Notre Dame holds off Miami 31-24
CJ Carr throws for 319 yards and three touchdowns as the Irish snap their losing streak against the Hurricanes and keep their playoff hopes alive.
By Tunde Bailey ·
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Fighting Irish to a 31-24 victory over Miami on Saturday night in South Bend, Indiana. The win ended a losing streak against the Hurricanes and secured the Irish a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Carr connected with Micah Gilbert on two scoring passes and Jordan Faison on a third. Nolan James Jr. added a rushing touchdown for Notre Dame, which improved to 8-1 and climbed to the No. 11 seed in the playoff rankings. The Irish never trailed in the contest.
Miami started slowly without injured wide receiver Malachi Toney. The Hurricanes trailed 24-3 early in the third quarter before mounting a comeback. Darian Mensah threw three touchdown passes for Miami, twice bringing the score within a touchdown. Cooper Barkate caught two of those passes, while Elija Lofton secured the third.
With 3:36 remaining, Lofton appeared to make a fourth-down catch in the end zone that would have narrowed the lead to one point. Notre Dame defensive back Luke Talich knocked the ball away, and officials ruled the grab incomplete. Miami was left with no first down, allowing Notre Dame to run down the clock and hold the lead.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal described the non-call as a major factor in the loss. "Obviously, a tough loss to take," Cristobal said. "Proud of our players for the resilience.. Don't leave it in the hands of the officials. Play better. Coach better. Find a way to win."
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman called the victory a special moment for the program. "I'm not going to sit here and say this was like the other ones. No, this is different," Freeman said. He noted that the team must now prepare for its next opponent.
The result leaves only two unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision: Utah and UCLA. Both teams moved to 9-0 on Saturday. This is the first time since 2003 that only two teams remained unbeaten after nine games.
The game featured a large crowd at Notre Dame Stadium, which included 43 NFL scouts. The temperature at kickoff was 40 degrees Fahrenheit and dropped to the mid-30s during the game. The Irish honored several former players and staff members during pregame ceremonies.
Miami falls to 44-7 all-time when playing as the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25. The Hurricanes have lost twice to Notre Dame in that scenario. Notre Dame improves to 10-17-1 against No. 1 teams, marking its first win over a top-ranked opponent in six years.
Both teams will host opponents next Saturday. Miami will face Duke, while Notre Dame will play Boston College.
