It all comes down to this for Notre Dame.
With the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes headed to South Bend, the Irish know exactly what the math looks like after being slotted No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings: beat the top team in the country, and the path to the top 12 stays alive.
Plenty of people, myself included, thought Notre Dame got treated a little harder than some others in the rankings. But the debate doesn’t change the assignment.
Win, and they’re in.
Miami isn’t walking in as a one-man show, either. The Hurricanes have enough high-end talent to make this a real problem for Notre Dame on both sides of the ball, and the Irish will need to know where the danger is on every snap.
One of the biggest names on that list is wide receiver Malachi Toney, though there’s a catch: reports on Wednesday night said he is expected to miss the game with an ankle injury. That’s a huge development for Notre Dame, because Toney has already piled up more than 1,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
At 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, he doesn’t look overwhelming at first glance, but the production says everything. He’s one of the best receivers in the country, and if he’s out, that changes the shape of the game.
Miami still has plenty of punch elsewhere, starting with defensive end Marquise Lightfoot. Notre Dame recruited him, but he chose the Hurricanes, and the decision has worked out.
After limited action as a freshman and a rotational role last season, Lightfoot has broken through as a junior with 7 sacks and 29 tackles. He’s coming off his best outing of the year after going after North Carolina for 7 tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble.
At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he’s not built like a classic power end, but his speed off the edge makes him a real issue. Expect Notre Dame to have help ready for him, with backs and guards likely chipping in on passing downs.
Miami’s other edge threat, Damon Wilson II, brings a different kind of challenge. He arrived in Coral Gables this fall after stops at Georgia and Missouri, and while the raw numbers don’t jump off the page, he has still made noise with 3.5 sacks.
Most of that damage came against Clemson, and his production has cooled since then. Even so, with Lightfoot on the opposite side, Wilson should get chances in one-on-one situations, and Notre Dame’s offensive line has to be ready for that pressure.
The Hurricanes also have a backfield duo that can keep defenses guessing. Fletcher was slowed by an injury earlier in the year, and Mallory stepped in as a true freshman and played well.
Mallory has been the more explosive runner, averaging 7 yards per carry, while Fletcher brings the power. Miami nearly split the workload evenly against North Carolina last week, so Notre Dame has to be prepared for either look.
The Irish need to force Miami into a one-dimensional offense, and that starts with shutting down the run.
On the back end, defensive back JJ Dunnigan is the kind of player who shows up everywhere. His line reads like a Swiss Army knife: 37 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and recovery, and an interception returned for a touchdown.
The freshman is 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, and Miami moves him around the field to make life difficult for opposing receivers. He’s another defender Notre Dame has to account for on every snap.
Then there’s the quarterback, and this is where Miami can really stress a defense. Mensah is in his third college stop, after one season each at Tulane and Duke, and over the last three years he has thrown for 9,121 yards with 81 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
He’s not much of a runner, but he can still hurt teams with his legs when needed. This season, he has completed 80.7% of his passes, which would be an NCAA record if it holds.
He’s elite, a Heisman Trophy frontrunner and a top NFL draft pick type of talent. Notre Dame’s best shot is to make him uncomfortable in the pocket and hope that creates a few chances for the defense to land a big play.
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 🡒]