Notre Dame hosts Miami on Saturday night in perhaps the most important game of the Marcus Freeman era. The Fighting Irish boast arguably the nation’s best roster, yet this team has not played to its potential and after a loss at BYU on October 17th, Notre Dame has no margin for error. As if this rivalry needed any extra juice, the Hurricanes enter the matchup undefeated and ranked #1 in the country with a star-studded roster featuring 2 Heisman Trophy candidates, ESPN’s College Gameday will be in South Bend, and no Notre Dame player, coach, or fan can forget the season-long media tour that Miami and the ACC put on to justify jumping the Hurricanes over the Irish in last season’s College Football Playoff. 

Notre Dame leads the all-time series with Miami 18-9-1, though the series is tied 8-8 since 1979, a good line of demarcation for the Miami program. The Fighting Irish dominated the early series matchups, winning 11 straight meetings with the Hurricanes between 1967-1980. However, Howard Schnellenberger took over as head coach in 1979 during a time when due to program upheaval and financial challenges the university was considering dropped to Division I-AA or eliminating football altogether. 

Schnellenberger, the Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator during the team’s undefeated 1972 season, brought new life to Miami, transforming the Hurricanes from a doormat into one of the nation’s premier programs and putting Miami on the map with the 1983 national title, a season which included a 20-0 victory over Notre Dame. His successor Jimmy Johnson went 3-1 against Notre Dame, with his only loss coming in 1988 in the memorable Catholics vs. Convicts game in South Bend. Miami returned the favor in 1989, ending Notre Dame’s 23-game winning streak with a 27-10 win en route to the national title under Dennis Erickson. 

The two programs did not meet for 20 years following Notre Dame’s 29-20 win over Miami in 1990. Miami dominated college football in the 1990s and early 2000s, winning titles in 1991 and 2001 while falling just short in 1992, 1994, and 2002, but heavy sanctions and a string of poor coaching hires doomed the Hurricanes to mediocrity for much of the past 15 years. However, head coach (and alumnus) Mario Cristobal has energized the Hurricane program. After going 12-13 in his first 2 seasons in Coral Gables, Cristobal is 31-6 over the past 2.5 years, with Miami defeating Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Ole Miss last season en route to a national title berth against Indiana. 

This series has been dominated by home teams. Notre Dame has not won in Miami since a 48-10 victory in 1977 and Miami has a 1-10 record in Notre Dame Stadium, with the Hurricanes’ only victory coming in 1984 against a Notre Dame team that finished 7-5. 

2025 – Miami 27, Notre Dame 24
2017 – Miami 41, Notre Dame 8
2016 – Notre Dame 30, Miami 27
2012 – Notre Dame 41, Miami 3 (Chicago, IL)
2010 – Notre Dame 33, Miami 17 (El Paso, TX – Sun Bowl)
1990 – Notre Dame 29, Miami 20
1989 – Miami 27, Notre Dame 10
1988 – Notre Dame 31, Miami 30
1987 – Miami 24, Notre Dame 0
1985 – Miami 58, Notre Dame 7
1984 – Miami 31, Notre Dame 13
1983 – Miami 20, Notre Dame 0
1982 – Notre Dame 16, Miami 14
1981 – Miami 37, Notre Dame 15
1980 – Notre Dame 32, Miami 14
1979 – Notre Dame 40, Miami 15 (Tokyo, Japan)

2025 – Miami 27, Notre Dame 24

In a season-opening matchup of top-10 opponents, Miami took a 14-7 halftime lead with an acrobatic touchdown catch from CJ Daniels with 20 seconds left in the first half and extended the lead to 21-7 with a 12-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half. However, Notre Dame QB CJ Carr led the Irish back in his first career start, connecting with Jordan Faison for a touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to bring the Irish back within a score. After the teams traded field goals on their ensuing drives, the Notre Dame defense forced a three-and-out, Carr found TE Eli Raridon for a 65-yard pass down to the Miami 10-yard line, and punched in the tying touchdown 2 plays later with a 7-yard run. Unfortunately, as so often has been the case during the Chris Ash tenure, the Notre Dame defense was unable to make a stop when it mattered, allowing Miami to drive 46 yards on 10 plays for the game-winning Carter Davis field goal. The Irish were unable to answer on a desperation drive with the Notre Dame offensive line unable to hold up against a powerful Hurricane pass rush. This loss would be the gift that kept on giving to Notre Dame, ultimately leaving the Irish out of the 2025 College Football Playoff in favor of Miami. 

