Top ranked Miami Hurricanes fall to Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Miami, Florida – The No. 1 Miami Hurricanes rallied from a 21-point deficit but fell short, 31-24, to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend. Miami’s defeat marks only the second time in AP Poll history—dating back to 1936—that a team ranked No. 1 or No. 2 has lost in five consecutive weeks. UM’s first-half struggles came back to bite them, especially after a controversial late-game call wiped out a potential equalizer. With 3:36 remaining, Darian Mensah lobbed it to tight end Elija Lofton, who made a terrific fourth-down catch in the end zone, seemingly tying it up. However, Notre Dame safety Luke Talich broke up the play late, resulting in an incomplete pass. Upon further review, the call stood.

TD OR NO?!?!?!! pic.twitter.com/gOEHWVUDDd

— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) November 8, 2026

The Fighting Irish ran out the clock after the turnover on downs, handing the Hurricanes their first loss of the season. Head coach Mario Cristobal had choice words for the officiating, but even he admitted the team can’t leave their fate in the referee’s hands. Miami trailed a combined 23:08 in eight games heading into the contest. The Canes spent 54:38 playing from behind Saturday night. Mensah was harried for much of the evening, pressured on 21 of his 52 dropbacks (40.4%), getting sacked twice. Despite the heat, UM’s star quarterback finished with 276 yards, three TDs, and a pick. Conversely, CJ Carr had time to breathe and was never sacked. The glaring lack of a pass rush helped enable him to torch the Hurricanes for 319 yards and three touchdowns.

Get up there 9 🔥

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/tBtlEJWKD8

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 8, 2026

This was Miami’s first game without a single sack since November 9, 2024, against Georgia Tech, snapping a 27-game streak. As they fell further behind, the Cardiac Canes abandoned the ground game, finishing with just 101 total rushing yards. Mark Fletcher Jr. saw the most action, logging 13 carries for 57 yards. Each of Miami’s past 10 losses have been decided by eight points or fewer. Stumbling to 8-1, the Hurricanes have three conference games left, with Duke coming next.

MENSAH MAGIC!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/8O3E1q4P03

— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) November 8, 2026

In too deep

The Hurricanes offense was atrocious during the first half, punting on four of its five possessions. Outside of the contested late-game call by the officials, two drives during this span significantly hurt the Canes. UM was knocking on the door on first-and-goal but was stonewalled after three attempts, forcing them to settle for a field goal. The failure to score factored into the outcome. Notre Dame’s touchdown just before halftime compounded Miami’s problems. Already up 10-3 thanks to the 27-yard TD to Jordan Faison, Carr struck with 33 seconds left in the second quarter via an 18-yard touchdown pass to Micah Gilbert. Miami went 1-for-6 on third down and generated only 145 yards of total offense, including 74 passing yards.

Carr finds James Jr. for the first down!#GoIrish☘️ | @13Cjcarr | @nolan_james1

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/dguxRK2V6z

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 8, 2026

Notre Dame seemingly delivered the knockout blow on Gilbert’s second touchdown, a 20-yard reception. Down 24-3, Mensah and the Hurricanes launched their rally. Both Lofton and Cooper Barkate caught 12-yard TDs in the third quarter, cutting into the deficit. Lofton recorded seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, while Barkate showed his best self with 10 receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Carr executed on 4th and 2 at Miami’s 43-yard-line, hitting Nolan James Jr. for 36 yards. James ultimately rushed up the middle for the one-yard TD to keep the Canes down. The Mensah-Barkate tandem scored again, but it wasn’t enough.

Impressions

It could’ve been worse. A lot worse. Before the third-quarter rally, the Hurricanes looked dead and buried. UM remains undefeated in conference play and would still participate in the ACC Championship if they lose one of their last three games. Winning the conference title game guarantees a spot in the CFP. A loss leaves things in the air and in the committee’s hands. Had UM won, they could afford crashing out in the championship game. The Hurricanes have slid back to No. 5 in the latest AP Top 25 Rankings, with Notre Dame moving to third and Georgia claiming the top spot. We’ll see what the CFP committee says.

Mario Cristobal had plenty to say about the controversial incompletion call that wiped away a potential game-tying touchdown for Miami. pic.twitter.com/lFjuxnPjUi

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2026

It was a bad game for the defensive line (and secondary), but I put much of the blame on the offense’s ineptitude in the first half. Shannon Dawson was too conservative, and that created a sluggish offense. Miami dropped to 44-7 all-time when playing as the No. 1 ranked team in the AP Top 25, including a 0-2 record specifically against Notre Dame. Time to turn the page and move on.

About Post Author

Gabriel Garcia

Just an avid sports fan who happens to have a love-hate (mostly love) relationship with his local teams be it collegiate or professional and also happens to be a news junkie. Mix in outstanding optimism with cold realism and you’ve got yourself a balanced cocktail perfect for champions.

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