“This is big, this is special,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. The Fighting Irish defeated top-ranked Miami 31-24 on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium, 247Sports reported.
CJ Carr threw two touchdown passes to Micah Gilbert and another to Jordan Faison to build a 24-3 lead, ESPN reported. James Jr. capped an early drive with a one-yard touchdown run, and safety Luke Talich broke up a fourth-down pass to Miami tight end Elija Lofton in the final minutes to preserve the victory.
Miami, playing without injured star receiver Malachi Toney, rallied with a one-yard touchdown pass from Mensah to Barkate to cut the deficit to 31-24 with 9:53 remaining, according to Notre Dame’s official athletics site.
Talich’s fourth-down breakup ends Miami’s final rally
With Miami facing fourth and 6 from the Notre Dame 18 and 3:36 left, Lofton appeared to secure a game-tying touchdown catch in the end zone, but officials ruled he did not maintain possession while going to the ground, the Miami Herald reported. Talich got his hands on the ball to break up the play.
NBC’s rules expert, former NFL referee Terry McAulay, said “he does not have the ball long enough” to make it a catch and the call was correct, according to the Miami Herald. Miami coach Mario Cristobal disagreed, using an expletive to describe his opinion of the ruling.
Notre Dame players cite playoff snub as motivation
Freeman told players to “leave no doubt” about their national standing, and Talich said the team felt it “left it up to the [playoff] judges last year” after being excluded from the 12-team field, ESPN reported. “We knew that our backs were against the wall,” Talich said. “This was a get-back game for us.”
Quarterback CJ Carr said, “We earned this thing,” ESPN reported. Freeman called the victory the program’s 10th win against an AP top-ranked opponent, second most among FBS teams, according to ESPN.
Cristobal questions calls as Miami suffers first loss
The defeat marked Miami’s first regular-season loss of the season, the Miami Herald reported. Cristobal also questioned a fourth-and-2 decision and a field goal attempt inside the Notre Dame 1-yard line while trailing 10-0, calling them self-inflicted wounds, according to the Herald.
Miami’s pass defense entered the game ranked 122nd nationally, compared with 43rd a year ago, the Herald reported.
Win echoes 1988 “Catholics vs. Convicts” thriller
The 31-24 final score mirrored Notre Dame’s 31-30 victory over Miami on October 15, 1988, a game known as “Catholics vs. Convicts,” according to Notre Dame’s athletics site. Yahoo Sports noted that Notre Dame fans carried signs referencing “Catholics vs. the Committee,” alluding to last season’s playoff exclusion.
Notre Dame entered the game ranked No. 4 in the AP poll but No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Yahoo Sports reported. “It really doesn’t matter where we’re ranked,” Freeman said. “We don’t need to focus on it.”
Watch LIVE as Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman speaks to the media postgame. #GoIrish☘️ https://t.co/ajpfTKxeeh
Miami must win ACC title game if it loses again
A second regular-season loss would almost assure Miami needs to win the ACC championship game to reach the playoffs, the Miami Herald reported. Miami officials remain optimistic that Toney, who underwent an ankle procedure this week, could return for the playoffs, according to the Herald.
As Freeman spoke at his postgame news conference, he caught a glimpse of Talich extolling the crowd outside and smiled. “Enjoy it!” Freeman told him. “Y’all earned it!” ESPN reported.
Questions remaining after Notre Dame’s 31-24 win
Yahoo Sports reported that fans referenced last season, when the committee selected Miami over Notre Dame as the final at-large team for the 12-team playoff field, prompting signs reading “Catholics vs. the Committee.”
The Miami Herald reported that a second loss would almost assuredly require Miami to win the ACC title game to qualify for the College Football Playoff.
Touchdown James Jr.! The PAT is good @SpencerPorath Notre Dame 31, Miami 17 | 12:55 4th#GoIrish☘️ | @nolan_james1 pic.twitter.com/W3qZ6I8DcM
Who is Malachi Toney? ESPN and the Miami Herald identified Toney as Miami’s leading receiver, who was out with an ankle injury for at least four to six weeks but could return for the playoffs.