks, left the Clemson game midway through and did not return.
Cornerback OJ Frederique has been out since the opening drive of the Stanford game, while cornerback Ja'Boree Antoine has been out since before the season. Offensive linemen Max Buchanan and Matt McCoy both briefly exited the Clemson game but came back, though Buchanan later had surgery and his season looks to be done.
The path to Nov. 7 is lined with notable games. Notre Dame’s next stop is a road trip to BYU on Oct. 17, followed by a bye on Oct. 24, then Navy on Oct. 31 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., before Miami comes to town on Nov.
- BYU is 5-0 and ranked No. 8 after beating Iowa State 24-10, and the meeting will be the first top-10 game in LaVell Edwards Stadium history.
Miami’s own runway includes Florida State, which is 3-3 after a 44-20 loss at Louisville in a game where Isaac Brown ran for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Pitt is 5-1 after a 21-17 home loss to North Carolina, with Mason Heintschel sidelined for the season by a torn ACL and Holden Geriner starting in his place. North Carolina, now 3-2, picked up a road win at Pitt for Bill Belichick’s first victory against a ranked opponent at the school.
College GameDay is already set for Notre Dame’s trip to BYU in Provo, which makes another Notre Dame appearance three weeks later for Miami less likely. But if the Irish beat BYU and both teams are still unbeaten, ESPN will have a tough time finding a better stage than the Nov. 7 showdown.
In Other News...
Miami Defense Gets Timely Boost Before FSU With Bigger Questions Ahead
Mario Cristobal gave Miami a welcome update on the Joe Rose show, confirming that defensive players Xavier Lucas, Marquise Lightfoot, Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. and Damari Brown are set to return for the Hurricanes. The timing matters, too, with Florida State on deck and the defense in need of bodies after dealing with a run of injury issues that thinned out the rotation before the bye week.
The encouraging news for Miami is that several players who were hurt before the break are trending in the right direction, while depth options have already been asked to handle more than their share. Still, Max Buchanan and Ja'Boree Antoine remain sidelined, so the Hurricanes are not fully out of the woods yet as Cristobal and his staff keep sorting out who is ready now and what the defense will look like once the bigger pieces start coming back. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces One Big O-Line Concern Before Florida State
Miami is getting some welcome defensive reinforcements back for its rivalry matchup with Florida State, a timely boost as the Hurricanes move deeper into the week. Ezekiel Marcelin Jr., Marquise Lightfoot, Xavier Lucas and Damari Brown have all returned, giving the defense a healthier look heading into one of the seasons biggest games.
The concern comes on the other side of the ball, where starting right guard Max Buchanan had surgery for a left knee injury and is expected to miss some time. Miami has not offered a return timeline, and the staff is now sorting through options to see who can settle in at his spot on the offensive line before the Seminoles arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Is Gaining Real Momentum With The Nations Top 2028 Receiver
The momentum around Miamis 2028 recruiting push is starting to feel real with Brysen Wright, the five-star receiver at the top of the class, set to be back on campus for the Oct. 17 game against Florida State. Wright has already made multiple visits to Miami, and the Hurricanes have built a strong early case with a recruit whose profile has already drawn national attention from Florida, Texas and Ohio State.
Miami sits atop the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine for Wrights commitment, which only adds to the significance of this next trip. The Hurricanes also have another built-in advantage in a high school teammate already pledged to the program, giving Miami another familiar face in a recruitment that could become one of the more closely watched in the cycle. [Read more 🡒]