Miami’s defense had no answer for Notre Dame’s passing game, and the missing piece was obvious from the opening whistle: the Hurricanes never got to CJ Carr.
In a 31-24 loss that ended Miami’s undefeated season, the Hurricanes failed to record a sack for the first time since Nov. 9, 2024, against Georgia Tech. That snapped a run of 27 straight games with at least one sack, a stretch that had helped define the front seven.
Against No. 11 Notre Dame, though, the pressure never came.
Carr took advantage in a big way. He finished 29 of 40 for 319 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, posting a 72.5% completion rate and a 164.2 passer rating. Micah Gilbert was his favorite target, hauling in nine catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns, while Jordan Faison added six receptions for 77 yards and another score.
Miami entered the matchup averaging three sacks per game, but the rush vanished against Carr. Marquise Lightfoot, the Hurricanes’ most productive pass rusher this season, logged 61 defensive snaps and finished with five tackles and no sacks.
Damon Wilson II played 29 snaps and didn’t register a tackle or sack, extending his drought to four straight games without a sack. He remains at 3.5 this season, far short of the 9.5 he posted at Missouri in 2025.
Armondo Blount was also quiet, playing 53 defensive snaps without a tackle. He has just one sack over Miami’s last six games.
Even inside, where Miami needed someone to collapse the pocket, there was little disruption. Justin Scott and Ahmad Moten Sr. have combined for only 1.5 sacks this season.
Notre Dame’s line deserves its share of the credit. The Irish came into Saturday having allowed just two sacks all year, and they kept Miami from turning pressure into disruption. But the larger problem for the Hurricanes is hard to ignore: when the rush disappears, the secondary gets exposed.
That has been the story lately. Miami has now allowed at least 300 passing yards in four straight games. Florida State threw for 305, Pittsburgh for 334, North Carolina for 341 and Notre Dame for 319, adding up to 1,299 passing yards across those four games, or 324.8 per contest.
With Duke coming to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday and the postseason getting closer, Miami’s front has to find its edge again fast.
In Other News...
Miami Duke Just Became Bigger Than A Typical ACC Game
After dropping its season opener to Notre Dame, Miami is heading into a Duke matchup that suddenly carries far more weight than a standard ACC date on the calendar. Mario Cristobal framed it as playoff football, and the label fits the moment, with the Hurricanes needing to treat every snap like it could shape the rest of their season.
Duke brings enough on both sides of the ball to make this a real test, not just a stepping stone, and Miami knows the margin for error is thin. A win would keep the Hurricanes in position for the ACC Championship Game, though they would still need help from other conference results to get there. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Just Lost A Recruit Mario Cristobal Could Not Afford To Miss
Mark Matthews had been one of the most important offensive line targets on Miamis board, the kind of local prospect Mario Cristobal and his staff could not afford to let slip away. The top-rated offensive tackle in the 2027 class had been committed to Texas A&M, but he changed course and picked Georgia instead, leaving the Hurricanes to regroup as they continue trying to strengthen a position group that remains a clear need.
For Miami, the miss stings not just because Matthews is from close to home, but because he fit the profile of the kind of lineman Cristobal has made a priority. With the 2027 cycle taking shape, the Hurricanes may have to turn more of their attention toward the 2028 class to keep building depth up front, especially if they want to avoid another round of chasing elite tackles after the top names are already spoken for. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Has A Rare ACC Chance But One Problem Could Ruin It
The expanded College Football Playoff has changed the calculus across the sport, and for Miami it has created a rare opening in the ACC race. Since joining the league in 2004, the Hurricanes have never won an ACC championship, but this season they are in position to reach what could be the conference title games final edition, with a perfect conference mark and a path that still runs through Duke and a little help elsewhere.
Miamis place in the standings is strong, but the on-field issues have not disappeared. The Hurricanes still have to clean up the run game, hold up better in pass protection and keep the quarterback from taking too much pressure if they want the rest of the schedule to matter. In a year when the league structure is shifting around them, those are the kinds of flaws that can turn a promising opening into a missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]