Luke Talich gave Notre Dame the signature victory the College Football Playoff selection committee asked of the Fighting Irish. The defensive back made a crucial interception in the third quarter and then made an even bigger pass in the end zone with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter as No. 11 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Miami 31-24. 3:36 left. But when Lofton put both feet on the field, Talich knocked the ball out of his hands as he walked off the field. After Notre Dame took over the plays, the Irish punted the ball back to Miami with just over a minute left. However, Miami’s comeback attempt effectively ended on their first play of the series when Darian Mensah was sacked. In the third quarter, Talich thwarted a Miami comeback attempt that began to look very real. Notre Dame took a 24-3 lead early in the third quarter, but the Hurricanes cut the lead to seven and had the ball near midfield with a chance to tie the game at 24-24. Instead, Talich jumped in front of a pass intended for Lofton and grabbed the interception. A few plays later, CJ Carr found Nolan James Jr. wide open on fourth down for a 36-yard catch and run to set up a James touchdown run that put Notre Dame back within two touchdowns. The win Notre Dame needed for its playoff hopes. Despite being ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25 post-Week 9, Notre Dame was No. 11 in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night. The Irish were outside the top 10 because CFP committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said the committee didn’t believe Notre Dame had a “signature” win. Well, that’s now a problem Notre Dame no longer has. The Irish are now on a clear path to the College Football Playoff with games remaining against Boston College, SMU and Syracuse. On a day where three teams above them in the standings lost, Notre Dame should be at least No. 8, if not even higher in the second edition of the CFP rankings. Oh, don’t call the Irish victory a surprise either. Notre Dame was the favorite all week and closed as a 7.5-point favorite at the start. CJ Carr is now the Heisman favorite. Miami QB Darian Mensah entered Week 10 as the Heisman favorite with Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith catching passes from a backup quarterback and Hurricanes WR Malachi Toney sidelined for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Notre Dame QB CJ Carr is now the betting favorite at BetMGM (+120) after the Irish win. Carr finished the game 29 of 40 passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. With three games remaining against unranked opponents, Carr will have some opportunities to put up big numbers over the final three weeks of the season. But will Notre Dame’s lack of conference play ultimately hurt its chances? Miami remains the prohibitive favorite to win the ACC. Mensah will likely play one more game than Carr before voting closes. Miami is still safe in the playoffs. While Notre Dame entered the game without much of a playoff cushion, Miami could easily afford the loss without breaking much of a playoff sweat. And while Saturday night exposed some of the Hurricanes’ shortcomings, they are still national title contenders. Notre Dame’s defensive line pressured Miami’s offensive line throughout the game. Miami ran the ball 28 times for just 101 yards and freshman running back Javian Mallory received just three carries. Mark Fletcher Jr. ran 13 times for 57 yards. Lofton and Cooper Barkate became Mensah’s favorite targets with Toney out. Barkate had 10 catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while Lofton had seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Mensah finished the game 24-of-43 passing for 276 yards and threw his second interception of the season. The game was his worst single-game completion percentage of the season, by far, and he’s now completing just under 77% of his passes. Mensah entered the game with a completion percentage over 80%. The FBS single-season record is 77.45% and was set by former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix in 2023. 2026 04:06 AM UTC Down goes No. 1 Miami! The last gasp came up empty for the Hurricanes, and the No. 11 Irish get a much-needed win for their playoff resume. Miami falls to 8-1 after suffering its first loss. Miami will have one last chance without timeouts. Sunday, November 8, 2026 03:53 am UTC The Irish move the chains to reach the 2-minute stoppage. Miami has two timeouts left, so one more first down from ND will likely seal this one. Sunday, November 8, 2026 03:47 am UTC Darian Mensah’s pass to Elija Lofton looked like a touchdown, but the ball was knocked down at the last possible second by Luke Talich. Great stop by the Notre Dame defense to preserve the 7-point lead with 3:36 remaining. Sunday, November 8, 2026 03:42 am UTC Spencer Porath’s 53-yard attempt was wide. Miami takes control as it continues to lose 31-24. Sunday, November 8, 2026, 03:33 am UTC This has become an offensive showcase. The Canes drive down the field on a 7-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 1-yard pass from Darian Mensah to Cooper Barkate. We’re back to a one-score game. Notre Dame 31, Miami 24 | 9:53 to playSun, November 8, 2026 03:22 AM UTCNolan James Jr. hits it from the 1 on a touchdown made possible by a bold fourth-down call, where QB CJ Carr threw it to James for a 36-yard gain to go into the 10. Notre Dame 31, Miami 17 | 12:53 to paydom, Nov 8, 2026 03:07 am UTC Luke Talich jumps in front of Darian Mensah’s pass to give ND a huge momentum-shifting loss. The Irish take control on their own 49. Sunday, November 8, 2026 03:04 am UTC Another quick, empty possession for the Irish puts the ball back into Miami’s hands with a chance to tie. Things are getting tense for the home fans. Sunday, November 8, 2026 02:59 am UTC Make back-to-back touchdown drives for the Canes. Cooper Barkate’s 12-yard catch caps the drive and we have a ball game in South Bend. Notre Dame 24, Miami 17 Sun, 08 Nov 2026 02:45 am UTCDarian Mensah finds Elija Lofton in the end zone on an impressive toe catch. The Canes desperately needed him. This is not over yet. Notre Dame 24, Miami 10 Sunday, November 8, 2026 02:30 am UTC CJ Carr throws his third touchdown pass of the game and second to Micah Gilbert, who extends ND’s lead with a 20-yard grab. Notre Dame 24, Miami 3 Sunday, November 8, 2026 02:28 am UTC Miami QB Darian Mensah gets sacked by Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa on third down to end Miami’s drive. Then, ND’s Jordan Faison returned the ensuing punt 55 yards to the Miami 30-yard line. Great start to the second half for the Irish. Sunday, November 8, 2026 02:25 am UTC We’re back in action in South Bend as Miami starts the ball. Sunday, November 8, 2026 02:03 a.m. half of the fist. They are struggling to move the ball without star receiver Malachi Toney, who is out with an ankle injury. Sunday, November 8, 2026 01:53 am UTC CJ Carr designs an impressive 2-minute drive and caps it off with an 18-yard pass to Micah Gilbert for the touchdown. Notre Dame 17, Miami 3 | 0:29 in 1st half Sunday, November 8, 2026 01:44 am UTC Nothing to do for either offense on their final possessions. Notre Dame gets the ball back with 2:08 left in the first half. Sunday, November 8, 2026 01:31 am UTC Quarterback Darian Mensah stays near the goal line on 3rd down and the Canes settle for 3. Notre Dame 10, Miami 3
