No. 11 Notre Dame secured a 31-24 victory over No, according to ESPN. 1 Miami on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The primetime showdown saw the Fighting Irish hold off a fierce second-half comeback attempt by the undefeated Hurricanes.
Notre Dame Controls the First Half
Notre Dame set the tone early in front of its home crowd, building a commanding lead behind a dominant defensive performance and efficient offensive play. Quarterback CJ Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, exploiting a Miami pass defense that struggled to generate pressure in the pocket, while being paired with a relentless defense.
The Fighting Irish opened the scoring with a field goal on their first possession before Carr connected with Jordan Faison, a South Florida native and Pine Crest alumnus according to the Sun-Sentinel, on a 27-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. Miami mounted a 14-play, 83-yard drive in response, but the Notre Dame defense dug in at the goal line, stopping a potential game-winning or tying drive short of the end zone.
Notre Dame capitalized just before halftime when Carr marched the offense 81 yards in 1:39, capping the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Micah Gilbert to push the lead to 17-3 at the break, per the Sun-Sentinel. Faison then broke open the second half with a 56-yard punt return that set up another Carr-to-Gilbert touchdown connection—this one for 20 yards—extending the margin to 24-3.
Hurricanes Charge Back After Halftime
The Hurricanes engineered a dramatic turnaround after a sluggish opening two quarters. Quarterback and Heisman contender Darian Mensah, labeled the top dog in college football, sparked the offense by firing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Elija Lofton in the third quarter.
After forcing a Notre Dame three-and-out, Miami struck quickly again, with Mensah connecting with Cooper Barkate for another 12-yard touchdown pass that sliced the deficit to 24-17 with 5:29 left in the third quarter, as detailed by the Sun-Sentinel.
Notre Dame answered after Luke Talich intercepted Mensah, marking only the quarterback’s second interception of the season. The Fighting Irish converted a fourth-and-3 before Nolan James Jr. punched in a 1-yard touchdown run four plays later to restore a two-score cushion at 31-17.
Miami refused to fold. Mensah led a late drive, tossing a 1-yard touchdown to Barkate to make it a one-score game once more.
Fighting Irish Defense Seals the Win
After forcing Notre Dame to try a long field goal that it could not convert, Miami earned a final lifeline to drive down the field quickly with under a minute remaining, per the Sun-Sentinel. Mensah found Lofton in the end zone on a deep throw with 3:36 left in the fourth quarter, but the tight end had the ball knocked out of his hands on fourth down, sealing the first loss of the season for the top-ranked Hurricanes.
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said it was an obviously tough loss to take, adding that he was certainly proud of his players for the resilience and toughness they showed the whole way through.
The loss serves as payback for Notre Dame following Miami’s season-opening victory in 2025, a head-to-head result that put the teams on the bubble and ultimately kept the Fighting Irish out of the College Football Playoff field while Miami went all the way to the national championship against Indiana.
As ESPN historical archives note, the rivalry between the two programs dates back to their inaugural 1955 meeting in the Orange Bowl—won 14-0 by Notre Dame behind Paul Hornung—and includes infamous chapters such as the 1985 blowout where Jimmy Johnson’s Hurricanes won 58-7 and the legendary 1988 Catholics vs. Convicts
matchup in South Bend on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Notre Dame Stadium.
Earlier coverage: Miami Visits Notre Dame Without Malachi Toney in College Football Showdown
