Notre Dame’s 31-24 win over Miami was more than a marquee upset. It was the kind of night that can reshape how a team is viewed, especially when the opponent is the No. 1 team in the country and the Irish were sitting at No. 11 in the Week 1 CFP rankings. Marcus Freeman’s group delivered its biggest victory since reaching the 2024 National Championship Game, and now the only question is how far the College Football Playoff Committee moves them when the new rankings come out Tuesday.
The Irish had plenty of standout performances in the win, and a few spots that still need work. Luke Talich was at the center of one of the game’s biggest swings.
The starting safety finished with 5 tackles and an interception of Darian Mensah at a moment when Miami seemed to be building momentum. Then, with just under 6 minutes left and the Hurricanes facing fourth-and-6 at the Notre Dame 18 while trailing 31-24, Talich came up with the play that slammed the door.
Mensah fired a throw to the left side of the end zone for Elija Lofton, and Lofton appeared to be coming down with it before Talich reached up and knocked it loose as the receiver began the “football move” that would have made it a catch. The incomplete pass ended Miami’s best chance to rally.
CJ Carr also delivered the kind of performance that changes the conversation around a quarterback. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said earlier this week that he was impressed with Carr, and Saturday night showed why.
Carr went 29 of 40 for a career-high 319 yards and 3 touchdowns. He came into the game with analysts, including Nick Saban, saying he needed a big showing against a top opponent to prove he belonged among the sport’s best quarterbacks, and he answered that challenge in a big way.
Micah Gilbert kept building on his breakout season, too. He has emerged as Notre Dame’s No. 2 receiver next to Jordan Faison, and against Miami he backed that up with a career-high 9 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns, also a career high.
Gilbert now has 33 catches, 528 yards and 5 touchdowns. His 9 receptions matched what he had all of last year, his 98 yards topped his total from last season, and his 2 scores surpassed the 1 career touchdown he had before the 2026 season.
On the other side of the ledger, Notre Dame’s tight ends didn’t give the offense much help. Jack Larson, Ian Premer and James Flanigan all played against Miami, but none made much of an imprint.
Together, the three combined for 4 catches, 17 yards and a long of 6. The Irish didn’t need much from that group to win Saturday, but it’s clear they’ll need more from the position down the line.
Mark Zackery also had a rough night after being thrust into a bigger role because of injuries to Leonard Moore and Jayden Sanders. It wasn’t a fair spot for the young defensive back, who had not played many snaps in crunch time this season, but Miami targeted him often.
The receivers he covered were thrown to 4 times and came away with 3 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. Pro Football Focus gave him a 49.9 overall rating, near the bottom among Notre Dame defenders who logged more than a few snaps.
It was only the fifth game he has played this season, and his 21 snaps were a career high, so there is still time for him to grow into the role.
The other defensive winner was Boubacar Traore, who made sure there would be no repeat of his last big-game exit. After being flagged for targeting against BYU and leaving that game early, he stayed on the field this time and was a problem for Miami all night. Traore finished with 7 tackles and a sack, and he tied Bryce Young for the team lead with 6 quarterback hurries.
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