Notre Dame Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive By Knocking Off No. 1 Miami

Notre Dame, Ind – Finally. With its hopes at a College Football Playoff berth backed into a corner, No. 11 Notre Dame handed No. 1 Miami its first loss of the season with a 31-24 win inside a raucous Notre Dame Stadium.  

Irish quarterback CJ Carr finally got his first “signature” win as Notre Dame (8-1) beat a No.1 ranked team for the first time in six years. It marked head coach Marcus Freeman’s first win over a No. 1 team as well. 

Carr was steady if not spectacular, completing 29 of 40 passes for a season high 319 yards with three touchdown passes. Carr completed passes to 10 different receivers on a night that saw the Irish run for just 93 yards on 23 attempts. 

Miami (8-1) quarterback Darien Mensah overcame a slow first half to throw for 276 yards (227 in the second half) with three touchdowns. He helped the Hurricanes score on 4 of 5 red zone chances, but the lone miss late in the fourth quarter was the difference in the game. 

The Irish opened the scoring on the first drive of the game with a 44-yard field goal from Spencer Porath. Notre Dame used 5:22 on the clock to drive 50 yards in 11 plays before settling for the kick and an early 3-0 lead. 

After the Fighting Irish defense forced a pair of punts, the offense found the offense for the first time when Carr hit Jordan Faison in the front corner of the end zone in front of a defender for a 27-yard touchdown to make it 10-0 not a minute into the second quarter. Faison, who finished with six catches for 77 yards, started the four-play, 65-yard drive with a 26-yard catch and run. 

The Hurricanes drove to the Irish one where they had 1st and goal. Jaiden Ausberry and Boubacar Traore stuffed Mensah for no gain when the quarterback tried to run left on 3rd down. They settled for a chip shot field goal from Jake Weinberg for their first points. 

The Notre Dame defense gave the offense the ball back with 2:08 to play in the first half after forcing a third punt. Carr led the Irish on an eight-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that ended with a dart to Micah Gilbert for an 18-yard score and a 17-3 halftime lead. Gilbert was Notre Dame's top receiver with 9 receptions for 98 yards.

The Irish defense forced Miami to punt on the first drive of the second half and Faison, who initially dropped the punt, picked it up and returned it 56 yards to the Hurricane 30. Carr connected with Gilbert from 20 yards out to put the Irish up 24-3 on the third play of the drive. 

Miami got its first touchdown when Mensah hit Elija Lofton on a 12-yard score at the end of an 11-play, 65-yard drive. Irish cornerback Leonard Moore left the field earlier in the drive after tackling Hurricane running back Mark Fletcher. The Hurricane touchdown made it 24-10 with 8:26 to play in the third. 

The Hurricanes got the ball back quickly at its own 47 after a 3-and-out by the ND offense and a 25-yard punt by Jasper Scaife. Miami converted on 4th and 1 at the Irish 43 when Mensah hit a wide-open Lofton, who finished with 9 catches for 113 yards, for a 31-yard gain and then connected with Cooper Barkate in the end zone from 12 yards out to make it a 24-17 game. 

Momentum was on Miami’s side after a second straight Irish 3-and-out, but Luke Talich quelled it when he jumped a sideline attempt to Lofton. His third interception of the season gave Notre Dame the ball at its own 49.  

Notre Dame faced 4th and 2 at the Hurricane 43 and Marcus Freeman decided to go for it rather than punt. Carr hit an uncovered Nolan James, Jr flying out of the backfield and the running back zipped to the seven. James plunged into the end zone from a yard out four plays later to put the Irish up 31-17 with 12:55 remaining.  

The Hurricanes weren’t done. Barkate gained 35 yards on a screen pass on 3rd and 8 and then caught a 1-yard touchdown pass to make it a seven-point game again with 9:53 still to play. 

The Irish drove to the Hurricane 35 on the ensuing drive but settled for a 53-yard field goal attempt that Porath missed wide left. Miami took over with 5:49 remaining. Mensah hit Lofton for a gain of 41 yards, moving the ball to the ND 22. The Canes went for it on 4th and 6 at the 18 but Mensah’s pass for Lofton in the end zone was incomplete. 

Notre Dame took over with a 31-24 lead and 3:36 to play. James ran the ball six straight times. After picking up a 1st down on the first three, he was stopped two yards shy on the last carry and Notre Dame punted, giving Miami the ball at its own 13 with :57 seconds left. 

The Hurricanes ran four plays, the last was a completed pass and a series of laterals that ended with Ausberry recovering a fumble to end the game.