Notre Dame walked into the biggest regular-season game of Marcus Freeman’s tenure with a defense that had plenty to prove, and the unit answered in a way few could have seen coming. Shorthanded and facing the nation’s No. 1 offense, the Fighting Irish set the tone early, smothered Miami in the first half and built enough of a cushion to survive the Hurricanes’ second-half push.
That early surge mattered because Notre Dame was missing a lot of pieces. The Irish were without two starting defensive tackles, their starting middle linebacker, a starting cornerback and a starting safety, yet Chris Ash, Freeman and the defensive staff had this group ready anyway. Against a team that had given Notre Dame trouble in recent seasons, the Irish finally looked like a defense capable of matching the moment.
The first half was the story. Miami did not score in the opening quarter for the first time since the national title game against Indiana, and the Hurricanes were held to just three points before halftime for the first time since October of 2023.
Notre Dame also blanked Miami on third down in the first half, with the Hurricanes going 0-6, and the Irish limited them to 145 total yards. That 24-3 lead at the break gave Miami far too much to climb, even if the Hurricanes showed life after halftime.
It was the kind of half that stood out even more because of the opponent. This was the most dominant first half from an Ash-led defense against a top-tier team since he arrived in South Bend, and if it carries over, Notre Dame could have something special on its hands when the College Football Playoffs arrive.
The pass rush, in particular, looked like itself again. Notre Dame had opened the season with 52 total pressures and 20 hits plus sacks on the quarterback through its first four games, according to PFF, but over the previous four games before Miami that number had dropped to 23 pressures and seven hits plus sacks.
Against the Hurricanes, the Irish got back to wrecking pockets. PFF credited Notre Dame with 34 total pressures and six hits plus sacks on quarterback Darian Mensah.
Bryce Young led the way with eight pressures, while Boubacar Traore was close behind with seven. Armel Mukam turned in his most productive game in a Notre Dame uniform with five pressures, and linebackers Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Jaylen Sneed combined for eight more. That kind of heat kept Miami from finding the explosive rhythm it usually brings.
Depth also became part of the story. With injuries thinning the roster and players leaving the game for stretches, Notre Dame needed its backups to hold up in real time.
Viliamu-Asa, making his first start of the season while wearing the green dot, handled the communication duties and delivered. Jayden Sanders, in the biggest start of his young career, had a strong night despite some technical issues that led to penalties.
The Irish also leaned on a wave of younger players when the game demanded it. Madden Faraimo, Sean Sevillano, Rodney Dunham, Joey O’Brien, Mark Zackery and Elijah Hughes combined to play 81 snaps and contributed while they were on the field. For a defense that had been under the microscope, the night became a showcase for resilience, preparation and depth all at once.
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Colin Cowherds latest take on the College Football Playoff rankings gave Notre Dame fans fresh talking points, and not just because he pushed back on the Irish sitting at No. 11. He took aim at the committees decision to place Indiana at No. 4, while Notre Dame remains on the outside looking in, and argued that the gap between the two teams is not as straightforward as the rankings suggest.
Cowherd also revisited Notre Dames loss to BYU, saying the ending should be viewed through the lens of controversial officiating and the Big 12s admitted errors. He pointed to Notre Dames statistical edge over Indiana and questioned how the committee is weighing signature wins, which leaves the Irish with another public argument for why their rsum deserves a closer look. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames 2028 Class Just Added Another Intriguing Defender
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Bruno brings the kind of profile Notre Dame tends to value on and off the field, with a reputation as a strong high school defender and a high academic prospect. For a program that has long sold both development and fit, landing a player with that combination only adds to the intrigue around what the 2028 class could become as more decisions start to stack up. [Read more 🡒]
College GameDays Notre Dame Split Will Fuel Miami Debate
ESPNs College GameDay turned South Bend into the center of the college football weekend ahead of Notre Dames matchup with Miami, and the shows pick segment only added to the buzz around the game. Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit and guest picker Jason Sudeikis all weighed in on a slate of Week 10 games, with the Irish drawing the bulk of the support in the marquee showdown.
Four of the five panelists backed Notre Dame to handle Miami, but Howard went the other way and sided with the Hurricanes. It is the kind of split that gives a prime-time matchup a little extra edge, especially with GameDay on site and the Irish getting the kind of national attention that comes with being the featured game of the day. [Read more 🡒]