No. 4 Notre Dame takes big lead, then holds off No. 1 Miami 31-24 in a classic

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Quarterback CJ Carr achieved a significant milestone, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns, as No. 4 Notre Dame secured a hard-fought victory over No. 1 Miami with a final score of 31-24. The Irish avenged a tough loss from last season with a 21-point lead that they never relinquished. Micah Gilbert, Jordan Faison, and Nolan James Jr. all contributed with scoring catches and a rushing touchdown for Notre Dame, which entered the game aware of the potential consequences of another loss to Miami.

Miami's offense struggled in the absence of injured wide receiver Malachi Toney, and the Hurricanes found themselves trailing 24-3 early in the third quarter. Darian Mensah threw for three touchdowns for Miami, twice bringing the team within a touchdown. Cooper Barkate and Elija Lofton each scored two touchdowns for the Hurricanes, with Lofton nearly completing a game-winning fourth-down catch that would have tied the game at 31-30.

However, Notre Dame's Luke Talich intercepted the pass, preventing Lofton from completing it. Notre Dame capitalized on the turnover, running down the clock and securing the win. Miami's failure to secure a victory leaves only two unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision: Utah and UCLA. This marks the first time since 2003 that only two teams remain unbeaten after nine games, with TCU and Oklahoma achieving this feat in 2003.