It was a rough Saturday for Notre Dame, even if the bigger picture could have looked a lot uglier.
Around college football, Florida State took a brutal hit in its 43-35 double-overtime loss to Miami. The Seminoles announced Sunday that Ousmane Kromah injured his left ankle and will miss the rest of the season.
The injury happened after Kromah ripped off a 9-yard gain to Miami’s 2-yard line, then came down awkwardly when Chase Smith made the tackle. He tried to hop away on his right leg before finally going down, and Florida State’s medical staff quickly put on an air cast before carting him off.
Kromah had been Florida State’s leading rusher this season with 609 yards and five touchdowns. With the Seminoles sitting at 3-4, the loss is a major setback for head coach Mike Norvell as he tries to keep his job alive.
There was also tragic news before Navy’s game against UTSA. A member of the Air Force died from injuries suffered after falling while trying to rappel from the rafters of the Alamodome during a pregame demonstration on Saturday, the Air Force said. The man was an experienced
For Notre Dame, the day centered on the kind of ending that lingers. The Fighting Irish dropped a heartbreaking game to BYU after CJ Carr had the team lined up for what looked like the go-ahead touchdown, only for the game to “end” on an incomplete pass to Jaden Greathouse.
Then came the postgame wrinkle: the Big 12 said the incompletion appeared to include interference on Greathouse, and there should have been one second left on the clock. That would have given Notre Dame one more shot to try to rescue its undefeated season.
Even with that sting, the Irish didn’t tumble far in the AP Top 25. BYU surged from No. 8 to No. 2, while Notre Dame slid from No. 2 to No.
- That still leaves the Irish in strong shape for the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame’s men’s basketball team also took a loss Saturday, falling to Dayton, 75-65, in its first exhibition game of the year. As expected in an exhibition, the starters were pulled by the under-12 media timeout and didn’t return, opening the door for the bench to get extended run late.
Fifth-year guard Ethan Roberts led the Irish with 11 points in 20 minutes. Sophomore forward Brady Koehler added seven points and four rebounds, while fifth-year Braeden Smith finished with a team-high three assists.
In Other News...
Rece Davis Turns BYU Win Into Bigger Officiating Fight
The aftermath of Notre Dames loss to BYU has stretched beyond the scoreboard, with Rece Davis adding his voice to the growing frustration over how the game ended. A clock error denied the Irish one final play, and the Big 12 later acknowledged that one second remained when the last snap was over, setting off a review of the replay officiating process. For Notre Dame, it was the kind of finish that leaves little room for consolation, especially when the final sequence becomes part of the larger story.
Davis also widened the lens beyond one controversial ending, tying the officiating discussion to the bigger argument around College Football Playoff expansion. For a program trying to navigate every high-stakes detail of a season, the point is bigger than a single mistake or a single game. It is about how much room there should be in the sport for missed calls, replay review and the possibility that one late officiating issue can shape not just a result, but the broader conversation around the postseason itself. [Read more 🡒]
Former Irish Stars Made Their Presence Felt Across The NFL Sunday
Former Notre Dame players were all over NFL box scores in Week 6, turning in the kind of across-the-league impact that keeps the program visible long after Saturdays on campus. Audric Estim, Cam Hart and Michael Mayer were among the former Irish standouts who made their mark, while several other alumni chipped in with tackles, receptions and other timely plays for their respective teams.
The most notable individual steps forward came from Estim and Hart, two players whose early pro careers are still taking shape but who both flashed in meaningful spots. Mayer also kept his name in the mix by leading his team in receptions, a reminder that Notre Dames NFL pipeline remains active and productive as the season moves deeper into October. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Is Suddenly Facing A Ranking Moment Fans Havent Seen In Years
Miamis unbeaten start just became a lot more meaningful after its 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State, and the ripple effect around the AP Top 25 was hard to miss. With Georgia and Notre Dame both losing on the same weekend, the Hurricanes moved into position as the highest-ranked unbeaten team, putting them squarely in the conversation at the top of the poll after a night that also featured strong showings from quarterback Darian Mensah and wide receiver Malachi Toney.
For a program with that kind of history, the chance to climb back into the No. 1 discussion carries a different weight than it would for almost anyone else. Miamis last AP No. 1 ranking came on Dec. 8, 2002, so this is the kind of ranking moment that longtime fans have been waiting years to see again, even as the exact order at the top of the poll still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]