No. 4 Notre Dame Defeats No. 1 Miami 31-24 to Hand Hurricanes First Loss

No. 4 Notre Dame defeated No. 1 Miami 31-24 on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium, according to Fox News. The Fighting Irish held off a late surge to hand the Hurricanes their first loss.

Playing in South Bend, Indiana, where temperatures at kickoff hovered around 40 degrees Fahrenheit before dropping into the mid-30s, the Fighting Irish raced out to a 24-10 lead.

Quarterback CJ Carr led the Notre Dame offense by throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Micah Gilbert hauled in two of Carr’s scoring passes, Jordan Faison caught the other, and Nolan James Jr. added a rushing touchdown for the Irish (8-1, ranked No. 11 by the College Football Playoff committee entering the contest). Notre Dame entered the matchup knowing that another loss to Miami could doom its College Football Playoff chances.

Hurricanes Fall Short After Late Rally

The Hurricanes (8-1) played without star receiver Malachi Toney, who was sidelined for 4 to 6 weeks with an ankle injury.

Miami struggled early, managing only a field goal after a first-and-goal from the Notre Dame 1-yard line in the second quarter that resulted in a goal-line stand by the Irish defense. Trailing 17-3 at halftime, Miami did not score its first touchdown until nine minutes remained in the third quarter.

Quarterback Darian Mensah led a roaring comeback alongside teammate Cooper Barkate, who caught a pair of scoring passes, while Elija Lofton added another touchdown reception. Miami nearly tied the game with 3:36 left when Lofton appeared to make a fourth-down catch in the end zone that would have made it 31-30.

However, Notre Dame defender Luke Talich—who also recorded an interception in the third quarter—swatted the ball away at the last second. Officials ruled that Lofton did not complete the grab, preserving the victory for the Irish.

NFL Scouts Watch Notre Dame Secure Win over Top-Ranked Opponent

The game drew intense attention, including 43 NFL scouts among the crowd at Notre Dame Stadium. With the win, Notre Dame improved to 10-17-1 all-time against No. 1 teams, securing its first victory against a top-ranked opponent since beating No. 1 Clemson at home on November 7, 2020.

Next Saturday, Miami is scheduled to host Duke, while Notre Dame is set to host Boston College.

If Notre Dame can avoid defeats over its final three regular-season games against Boston College, SMU, and Syracuse, the Fighting Irish will secure a postseason berth, but what the College Football Playoff selection committee will decide in its upcoming rankings will be seen.

Earlier coverage: Notre Dame Faces Potential Playoff Elimination in Primetime Clash With Miami

More on this story: No. 4 Notre Dame Defeats Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field · CFP Committee Names Miami No. 1 in First 2026 Rankings

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