2017 – Miami 41, Notre Dame 8

If the city of Miami wasn’t already a house of horrors for Notre Dame, the 2017 game fully cemented that reputation. #3 Notre Dame entered Hard Rock Stadium on a 7-game winning streak to face undefeated and #7 Miami, and staggered out humiliated as head coach Brian Kelly completely failed to prepare his team for a hostile atmosphere. Notre Dame actually moved the ball on its opening drive, but Brandon Wimbush overthrew an open Equanimeous St. Brown in the end zone and the Irish offense never recovered. Notre Dame managed just 261 total yards, committed 6 penalties, and turned the ball over 4 times, as Miami raced out to a 34-0 lead before the Irish even got on the scoreboard. This performance turned the entire 2017 season, as after squeaking by Navy 24-17, Notre Dame was blown out by Stanford in the season finale to finish 9-3. The Irish would knock off LSU in the Citrus Bowl to get to 10 wins, with Ian Book replacing Wimbush in the second half to lead the Notre Dame comeback. 

2012 – Notre Dame 41, Miami 3

Notre Dame blasted Miami 41-3 at Chicago’s Soldier Field to move to 5-0 in the 2012 season. QB Everett Golson started on the bench after being late to practice, but when inserted into the game, had one of his most efficient games of the season, completing 17-22 passes for 186 yards and chipping in 51 yards on the ground. However, it was the Irish rushing attack that was the story in this one. Notre Dame ran for 376 yards – its most in over a decade – behind 100-yard performances from George Atkinson III and Cierre Wood. The Fighting Irish defense also held Miami to just 285 total yards, helped in large part by the fact that Notre Dame won the time of possession battle by nearly 20 minutes. Notre Dame used this breakout performance as a springboard into the second half of the 2012 season, which ended in the national title loss to Alabama. 

2010 – Notre Dame 33, Miami 17

The indelible image of a colder-than-expected Sun Bowl was Miami players looking like they were dressed for an Arctic expedition against Notre Dame players used to the elements. The Hurricanes did not want to be in El Paso – and it showed. Notre Dame rushed out to a 27-0 lead and led 27-3 at the break. Only a couple fourth quarter Miami scores made this one look closer than it was. 

For Notre Dame, the victory over Miami capped off an impressive four-game winning streak to end Brian Kelly’s first season at the helm. QB Tommy Rees threw for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 109 of those yards and both scores going to WR Michael Floyd. RB Cierre Wood and RB Robert Hughes each rushed for 81 yards on the ground, with Wood also adding a score. Safety Harrison Smith had 3 of Notre Dame’s 4 interceptions on the day to highlight a strong defensive performance. 

1990 – Notre Dame 29, Miami 20

In the final matchup of this heated rivalry until 2010, Notre Dame rallied to defeat Miami 29-20 behind a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Rocket Ismail, five field goals from Craig Hentrich, and a strong defensive effort that held Miami to just 3 points in the second half. The win over then-#2 Miami vaulted Notre Dame to #3 in the country and the Irish would eventually rise to #1 before a tough loss at Penn State in mid-November. After rallying to knock off USC in the season finale, Notre Dame fell 10-9 against #1 Colorado in the Orange Bowl to end the 1990 season 9-3. 

