SOUTH BEND, Ind. Notre Dame built a 21-point advantage and survived a second-half challenge from top-ranked Miami to win 31-24 on Saturday night. The victory lifted the No. 11 Irish to 8-1 and delivered a measure of redemption after a loss to the Hurricanes last season helped keep Notre Dame out of the College Football Playoff.
CJ Carr led the Irish with 319 passing yards and three touchdown throws. Micah Gilbert caught two of the scoring passes, while Jordan Faison caught the third. Nolan James Jr. added a rushing touchdown as Notre Dame protected its national championship ambitions against an opponent whose previous 27-24 victory had proved costly.
Miami, also now 8-1, struggled to get its offense going in its first outing without injured receiver and Heisman Trophy hopeful Malachi Toney. Notre Dame never fell behind and led 24-3 early in the third quarter, leaving the Hurricanes needing a substantial comeback to preserve their unbeaten record.
Darian Mensah helped bring Miami back into contention with three touchdown passes, two to Cooper Barkate and one to Elija Lofton. Twice, the Hurricanes cut the deficit to seven points. Their pursuit of another score produced a disputed fourth-down play with 3:36 remaining, when Lofton appeared to catch a pass in the end zone and get his feet down.
Notre Dame defender Luke Talich knocked the ball away, and officials ruled that Lofton had not completed the catch. Talich had also intercepted a pass in the third quarter. A touchdown would have brought Miami within 31-30, matching the score of the teams' 1988 meeting. Instead, the Irish gained possession on downs and reduced the remaining time to about a minute before securing the win.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said he was “beyond upset” by the decision on Lofton's apparent catch. He praised his players' resilience but also pointed to the team's responsibility to determine the outcome. “Don't leave it in the hands of the officials. Play better. Coach better. Find a way to win,” Cristobal said.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman celebrated the result with his players and the university's supporters in a televised interview on the field. The packed stadium included 43 NFL scouts, with temperatures dropping from 40 degrees at kickoff into the mid-30s during the game. The victory kept the Irish's playoff hopes alive after last season's disappointment.
Miami's defeat left Utah and UCLA as the Football Bowl Subdivision's only unbeaten teams. Both reached 9-0 with victories Saturday. It is the first time since 2003 that only two teams have remained unbeaten through their first nine games, when TCU and Oklahoma accomplished that feat.
