Notre Dame stops Miami's perfect season
The Irish scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to snap the Hurricanes' undefeated streak with a 31-24 victory.
By Lorenzo Patterson ·
The top of the college football standings shifted on Saturday night. Notre Dame defeated the No. 1 ranked Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in South Bend, Indiana. This result leaves the Irish in control of their own destiny regarding a spot in the College Football Playoff. It also ends Miami's pursuit of an unbeaten record for the 2026 season.
Notre Dame built a 21-point cushion that Miami could not overcome. The Irish led 24-3 early in the third quarter. Miami's Darian Mensah responded with three touchdown passes to close the gap. He threw to Cooper Barkate twice and to Elija Lofton once. The Hurricanes trailed by one score for much of the final frame.
CJ Carr directed the Notre Dame offense. He passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Micah Gilbert caught two of those scoring throws. Jordan Faison secured the third pass. Nolan James Jr. added a rushing touchdown. The Irish record now stands at 8-1. They are ranked No. 11 in the College Football Playoff.
Miami faced a challenge without injured wide receiver Malachi Toney. The Hurricanes had scored at least 14 points in their first half in eight of their nine games this season. They averaged 27 points in the first half during that stretch. On Saturday, they managed only 3 points in the first half. They trailed 17-3 at the break after settling for a field goal on a goal-line chance.
The game ended with a contested fourth-down play. With 3:36 remaining, Lofton appeared to catch a pass in the end zone. Notre Dame's Luke Talich knocked the ball away. Officials ruled the catch incomplete. Notre Dame took over on downs and ran the clock down to approximately one minute. They held onto the lead to secure the win.
This defeat marks the second time Miami has lost to Notre Dame in AP Top 25 play. The Hurricanes are now 44-7 when ranked No. 1. Their last loss in this scenario dates to 1988. Notre Dame improved to 10-17-1 against No. 1 teams. This is the Irish first victory over the top-ranked team in six years.
Only two FBS teams remain unbeaten. Utah and UCLA both won Saturday to reach a 9-0 record. This is the first time since 2003 that just two teams survived the first nine games without a loss. TCU and Oklahoma held that distinction in 2023.
Notre Dame Stadium hosted 43 NFL scouts for the game. The temperature was 40 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff. It dropped into the mid-30s as the night progressed. The Irish honored former players and coaches before the game. Those included Joe Montana, Jerome Bettis Sr., and Pat Murphy.
Miami will host Duke next Saturday. Notre Dame will host Boston College next Saturday. The Irish enter those games with a live chance at a national championship. Their playoff hopes were in question before Saturday's win.
