Notre Dame Stuns No. 1 Miami 31-24 to End the Hurricanes' Unbeaten Season

No. 11 Notre Dame ended No. 1 Miami's unbeaten season on Saturday night, beating the Hurricanes 31-24 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend behind three touchdown passes from quarterback CJ Carr.

The Fighting Irish led 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 early in the third quarter, then held off a furious Miami rally to secure a win that all but locks Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff field. The defeat leaves only Utah and UCLA unbeaten in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Key Points

• No. 11 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami 31-24 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
• CJ Carr threw three touchdown passes, finishing 29 of 40 for 319 yards with no interceptions, including two scoring passes to Micah Gilbert and a 27-yard toe-tapping touchdown to Jordan Faison.
• Miami quarterback Darian Mensah threw three second-half touchdown passes to rally the Hurricanes from 24-3 down to 31-24, but his final drive stalled at the Notre Dame 18-yard line.
• Miami played without star receiver Malachi Toney, out after ankle surgery, while Eli Lofton led the Hurricanes with seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.
• The win avenges Notre Dame's 27-24 loss to Miami in the 2025 season opener and extends the Irish lead in the all-time series to 18-9-1.

What Happened

Notre Dame never trailed. The Irish built a 17-3 halftime lead after Miami wasted its best early chance, reaching first-and-goal from the Notre Dame 1-yard line in the second quarter and settling for a field goal after three runs went nowhere. It was a telling start for a Miami offence that had averaged 27 first-half points in its first eight games.

Carr opened the second half with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Micah Gilbert, stretching the lead to 24-3. Then Mensah came alive, throwing three second-half touchdown passes, two to Cooper Barkate and one to Eli Lofton. Barkate's 1-yard scoring catch with 9:53 left cut the gap to 31-24.

Miami had one last chance. Facing fourth-and-six at the Notre Dame 18 with 3:36 remaining, Lofton appeared to catch a touchdown pass in the end zone, a grab that would have made it 31-30. But safety Luke Talich, who had intercepted a pass in the third quarter, knocked the ball away, and officials ruled the catch incomplete. Notre Dame took over on downs and survived a final hook-and-ladder play with 57 seconds left.

Forty-three NFL scouts were in a packed crowd at Notre Dame Stadium, where it was 40 degrees at kickoff and fell into the mid-30s. Notre Dame also honoured former stars including Joe Montana and Jerome Bettis Sr.

Background and Context

This was a revenge game a year in the making. Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24 in the 2025 season opener, a defeat that ultimately kept the Irish out of the College Football Playoff. Notre Dame carried that frustration into 2026, and on Saturday night the Irish finally got their payback.

Miami arrived in South Bend as the No. 1 overall seed in the first College Football Playoff rankings, unbeaten at 8-0. Notre Dame sat at No. 11, knowing another loss to the Hurricanes could doom its title hopes.

The finish echoed the famous 1988 game, when top-ranked Miami lost 31-30 to fourth-ranked Notre Dame in the game known as Catholics vs. Convicts. Lofton's near-catch would have made it 31-30 again.

Notre Dame vs Miami: How Carr and the Irish Sealed the Upset

Carr was the difference. He completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, finding Gilbert twice for scores and Faison for the spectacular 27-yard toe-tapping catch. Nolan James Jr. added a rushing touchdown.

Mensah matched him in the second half with three touchdown passes. Lofton finished with seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, and Barkate caught two scoring passes, but the Hurricanes missed Toney, sidelined after ankle surgery.

Notre Dame's defence made the plays that mattered: the goal-line stand, Talich's interception, and the fourth-down stop at the 18-yard line.

Reactions and Analysis

The Associated Press verdict was simple: Notre Dame left no doubt, and the Irish's playoff hopes are very much alive. Miami was left to reckon with a slow start it could not fully erase, even after three second-half touchdowns brought the Hurricanes within a score.

The numbers underline how rare this result is. Miami fell to 44-7 as the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25, including an 0-2 mark against Notre Dame. Notre Dame improved to 10-17-1 against No. 1 teams, its first win over a top-ranked side in exactly six years, since beating No. 1 Clemson on November 7, 2020.

With Miami falling, only Utah and UCLA remain unbeaten at 9-0, the first time since 2003 that only two teams have gone unbeaten through the first nine games; TCU and Oklahoma did it that year.

Why It Matters

This result reshapes the College Football Playoff race. Notre Dame, now 8-1, has all but locked itself into the playoff field with a win over the team that held the No. 1 seed. Miami, also 8-1, is far from finished, but its margin for error is gone, and Georgia is now set to take over the top ranking after its 42-7 rout of No. 10 Ole Miss.

For Notre Dame, the win is also a statement. A year after a season-opening loss to Miami kept the Irish out of the playoff, they beat the same team, at home, with the No. 1 ranking on the line.

What Happens Next

Miami hosts Duke next Saturday, looking to steady its season and keep its playoff hopes intact. Notre Dame hosts Boston College next Saturday, with a chance to build on the biggest win of its season. The new College Football Playoff rankings, released on Tuesday, will show how far the Irish climb and how far the Hurricanes fall.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Notre Dame vs Miami?

Notre Dame beat Miami 31-24 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

Who is still unbeaten in college football?

Only Utah and UCLA remain unbeaten, both at 9-0, the first time since 2003 that only two teams have gone unbeaten through the first nine games.

How many touchdowns did CJ Carr throw against Miami?

Carr threw three touchdown passes, completing 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards with no interceptions. Two scores went to Micah Gilbert and one to Jordan Faison.

What happened on Miami's final drive?

Miami faced fourth-and-six at the Notre Dame 18 with 3:36 left. Eli Lofton appeared to catch a touchdown pass, but Luke Talich knocked the ball away and officials ruled it incomplete. Notre Dame took over on downs.

When do Notre Dame and Miami play next?

Notre Dame hosts Boston College next Saturday, while Miami hosts Duke next Saturday.

Read more: Notre Dame rallied to beat Navy 35-13; No. 1 Miami survived North Carolina 38-35; AP Top 25 Week 10: Miami held No. 1, Utah climbed to No. 3.