The Irish built a 24-7 lead, survived a late Miami rally and a disputed no-touchdown call to beat the previously unbeaten Hurricanes.
Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami 31-24 on Saturday night in South Bend, handing the Hurricanes their first loss of the season and flipping the script on last year's season-opening defeat that helped keep the Irish out of the College Football Playoff.
The Irish jumped out to a 24-7 lead before Miami clawed back behind Heisman contender Darian Mensah, who looked sharp in the second half. With under four minutes left, Miami appeared to tie the game, but officials ruled the play short of the goal line on a call that drew plenty of complaints from the Hurricanes' sideline. Notre Dame held on from there to seal the win.
Quarterback CJ Carr was steady all night for Notre Dame, going toe to toe with Mensah in what both sides' NFL Draft evaluators were watching closely. The game also carried an emotional undercurrent, honoring the legacy of Lou Holtz, who died earlier this year.
The result reshapes the playoff picture. Miami's unbeaten run is over, and Notre Dame has the kind of win it needed to get back into the postseason conversation after being left out a year ago.