Notre Dame football took out the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday night, defeating the Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in a sold out Notre Dame Stadium.
The Irish jumped out to a 24-3 early second half lead, but saw the Hurricanes chip away to make it a 7-point game late. They couldn’t pull off the comeback, as Notre Dame took some lumps, but never folded and kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive
.It was an emotional win for the Irish, honoring Lou Holtz, and this was a perfect finish to the night. Notre Dame got the win it needed, and here are a five immediate reactions to the big win over Miami.
Notre Dame got its signature win
FOR LOU.#GoIrish☘️ | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/j1ldVVSjwc
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 8, 2026
When the Irish took a 24-3 lead early in the third quarter, it looked like they were going
to coast to an easy victory, but the No. 1 team in the country had a response. The Hurricanes wouldn’t go away, but Notre Dame made enough plays late to secure the victory. This one will go a long way, not only this season, but with the perception of the program. A massive Saturday night in South Bend should propel the Irish into the College Football Playoff if they finish the regular season with just one-loss.
Luke Talich played like a 5-star, not a walk-on
GAME. CHANGER.#GoIrish☘️ | @LukeTalich
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 8, 2026
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/lsAZfE9xMU
What a turn of events for Talich, as the former walk-on has become quite the player. He had a massive game, picking off a pass, 6 tackles, and the biggest play of the night kicking away the potential game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame’s second half was a bit rough but …
For U, Lou 🙌#GoIrish☘️ | @FightingIrish pic.twitter.com/YY782l7UVX
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 8, 2026
It didn’t matter. Shutting down Miami’s offense was always going to be a tough task, but allowing 21 second half points was rough to watch. It seemed like for every response that Notre Dame had, the Hurricanes had one of their own. However, when it mattered the most, the Irish made plays and never lost the lead. Times like those show the resiliency of a team, and Notre Dame had plenty of it on Saturday night.
CJ Carr had his best game of the season at the right time
CJ Carr balled out tonight ☘️ pic.twitter.com/PM9AuvoZL0
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) November 8, 2026
Let’s talk about the Heisman Trophy and Carr, as he played his best game of the year in the biggest one of the season. The first game he’s gone over 300-yards, 319, three touchdowns, no interceptions and completing 72.5% of his passes. An elite showing from Carr, who has vaulted himself into the conversation for the coveted award. Hard to argue with the result, as the Irish will take those numbers every game of the season.
Miami is really good
Canes. Keep. Fighting.
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) November 8, 2026
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/V7FidA5CgB
You have to give the Hurricanes a lot of credit for not laying down. When it was 24-3, they could have easily rolled over and given up. Instead they kept coming and almost tied the game at end of regulation. This was a CFP-type game, with two teams that are more than good enough to win the title. Credit has to go to Miami for how they played despite losing their top receiver option in the middle of the week. Massive win the Notre Dame, and its march towards the playoff, one that virtually cements them in.
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Five instant reactions to Notre Dame’s massive 31-24 win over Miami
