Three feat away from The Playmaker, Miami tight end Elija Lofton was inches away from making the play.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah throw an inch-perfect fourth-down pass to Lofton in the end zone with 3:36 left in Saturday's game Notre Dame; Lofton not only got both hands on the ball, but also both feet in bounds. That would have tied the score, 31-31, following a successful point-after attempt.
But the ball maybe moved a little, and Notre Dame defensive back Luke Talich then knocked the ball from Lofton's hands, causing officials to rule the pass incomplete. On the broadcast, NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay supported the ACC officials' ruling of "no catch." The Fighting Irish went on to hold on for a 31-24 win to keep their College Football
Playoff hopes alive.
NBC's Terry McAulay supports the ruling of Elija Lofton's potential game-tying TD for Miami in the 31-24 loss to Notre Dame: "It's incomplete." pic.twitter.com/2Ie8BE6EaB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 8, 2026
Former Hurricanes star Michael Irvin, a sideline fixture for the Hurricanes, had a front-row view of the play and thought Lofton secured the score and potential tie.
"Absolutely, 100%. And I’ve watched a lot of football, and I was three feet away from that situation and watching it happen," Irvin said on Monday morning's 'First Take' on ESPN. "As soon as he touched down with that second foot, I thought, ‘We’re here. It’s over. That’s it.’ They’re tied. I thought from that point on that Notre Dame was tightening up as Miami was loosening up... I was so proud of the way they played and they way they kept fighting and the way this team did not give up. And the way this Cane team came back. Actually, I’m telling you, we lost the battle, but ultimately this will help us win the war."
'First Take' co-host Stephen A. Smith also thought Lofton scored, and while we didn't get overtime on Saturday night, he can't wait for the possibility of more Notre Dame vs. Miami this season.
“I walked away feeling like boy would I love to see this as a rematch for the national championship. I would love to see this," Smith said. "This would be spectacular because what a game it was. It was really special to behold. And I gotta tell you something right now, I was happy for Notre Dame because I want Notre Dame in the playoffs. I don’t want them in the outside looking in. And I thought if they lost this game, that would definitely haunt them. I thought they were ranked No. 11 by the College Football Playoff committee for a reason. They sent a message to Notre Dame: ‘You lose this game, you ain’t getting in.’...
"I think Georgia is going to have something to say about it, what have you, but if this were a rematch in the national championship game, I think that college football would love every single moment of it."
Speaking after the game, Miami coach Mario Cristobal didn't hold back on what he thought was the wrong call by officials.
“Really disappointed that they negated Elija Lofton’s touchdown with two hands on the ball and two feet in bounds,” Cristobal told reporters. “But like we told our team before we left Miami, do not leave it in the hands of officials because that’s what you’re going to get here.
"Very disappointed with the way that was called with the game on the line and clear possession of the football in bounds.”
"Mario Cristobal was right, it was a terrible call," ESPN's Paul Finebaum said Monday. "It doesn’t matter anymore."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Was Miami robbed vs Notre Dame? Michael Irvin says ‘100%’
