Notre Dame Upsets Top Ranked Miami in Thrilling College Football Showdown

Fourth ranked Notre Dame defeated top ranked Miami thirty one to twenty four on Saturday night in South Bend, Indiana, shaking up the national championship picture.

Quarterback CJ Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns for the Fighting Irish, who built a twenty four to three lead early in the third quarter before holding off a fierce rally.

The victory allowed Notre Dame to avenge a prior loss that had damaged their postseason aspirations and kept them out of the playoff during the previous year.

Matchup stakes were high as the hosts entered the contest knowing another defeat could completely derail their championship hopes.

“I’m happy for this university,” said Marcus Freeman, the Notre Dame coach, in a televised on field interview.

“I’m happy for our players. There’s a lot of support from Notre Dame Nation and this is special moment for them. ... They’re a dang good football team and they beat a dang good football team.”

Quarterback Darian Mensah threw three touchdown passes for the Hurricanes, narrowing the deficit multiple times during the second half.

According to The Guardian, the visitors played without injured wide receiver Malachi Toney during the contest.

In the final minutes, Miami reached fourth down when a potential game tying touchdown pass to Elija Lofton in the end zone was knocked away by defender Luke Talich.

Officials ruled that the receiver failed to complete the catch, allowing the home side to take over on downs and run out the remaining clock.

“Obviously, a tough loss to take,” said Mario Cristobal, the Miami coach.

“Proud of our players for the resilience. ... Don’t leave it in the hands of the officials. Play better. Coach better. Find a way to win.”

The defeat left Utah and UCLA as the only two undefeated teams remaining in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its upcoming rankings on Tuesday night.