CJ Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns as No 4 Notre Dame avenged their most damaging loss of last season, racing to a 21-point lead before holding on to beat top-ranked Miami 31-24 on Saturday night.
asserted
Dame → throw → night
Micah Gilbert caught two of Carr’s touchdown passes, Jordan Faison had the other and Nolan James Jr added a rushing score for Notre Dame (8-1, No 11 College Football Playoff), who entered the game knowing another defeat to Miami could derail their national championship hopes.
uncertain
defeat → catch → hopes
The Hurricanes (8-1, No 1 CFP) started slowly on offense in their first game without injured wide receiver and Heisman Trophy hopeful Malachi Toney.
asserted
Hurricanes → start → Toney
Notre Dame, whose 27-24 loss to Miami last season ultimately kept them out of the playoff, never trailed.
asserted
loss → keep → playoff
“I’m happy for this university,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said in a televised on-field interview.
asserted
Freeman → ’m → interview
“I’m happy for our players.
asserted
I → ’m → players
There’s a lot of support from Notre Dame Nation and this is special moment for them. ...
asserted
this → ’ → them
They’re a dang good football team and they beat a dang good football team.”
asserted
they → ’re → team
Darian Mensah threw three touchdown passes for Miami, twice bringing the Hurricanes within seven points after they had trailed 24-3 early in the third quarter.
asserted
they → throw → quarter
Cooper Barkate caught two of those passes, while Elija Lofton had the other.
asserted
Lofton → catch → other
Lofton nearly hauled in another touchdown that would have made it 31-30 – the same score as the teams’ famous 1988 meeting – with 3:36 remaining.
asserted
it → haul → 3:36
He appeared to make a fourth-down catch in the end zone and get both feet down, but Notre Dame’s Luke Talich, who had intercepted Mensah in the third quarter, knocked the ball away.
asserted
who → appear → ball
Officials ruled that Lofton had not completed the catch.
asserted
Lofton → rule → catch
Notre Dame took over on downs, ran the clock down to about a minute and held on for the victory.
asserted
Dame → take → victory
Miami coach Mario Cristobal said he was “beyond upset” that Lofton’s apparent catch had not been ruled a touchdown.
asserted
catch → say → ?
“Obviously, a tough loss to take,” Cristobal said.
asserted
Cristobal → take → ?
Miami’s defeat left just two unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision: Utah and UCLA, who both improved to 9-0 with victories on Saturday.
asserted
who → leave → Saturday
It marked the first time since 2003 that only two teams had made it through their first nine games unbeaten, when TCU and Oklahoma achieved the feat.
asserted
TCU → mark → feat
A capacity crowd packed Notre Dame Stadium on a bitterly cold night, with temperatures falling from 40F at kickoff into the mid-30s.
asserted
temperatures → pack → mid-30s
Forty-three NFL scouts were also in attendance as the Irish delivered their biggest victory of the season.
asserted
Irish → deliver → season
Miami had a chance to cut into Notre Dame’s lead in the second quarter after reaching first-and-goal at the Irish one-yard line.
asserted
Miami → have → line
But three rushing attempts – one by Mark Fletcher Jr and two quarterback keepers by Mensah – went nowhere, forcing the Hurricanes to settle for a field goal.
asserted
attempts → go → goal
Miami trailed 17-3 at halftime, having scored at least 14 first-half points and averaged 27 before the break in their first eight games.
asserted
Miami → trail → games
Notre Dame also pulled out all the stops for the occasion, honoring a host of former stars including Joe Montana, Jerome Bettis Sr, Tony Rice, Chris Zorich, Ricky Watters and Ron Powlus.
asserted
Dame → pull → Montana
NBA president of basketball operations Byron Spruell was among those recognized, along with Pat Murphy, manager of the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers and a former Notre Dame baseball coach.
asserted
Spruell → recognize → champion
The victory carried historical echoes of Notre Dame’s famous 31-30 upset of top-ranked Miami in the 1988 “Catholics vs Convicts” game.
asserted
victory → carry → game
The Hurricanes fell to 44-7 all-time when ranked No 1 in the AP Top 25, including an 0-2 record against the Irish.
asserted
Hurricanes → fall → Irish
Notre Dame improved to 10-17-1 against No 1 teams, claiming their first such victory in exactly six years.
asserted
Dame → improve → years
Their previous win came against top-ranked Clemson on 7 November 2020, when the Tigers were without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
asserted
Tigers → come → Lawrence
The Irish host Boston College next Saturday, while Miami return home to face Duke.
asserted
Miami → host → Duke
The Aporia