1989 – Miami 27, Notre Dame 10

Miami avenged the 1988 loss in South Bend by pulling away from Notre Dame in the fourth quarter to end the Irish’s 23-game winning streak and deny Lou Holtz a second straight national title, while also vaulting the Hurricanes to their third national championship and first under new head coach Dennis Erickson. After Miami raced out to a 10-0 first quarter lead, a field goal and a 49-yard interception return from LB Ned Bolcar knotted the game. However, a Tony Rice interception late in the first half gave the Hurricanes great field position and allowed Miami to extend the lead to 17-10 before the break. In the third quarter, with Miami facing an impossible 3rd and 44, QB Craig Erickson found WR Randall Hill for a 48-yard gain. 12 plays later, Miami punched in the score to culminate an improbable 22-play drive and sap the Irish will. 

Notre Dame rallied to demolish #1 Colorado in the Orange Bowl 21-6, which somewhat ironically allowed Miami to capture the national title, with Notre Dame ending the season 12-1 and ranked #2. 

1988 – Notre Dame 31, Miami 30

Catholics vs. Convicts. In arguably the most famous regular season game in college football history, Notre Dame outlasted Miami 31-30 in front of a raucous crowd at Notre Dame Stadium. #1 Miami and #4 Notre Dame both entered the game undefeated and with championship aspirations, and from the famous t-shirt to a pregame fight in the tunnel, this game had tremendous intensity – matched by the action on the field. 

Notre Dame raced out to a 21-7 lead on the strength of a ferocious defensive performance, highlighted by a 60-yard pick-six from Pat Terrell. However, the Hurricanes displayed the mettle of a team that had won 36 games in a row, tying the game 21-21 heading into halftime. After the teams traded turnovers and defensive stops, Tony Rice found Ricky Watters for a 44-yard gain before Pat Eilers punched it in for a score and the 28-21 lead. The Notre Dame defense intercepted Steve Walsh again, and Reggie Ho capped off the ensuing drive with a 27-yard field goal to extend the lead to 31-21 with 30 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Hurricanes added a field goal on the ensuing drive to close the deficit to 7 and then with 45 seconds left in the game, Walsh found Andre Brown in the end zone to cut the lead to 31-30. The Hurricanes went for 2 and the win, but Terrell knocked away the pass, sending the stadium into pandemonium. 

This back-and-forth affair was not without controversy as well, as Jimmy Johnson was livid that RB Cleveland Gary’s catch at the Notre Dame 1-yard line was ruled a fumble late in the fourth quarter, costing Miami a chance to score. On the other sideline, though, Brown’s fourth-down touchdown catch to cut the lead to 31-30 would not stand up to replay review today, as the ball came out as he hit the ground. 

In the end, Notre Dame was the better team on that October Saturday, with the defense forcing 7 total turnovers led by superhuman efforts from Frank Stams, Chris Zorich, and Pat Terrell (among others), while Tony Rice, Rocket Ismail, and Ricky Watters showed the explosiveness that would lead Notre Dame to the 1988 national title. 

1987 – Miami 24, Notre Dame 0

Miami improved to 10-0 en route to the program’s second national title with a 24-0 victory over Lou Holtz’s Notre Dame team, which entered the game with an 8-2 mark and ranked 10th in the country. The Hurricane defense completely stifled Tim Brown and the Fighting Irish offense, holding Notre Dame to just 169 total yards and only 82 yards on the ground, while also forcing 2 turnovers. The loss marked Notre Dame’s fourth straight to the Hurricanes and was the first time the Irish had been shut out since 1983, also in a loss to Miami at the Orange Bowl. 

1985 – Miami 58, Notre Dame 7

With Notre Dame head coach Gerry Faust already having announced that he would step down after the game, the Fighting Irish suffered the program’s worst loss since World War II in a 58-7 defeat at #4 Miami. The Hurricanes, led by QB Vinny Testaverde scored on every possession and faced accusations of running up the score, something head coach Jimmy Johnson denied – though it’s hard to believe him when Miami ran a reverse with 1:15 left in the game. The final result, coupled with Miami’s ascendence on the national stage, supercharged what previously had been a sleepy rivalry dominated by Notre Dame in the 1970s and laid the foundations for the fireworks of the late-1980s. 

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