Notre Dame Stuns No. 1 Miami, 31-24, Shakes Up College Football Playoff Race

No. 11 Notre Dame handed No. 1 Miami its first loss of the season Saturday night, beating the Hurricanes 31-24 in South Bend, Indiana, in a result that immediately reshapes the College Football Playoff race.

Miami entered the weekend atop the selection committee’s first CFP rankings, released Nov. 3, while Notre Dame was No. 11. With the next rankings due Tuesday, both teams are now 8-1 after a game that carried clear playoff weight from kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium.

The decisive sequence came in the final minutes. With about 3:36 remaining in the fourth quarter, Miami appeared to pull even when tight end Elija Lofton made a fourth-down catch in the end zone. But officials ruled he did not complete the catch after Notre Dame defensive back Luke Talich knocked the ball away. Notre Dame took over on downs and then ran out the clock to seal the win.

The result turned on execution as much as opportunity. Notre Dame finished with a 409-378 edge in total offense and did not commit a turnover, while Miami had the game’s only giveaway.

Quarterback CJ Carr led Notre Dame’s offense, completing 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah also threw three touchdown passes, finishing 22 of 40 for 285 yards, but the Hurricanes could not find the tying score after the late fourth-down reversal.

The victory gives Notre Dame one of the most significant wins of the weekend, not only because it came against an unbeaten team, but because it came against the team the CFP committee had just placed at No. 1. For Miami, the loss ends its unbeaten start and adds immediate pressure ahead of the committee’s next ranking update on Nov. 10.

Miami also played without wide receiver Malachi Toney, its top receiver and a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, after pregame reporting listed him as out because of an ankle injury and surgery. His absence removed one of the Hurricanes’ most dangerous playmakers in a game decided by one possession.

If there was any added edge to the matchup, Miami had won the teams’ previous meeting 27-24 on Aug. 31, 2025. This time, Notre Dame answered with a result that will carry far more weight nationally.

Notre Dame improved to 8-1 with the 31-24 win, while Miami fell to 8-1 heading into Tuesday’s next CFP rankings.