One could argue that US LBM Coaches Poll No. 6 Notre Dame’s home game against top-ranked Miami on Saturday will decide the Fighting Irish’s fate for the College Football Playoff.
After coming in at No. 11 in the first official CFP rankings of the season, it’s safe to say that Notre Dame must win out the rest of its regular season.
The Irish, however, will face their biggest quarterback challenge yet: Darian Mensah. The Hurricanes’ superstar signal caller is not only a Heisman Trophy candidate, he is the projected top pick in the 2027 NFL draft.
Mensah has led Miami to the top of the rankings for a few straight weeks, with an undefeated record (8-0) so far.
Through eight games, Mensash has completed 80.7% of his passes for 2,425-yards, 25-touchdowns
and a single interception with a 202.7 QB rating and 10.4 average-per-completion. The junior standout also has two rushing scores for good measure.
Mensah’s best game so far this season was in the Canes’ 45-6 win over Stanford, when he was 27-of-30 on completions for 401 yards and five TDs. He has also thrown for 220-or-more yards in each of his games, and has had 3-or-more TD passes in seven of them.
One issue that Mensah and the Hurricanes might have is the lack of a viable wide receiver option with the absence of star target Malachi Toney, who is out with an ankle injury. Toney has racked up 1,027 receiving yards and 13 TDs this season.
Mensah’s next best option is senior Cooper Barkate, who has 28 receptions for 372 yards and four TDs. Mensah, however, has thrown to nearly 20 different receivers this season, including a 5-yard pass to linebacker Kellen Wiley Jr.
It’ll be interesting to see which Irish defense shows up against Mensah and the Hurricanes. Notre Dame ranks fifth in the country in opponent passing yards with 150.9 per game.
On the other hand, the Irish’s defense against passing efficiency ranks mid-30s nationally, and passing with expected points added is 18th in the country (-0.12).
How many touchdowns will Darian Mensah throw vs Notre Dame? pic.twitter.com/icFnRjAY7L
— The Ruffino & Joe Show (@Ruffinonjoeshow) November 3, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Hurricanes at Irish: The challenge against a Heisman candidate QB
