Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami 31-24 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend on Saturday, November 7, 2026, handing the Hurricanes their first loss of the season. Quarterback CJ Carr completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns in the best game of his season, and the Fighting Irish built a 24-3 lead before holding off a furious Miami comeback. The win was sealed in the final minute when Notre Dame forced a fumble on Miami’s last drive, and fans stormed the field to celebrate the biggest win of the season for the Irish.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Final score | Notre Dame 31, Miami 24 |
| Date | Saturday, November 7, 2026 |
| Stadium | Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana |
| Kickoff | 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC |
| Miami ranking | No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings |
| Notre Dame ranking | No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings |
| Notre Dame quarterback | CJ Carr, 29 of 40 for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns |
| Miami quarterback | Darian Mensah, 24 of 43 with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception |
| Notre Dame record | 8-1 |
| Miami record | 8-1, 6-0 in ACC play |
| Halftime score | Notre Dame 17, Miami 3 |
| Game-sealing play | Leonard Moore forced a fumble, Jaiden Ausberry recovered it |
| All-time series | Notre Dame leads 19-9-1 |
| Next CFP rankings | Tuesday, November 10 |
CJ Carr Delivered His Best Game of the Season
Notre Dame needed its quarterback to play the game of his life, and CJ Carr did exactly that. He completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, and he looked calm and sharp from the opening drive. His best stretch came early, when he threw for 205 yards in the first half alone and helped Notre Dame build a 17-3 lead by halftime.
Carr opened the third quarter with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Micah Gilbert, and that score pushed the lead to 24-3. Gilbert finished with two touchdown catches and a team-high 98 receiving yards, and he was Carr’s favorite target all night. The connection between the two gave Notre Dame an answer every time Miami tried to build momentum.
The performance mattered because of what was at stake. Notre Dame entered the game at No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings, right on the edge of the 12-team field, and the selection committee had pointed out that the Irish had no ranked win on their resume. Carr gave them one, against the No. 1 team in the country, on national television.
Miami’s Second-Half Rally Fell Just Short
Miami did not go away quietly. The Hurricanes were flat in the first half without star receiver Malachi Toney, who missed the game with an ankle injury and is expected to be out for an extended period. They managed only three points before halftime and were outgained 251-145 in the first two quarters.
The second half was a different story. Quarterback Darian Mensah, the Duke transfer, threw three touchdowns after halftime and nearly pulled off the comeback. Cooper Barkate and tight end Elija Lofton became his main weapons with Toney out, and Miami outscored Notre Dame 21-14 in the second half. Mensah finished 24 of 43 passing with three touchdowns and one interception.
The rally reached its peak late in the fourth quarter. After Notre Dame took a 31-24 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Nolan James Jr., which came after a Mensah interception, Miami got the ball back with 57 seconds left and a chance to tie the game. The Hurricanes drove into Notre Dame territory, but the drive ended on fourth down when Lofton bobbled a pass that would have tied the game. Safety Luke Talich, who had picked off Mensah earlier in the half, caused the bobble. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said after the game that he was beyond upset the play was ruled incomplete.
The Final Minute Sealed It and the Fans Stormed the Field
The ending was as dramatic as the rest of the night. With Miami driving for a tying score in the final minute, Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore forced a fumble, and linebacker Jaiden Ausberry recovered it to end the game. The moment the recovery was secure, thousands of Notre Dame fans poured onto the field to celebrate.
The field storming said everything about what the win meant. Notre Dame had been left out of last season’s 12-team playoff field because of a head-to-head tiebreaker loss to these same Hurricanes, and this game was the chance to set that right. The Irish had also lost to BYU on October 17, which left them without a ranked win all season. Beating the No. 1 team at home, in front of a roaring crowd, changed the whole picture in one night.
Miami’s loss also ended its perfect season, but it did not end the Hurricanes’ playoff hopes. Miami was the No. 1 overall seed in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and at 8-1 the Hurricanes are still in a strong position. The loss did leave only two unbeaten teams in the country, Utah and UCLA, and it means there will be a new No. 1 team when the rankings are updated on Tuesday, November 10.
What the Win Means for the College Football Playoff
Notre Dame now heads into Week 11 in a near-lock position for the College Football Playoff. The Irish are 8-1, they own a win over the No. 1 team, and they are expected to climb several spots when the new rankings come out on Tuesday. The committee chairman had called this the signature win Notre Dame was missing, and now the Irish have it.
The win also changes the race at the top. Miami falls from the No. 1 seed, and the order of the top teams will be reshuffled. Utah stayed unbeaten with its win over BYU, and UCLA is also still perfect at 9-0, so both of those teams will be in the conversation for the top spots. UCLA beat Minnesota 34-20 on Saturday to stay unbeaten, and the Bruins are now one of only two undefeated teams left in the country.
It was a weekend full of statement wins across college football. Tennessee beat Kentucky 34-6 behind a defense that shut the Wildcats out in the second half, and Oregon beat Ohio State 41-28 after scoring 38 straight points in Columbus. But few results shook up the playoff picture as much as the one in South Bend.
What Comes Next for Both Teams
Miami returns home for a three-game homestand to finish the regular season, starting with a homecoming game against Duke on Saturday, November 14, at noon on ABC. The Hurricanes will have to do it without Malachi Toney for now, and the offense will need Barkate and Lofton to keep producing the way they did in the second half against Notre Dame.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, can breathe a little easier. The Irish are 8-1 with a win over the No. 1 team in the country, and the playoff path that looked narrow a week ago now looks wide open. The next rankings will tell the full story, but on Saturday night in South Bend, Notre Dame already had its answer.
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. The Irish led 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 early in the third quarter before Miami rallied to make it a one-score game.
How did CJ Carr play against Miami?
CJ Carr completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. It was his best game of the season, and two of his touchdown passes went to Micah Gilbert, who led Notre Dame with 98 receiving yards.
Why did Miami lose to Notre Dame?
Miami was without star receiver Malachi Toney, who missed the game with an ankle injury, and the Hurricanes managed only three points in the first half. They rallied behind three second-half touchdown passes from Darian Mensah, but a fourth-down incompletion and a forced fumble on the final drive ended the comeback.
Does the loss hurt Miami’s playoff chances?
Not much. Miami was the No. 1 overall seed in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and at 8-1 the Hurricanes are still in a strong position. The loss does mean there will be a new No. 1 team, and it leaves Utah and UCLA as the only unbeaten teams in the country.
Sources
- USA Today: Notre Dame takes control of CFP fate with win over No. 1 Miami
- NCAA.com: No. 1 Miami loses first game as Notre Dame holds off the Hurricanes
- NBC Sports: Notre Dame knocks off top-ranked Miami 31-24
- Palm Beach Post: Miami vs Notre Dame highlights, Hurricanes comeback falls short in 1st loss
Final Thoughts
Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami 31-24 because CJ Carr played the best game of his season and the Irish defense made the plays that mattered most in the final minute. The 24-3 lead showed how good this team can be, and the way it held on showed how tough it is. For Miami, the loss stings, but the season is far from over. For Notre Dame, the night ended with fans on the field and a playoff resume that finally has the signature win it was missing.
