Notre Dame is treating Saturday night like Malachi Toney might still walk out of the tunnel.
That’s the approach Marcus Freeman is taking even after the Miami wideout suffered an ankle injury at practice and is now set for ankle surgery. Toney is expected back for the College Football Playoff, but for now the No. 1 Hurricanes are heading into South Bend without one of their biggest weapons, and Notre Dame is still building its plan as if there’s a chance he could somehow suit up.
“We’ll see if he plays or not. We have to make sure we have a plan if he plays, if he doesn’t, we’ll adjust,” Freeman said, via The Athletic’s Pete Sampson.
The matchup itself already had plenty of juice. No.
1 Miami and No. 11 Notre Dame are meeting again after last season’s early September clash in Miami, a 27-24 Hurricanes win decided by a field goal.
That result eventually helped Miami reach the College Football Playoff, while Notre Dame was left on the outside of the 12-team bracket.
Now the Irish get the rematch at home, and the stakes are obvious. Notre Dame is chasing what amounts to its final shot at a signature regular-season win, and the margin for error is gone after the earlier loss to BYU.
Even with Toney unavailable, Freeman isn’t taking any shortcuts in the game plan. Notre Dame wants to be ready for every version of Miami that could show up Saturday night.
Kickoff in South Bend is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
In Other News...
Tyler Carr Just Got The Kind Of Miami Praise Notre Dame Fans Notice
Mario Cristobal did Notre Dame a small favor this week by putting Tyler Carrs progress in plain view. The Miami coach singled out the quarterbacks development as both a passer and a runner since last seasons opener, and he also pointed to Carrs command of the offense and his accuracy when the play-calling puts the ball in his hands. For a Notre Dame team that has leaned on Carrs growth to steady the attack, praise from an opponent of Miamis caliber carries a little extra weight.
It also sharpens the spotlight on what comes next. This matchup gives Carr a chance to show that the traits Cristobal mentioned are real against a strong opponent, not just flattering offseason talk. Notre Dame fans have seen the quarterback take steps forward, but a game like this is where those gains become harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Sudeikis Brings A Personal Notre Dame Twist To Miami Showdown
Saturdays Notre Dame-Miami matchup is getting the full College GameDay treatment, and ESPN is leaning into a guest picker with a real personal tie to the Irish. Jason Sudeikis will join the show for Week 9, bringing a connection to Notre Dame that goes beyond celebrity status and into family history.
Sudeikis attended Fort Scott Community College and did not play basketball there, but his bond with Notre Dame runs through his grandfather and a long-running affinity for the program. He also was in the building for the 1988 Notre Dame-Miami clash known as Catholics vs. Convicts, which gives this weekends return trip to the rivalry a fitting bit of extra texture. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Carr Faces The Notre Dame Moment That Could Change Everything
CJ Carr has already put his name in the Notre Dame record book, but the one thing still missing is the kind of win that changes how a quarterback is remembered. He has played well in big spots, yet the Irish have come up short in all three of his starts against Top 10 opponents, a stretch shaped in part by defensive breakdowns that left little margin for error. Now comes No. 1 Miami, the sort of stage that can turn a promising run into something much bigger.
For Carr, the matchup also arrives with a familiar wrinkle: Notre Dames offense has been asked to stay cautious this season, and that approach has kept his passing numbers from fully taking off. Still, this is the kind of game where the conversation can shift quickly, especially if the Irish can finally pair his individual production with a result that matches it. A defining victory is sitting right there, and the pressure around it is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]