Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame silence doubters by knocking off top-ranked Miami, solidifying their CFP ranking

No. 11 Notre Dame beat top-ranked Miami 31-24 in South Bend, handing the Hurricanes their first loss of the season and answering doubts about the Fighting Irish’s ability to finish in a high-stakes game. The victory matters for Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff hopes after an earlier defeat to BYU and concerns about its schedule.

Miami trailed 24-10 before scoring its first touchdown with nine minutes left in the third quarter, then narrowed the gap to seven in the fourth. Nolan James Jr.’s touchdown run restored Notre Dame’s two-score lead, and a last-minute pass from Darian Mensah to Elija Lofton was broken up to preserve the win. The playoff committee was due to release new rankings on Tuesday; Notre Dame’s remaining games were against Boston College, SMU and Syracuse.