Notre Dame delivered a 31-24 victory against No. 1 Miami on Saturday night in South Bend, Indiana. The win stands as a key moment for the Irish, who entered the game ranked No. 11 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings and needed a signature result after falling to BYU on Oct. 17.
Miami played without wide receiver Malachi Toney, sidelined by an ankle injury. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman showed players video of the iconic 1988 matchup between the schools, underscoring the historical weight of the rivalry.
Notre Dame built a 24-3 lead in the second half before Miami rallied. Safety Luke Talich broke up a potential tying touchdown pass intended for tight end Elija Lofton, a defensive stop that helped secure the victory.
Quarterback CJ Carr was central to Notre Dame's early dominance. He completed touchdown passes to Micah Gilbert (twice) and Jordan Faison, finishing with 319 passing yards and no interceptions. The performance marked a stark contrast to his previous start against Miami last year, a 27-24 loss in which he said he played like "a boy" rather than a confident starter.
Freeman said after the game: "This is big, this is special. I'm not going to sit here and say this is like the other ones. No, this is different. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of physical preparation, mental preparation, we put into this. I want them to enjoy it."
The victory marks Notre Dame's 10th win against an AP top-ranked opponent under Freeman, placing the Irish second among FBS teams in such wins. Carr celebrated on the field with fans who stormed the stadium after the final whistle, saying he wanted to "celebrate this sucker" and "hang out with the crowd and our teammates."
