SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The No. 1 Miami Hurricanes suffered their first loss of the season Saturday night, falling 31-24 to Notre Dame in a tightly contested matchup that saw Miami nearly erase a 21-point deficit.
Playing without star wide receiver Malachi Toney due to an ankle injury, Miami struggled to find its offensive rhythm early. Notre Dame took advantage, opening the scoring with a 44-yard field goal from Spencer Porath before quarterback CJ Carr connected with Jordan Faison for a 27-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10-0.
Miami answered with a 14-play, 83-yard drive but settled for a 19-yard field goal from Jake Weinberg after coming up short near the goal line.
The Fighting Irish added another touchdown before halftime when Carr found Micah Gilbert for an 18-yard score, giving Notre Dame a 17-3 lead at the break.
Notre Dame extended its advantage to 24-3 early in the third quarter on another Carr-to-Gilbert touchdown connection, this time from 20 yards out.
Miami finally came alive behind quarterback Darian Mensah, who led an 11-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Elija Lofton. Following a defensive stop, Mensah found Cooper Barkate for another 12-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 24-17 midway through the third quarter.
Just as Miami began building momentum, a Mensah interception gave Notre Dame an opportunity to regain control. The Fighting Irish capitalized with a 1-yard touchdown run from Nolan James Jr. early in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 31-17.
The Hurricanes responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Barkate’s second touchdown reception of the night, bringing Miami within seven points with 9:53 remaining.
After Notre Dame missed a 53-yard field goal, Miami had another opportunity to tie the game. A 41-yard completion from Mensah to Lofton helped move the Hurricanes deep into Notre Dame territory, but the drive ended on an incomplete fourth-down pass in the end zone.
Miami received one final possession with 57 seconds remaining, but a fumble on the game’s final play ended any chance of forcing overtime.
Mensah finished with 276 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Lofton led Miami with 113 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Barkate recorded 10 receptions for 92 yards and two scores. Mark Fletcher Jr. added 57 rushing yards.
Defensively, Mohamed Toure led the Hurricanes with 12 tackles, followed by Chase Smith with eight.
Toney’s absence was noticeable, particularly during Miami’s slow offensive start. While Lofton and Barkate stepped up, the Hurricanes missed the explosive playmaking ability Toney has provided throughout the season.
Miami finished with 377 total yards compared to Notre Dame’s 412, but two turnovers and missed scoring opportunities proved costly.
The Hurricanes now sit at 8-1 after entering the weekend as the nation’s top-ranked team. Despite the loss, Miami’s second-half rally could factor into how voters and the College Football Playoff committee evaluate the Hurricanes moving forward.
With their undefeated season over, all eyes will be on where Miami lands in the next national rankings and how much Saturday’s loss impacts its College Football Playoff positioning.
Miami will look to bounce back next Saturday when it hosts Duke.
