SOUTH BEND, IND. – Throughout their storied rivalry, Miami and Notre Dame have given college football more than a few hard-fought, high-stakes matchups.
The teams’ latest meeting on Saturday night was no different.
The Hurricanes and Irish traded blows for much of the second half at Notre Dame Stadium before Notre Dame – which at one point led by as many as 21 points – escaped with a 31-24 win over the top-ranked Hurricanes.
Miami, though, showed plenty of fight, outscoring the Irish 21-14 in the second half, with quarterback Darian Mensah throwing three touchdown passes and Miami twice pulling within seven despite the first-half deficit.
But Notre Dame, ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25 and No. 11 in last week’s initial College Football Playoffs, looked like a team on a mission from the start.
The Irish took the game’s possession down the field and wasted little time getting into Miami territory. The Hurricanes’ defense managed to limit the damage, holding the Irish to a 44-yard field goal from Spencer Porath that capped a 12-play, 50-yard drive that took more than five minutes off the clock.
Notre Dame pushed its lead further in the opening minutes of the second quarter when CJ Carr ended a quick, four-play, 65-yard drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Faison.
It was after that, facing a 10-0 deficit, that Miami’s offense put together its first effective possession of the night.
Mensah connected with Cooper Barkate on a 24-yard play to open the drive, then three straight run plays helped the Hurricanes cross midfield.
Mensah then connected on a 22-yard pass with Vandrevius Jacobs that pushed Miami further into Irish territory. That and two Notre Dame penalties helped set the Hurricanes up with a first-and-goal on the Irish 1-yard line.
But Miami wasn’t able to punch it in after three straight run plays, and the Hurricanes settled for a 19-yard field goal from Jake Weinberg to pull within a score.
The two teams then traded possessions before Notre Dame broke through the Miami defense again. This time, Carr found Micah Gilbert on an 18-yard touchdown pass that capped a quick, 8-play, 81-yard scoring drive that took all of 1:39 off the clock and pushed the Irish lead to 17-3 just before the half.
Another quick Notre Dame scoring drive early in the third quarter then put the Hurricanes in a world of trouble.
After Miami was unable to score on the opening drive of the second half, Faison took Dylan Joyce’s punt and returned it 56 yards to put the Irish inside the Miami 30.
Two plays later, Carr and Gilbert connected again and after the extra point, the Irish pushed the lead to 24-3, further increasing the biggest deficit the Hurricanes have faced all season.
Despite the hostile environment, the chilly temperatures and the offensive struggles to that point, Miami responded.
The Hurricanes scored on back-to-back possessions for the first time all evening when Mensah found Elija Lofton on a 12-yard touchdown that capped an 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive and then connected with Barkate on a 12-yard touchdown that pulled the Hurricanes within 24-17 after the extra point.
Miami’s defense forced a quick three-and-out on Notre Dame’s ensuing possession and it seemed the Hurricanes had all the momentum until, on the Hurricanes’ next drive, Mensah was picked off by Luke Talich at midfield.
The Irish quickly capitalized on the mistake and regained their 14-point lead when Nolan James Jr. scored on a 1-yard run.
Still, though, the nation’s top-ranked team kept fighting.
With 9:53 left, Mensah and Barkate connected again, this time on a 1-yard touchdown play that pulled the Hurricanes within a score.
But that was as close as the Hurricanes would get as Notre Dame's defense held on Miami's final two possessions of the fourth quarter.
This story will be updated.