One year ago, a 27-24 Week 1 loss at Miami came back to haunt a Notre Dame team that was left on the doorstep of the College Football Playoff in favor of the Hurricanes because of that head-to-head result. Now, more than 14 months after their fateful road loss to the 'Canes, the Fighting Irish finally get their chance at revenge. No. 11 Notre Dame is hosting No. 1 Miami on Saturday night in a battle overflowing with storylines.
First and foremost, the postseason fates of both teams hang in the balance. Neither one of these teams wants to tempt fate and arrive at Selection Sunday with two losses, and Notre Dame already has one. Then, there is the sheer revenge factor.
The Miami loss was the lone obstacle between Notre Dame and a spot in the 12-team field on Selection Sunday in 2025. For the Hurricanes, this is an opportunity to take a vice grip on the No. 1 spot in the CFP Rankings while showcasing the Heisman candidacy of star quarterback Darian Mensah. But if Notre Dame can slay Miami, it will mark just the second time in college football history that an AP top-2 team will have lost in five straight weeks.
In what's been a season of chaos, this matchup is guaranteed to provide more. Here is the position-by-position breakdown of the heavyweight Week 10 battle. Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is dealing with a problematic case of inaccuracy on downfield throws.
Over the Fighting Irish's past two games, he is just 4 for 24 on passes traveling 15+ air yards. Contrast that to the season's first six games, when he was 21 of 39 on such attempts, and it's clear something has changed. Miami's Darian Mensah is the national leader in passing efficiency and completion percentage (80.7%) and has been firmly No. 1 in the CBS Sports QBPR for several weeks.
The Duke transfer has upgraded Miami's offense and can bolster an already-strong Heisman Trophy case with a strong performance. Edge: Miami Malachi Toney's ankle injury drastically alters the calculus of this debate. The shifty speedster is expected to miss several games after undergoing surgery.
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