No. 1 Miami's Historic Comeback Halted, Dropping First Game of the Year to No. 11 Notre Dame
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It wouldn't be a Miami Notre Dame Game if it wasn't electric.
The No. 1 team in the country took to South Bend without their Heisman frontrunner, Malachi Toney, but still had intentions of winning even with the odds stacked against them against the No. 11 team in the country.
The first quarter only saw the offense see the ball one time. The Fighting Irish leaned into what worked against Miami, following the UNC blueprint laid out a week earlier, keeping the offense off the field and making the defense work.
Miami was focused on establishing the run, a tactic that has worked for them this season. It would work for them again, just not in the first quarter.
Miami's first two drives would consist of a run-heavy attack first and a pass-heavy attack drive. The lack of creativity without Malachi Toney, the key piece in getting the offense going, was due to an injury.
Thanks to lackluster offensive play-calling, Notre Dame would jump to a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miami needed to respond, and they mustered some offense on the third drive of the game. It started with new No. 1 Cooper Barkate getting started on offense.
Miami would balance the rushing and passing attack down the field, with the aid of some Fighting Irish penalties, but with a 14-play, 83-yard drive that took seven minutes and 7:31 seconds off the clock, the Hurricanes would only end up with three points.
Multiple attempts inside the red zone would still keep them out, with Mensah and Fletcher getting stuffed out of the end zone rushing. New wrinkles for Mensah's legs, but not in a great manner.
Mensah's legs would be a net positive all night, but at the goal line, they weren't a fit. Moreover, the defense would play undisciplined football, gifting chunk plays to the Fighting Irish before the end of the half. Another score would be giving up going into halftime down 3-17.
Miami has 3 points at the end of the first half and ZERO 3rd down conversions
— Jordan Lopez (@JordanTLopez) November 8, 2026
Their lowest total points scored in the first half before tonight was 14, when they played FSU
Have to find a rhythm in the second half
Mensah would have his worst half of football in his Hurricanes career. Halftime would make or break the Heisman hopeful and the Canes team. Good thing they got the ball first to start the second half.
Defensively, the Hurricanes have spent the entire season missing tackles and making the final play. They are there to be made, but the tackle or finish is always short. This goes for attacking the ball through the air and trying to punch someone in the face.
The second half started slowly for the Canes offense, and defensively, they gave up another touchdown. Down 3-24, Miami had one thing they needed to do: play with effort.
Mensah would make critical plays down the field on 3 and long situations and find open players down the field. Moreover, he would lean on Barakate and Elija Lofton, who would make play after play.
It started with a great throw and catch in the back of the end zone to kickstart the Hurricanes' offensive push. On defense, Miami would get another third-down stop to give the Hurricanes a chance to score again.
Down the field UM wnet as Mensah went with pass heavy targets to Barkate and Lofton. In the back of the other endzone, Barkate would score cutting the game to a single score.
Miami would start to storm back defensively; Miami would start to fix the nagging issues that had killed them. They would stuff the run, make open-field tackles, and fly to the ball. However the first killer mistake of the game came from Mensah.
Driving down the field, down one score, he would throw his second interception of the season.
However, Miami's defense would make a small stand. A critical third-down stop would kill that momentum. Junior safety Zechariah Poyser would put his body on the line to get a stop on a fourth-and-short.
That would leave his arm hanging, similar to O.J. Frederique Jr. at the start of the season. He would be out, and a wheel route would give the Irish a chance to get an explosive play that would keep them on the field.
Moreover, a back-breaking penalty on Justin Scott would give the Irish a chance to punch in the score. Down 31-17, Miami could only do one thing: score.
Barkate would be Toney for this game. He added another touchdown to his increasing stat line, and it would come down to the defense making a stand, starting with the No. 1 rushing defense. A key third-down stop would give Notre Dame a chance to extend the lead with a field goal, but it would be wide left. Miami would get another chance to tie the game.
Down the field, Mensah and Co. went making play after play. It would be the Lofton drive before a critical fourth down in the red zone. It would be the play of the season and the play of the game. Is it a catch or not a catch from Lofton?
It is incomplete. Doesn't maintain. https://t.co/OmL9ScUWcv
— Justice Sandle (@Justice_News5) November 8, 2026
It would be the make-or-break play that Miami needed. It was the right chance on fourth down, a great pass, a great first step, but Lofton didn't finish the play.
That's a pro throw and catch right there. The type of plays that you have to have.
— Justice Sandle (@Justice_News5) November 8, 2026
Notre Dame got the ball back, draining more clock, and a key timeout was also taken away after cornerback Damari Brown went down with an injury after the ball had been placed. An extra timeout could have given the Canes more time on the clock, as they managed to stuff the Irish again to get the ball back with 57 seconds.
The issue is that they were inside the 15 and, on the first play, Mensah would give up a sack. After that, it would be a spiral of wasted clock and mismanagement of the drive. Time would run out, and Miami would lose its first game of the season.
Miami now turns its attention back to conference play with a red-hot Duke Blue Devil team with personal intentions to ruin Miami's season on the way.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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