No. 1 Miami’s first loss of the season came in a game that kept swinging from one extreme to the other, but Notre Dame controlled enough of the early damage to hang on and hand the Hurricanes a 31-17 setback.
The opening quarter set the tone. Miami’s offense barely touched the ball, and Notre Dame used that to build a 10-0 lead by the end of the period. The Irish leaned into the same formula that had worked against Miami’s offense a week earlier against UNC: keep the ball away, keep the defense on the field, and make the Hurricanes chase the game.
Miami wanted to establish the run, and that approach has carried them all season. It just didn’t get going right away.
The Hurricanes opened with one run-heavy drive and then shifted to a pass-heavy second series, with the absence of Malachi Toney limiting the creativity of the offense because of an injury. Without that key piece, the early play calling looked flat.
The third possession finally brought some life. New No.
1 Cooper Barkate got involved, and Miami mixed the run and pass to move the ball with help from a few Notre Dame penalties. But even after a 14-play, 83-yard march that took 7:31 off the clock, the Hurricanes came away with only three points.
Inside the red zone, they kept getting turned away, with Mensah and Fletcher stuffed short of the goal line on rushing attempts. Mensah’s legs were a plus overall, but not in those moments.
Notre Dame added another score before halftime, and Miami went to the locker room down 17-3. The Hurricanes had just three points at the break and no third-down conversions, their lowest first-half output before that had been 14 against FSU. Mensah was coming off what was described as his worst half in a Hurricanes uniform, and the second half was going to decide everything.
Miami got the ball to start the third quarter, but the offense opened slowly again and the defense gave up another touchdown. Suddenly it was 24-3, and the Hurricanes were staring at a long climb back. At that point, the only answer was effort.
That’s when Mensah started to settle in. He made key throws on third-and-long, found open targets downfield, and leaned on Barkate and Elija Lofton as Miami finally found some rhythm. A strong throw and catch in the back of the end zone jump-started the surge, and after another third-down stop on defense, the Hurricanes had another chance to close the gap.
They kept pushing. Mensah kept targeting Barkate and Lofton, and Barkate eventually finished the drive in the back of the end zone to cut the deficit to one score.
Miami’s defense, which had spent much of the season missing tackles and leaving plays on the field, began to clean things up. The Hurricanes started stuffing the run, finishing in space, and flying to the ball.
Then came the mistake that stalled the comeback. With Miami driving and down one score, Mensah threw his second interception of the season.
The defense answered with a stand, including a critical third-down stop and a fourth-and-short stop from junior safety Zechariah Poyser, who put his body on the line to get the stop. But Poyser left with his arm hanging, in a situation compared to O.J.
Frederique Jr. earlier in the season. That opened the door for Notre Dame, and a wheel route gave the Irish an explosive play that kept the drive alive.
A costly penalty on Justin Scott helped Notre Dame move closer, and the Irish cashed in to go up 31-17. Miami still had time, and Barkate kept carrying the load. He added another touchdown, continuing to fill the role Malachi Toney normally occupies in this offense.
The Hurricanes then got another opening when Notre Dame missed a field goal wide left. That gave Miami one more shot to tie the game.
Mensah and the offense responded with another strong drive, and it all came down to a critical fourth down in the red zone on the Lofton drive. The play became the moment of the game, with the question hanging over whether it was a catch from Lofton.
“That’s a pro throw and catch right there. The type of plays that you have to have.”
In Other News...
Notre Dames 2028 Class Just Added Another Intriguing Defender
Notre Dames 2028 recruiting class picked up another promising piece with the commitment of linebacker Julian Bruno, who chose the Fighting Irish over Stanford and other programs. Bruno arrives with a reputation as both a strong defender on the field and a high academic prospect, a combination that fits the profile Notre Dame tends to target as it keeps building out its future roster.
Bruno is the third player to commit to the Irish in the last two days, joining other notable additions such as Zaiden Jernigan and Asa Burch. For a class still in its early stages, the quick run of commitments gives Notre Dame some momentum, and Brunos pledge adds another intriguing defender to a group that is starting to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Miamis Title Hopes Now Hinge On One Painful Question
Notre Dames win over Miami did more than hand the Irish a marquee victory, it also reshaped the early national title conversation in a hurry. Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd is still sticking with his preseason view that Notre Dame and Miami can meet again for the championship, even after the Irish beat the Hurricanes 31-24. CJ Carr was central to that result, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns as Notre Dame kept its own playoff path firmly in view.
Miami, meanwhile, is dealing with a far less comfortable reality after wide receiver Malachi Toney is expected to miss several weeks because of injury. The timing matters because the Hurricanes are now trying to hold together their title case while Georgia has also won convincingly and is positioned as a strong candidate to move into the top spot in the next College Football Playoff rankings. For Notre Dame, the bigger picture is simpler: the Irish have already beaten one of the teams expected to live near the top, and the ripple effects are still playing out. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Beat No 1 Miami But The Ending Has Everyone Talking
Notre Dames 31-24 win over No. 1 Miami had the kind of finish that tends to linger long after the final whistle. The Fighting Irish did enough to knock off the top-ranked team, but the decisive moment came late, when Miami appeared to have a chance to pull even before Elijah Loftons potential game-tying catch was ruled incomplete.
Mario Cristobal did not hide his frustration afterward, saying he got no explanation for the call from the officials. Even with the controversy, the ruling fit the established catch rules, and it did not appear to dent Miamis standing for a College Football Playoff berth. Still, for Notre Dame, the victory will be remembered as much for how it ended as for the quality of the win itself. [Read more 🡒]