MIAMI GARDENS — If the Miami Hurricanes want to proclaim they’re back, it’s fitting they make an initial statement in a throwback to the heyday of the “Catholics vs. Convicts” rivalry.
Against the No. 6-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday night, it started looking like Miami was ready to pull away with a two-touchdown lead. Then, the Hurricanes were on the verge of a collapse with the offense going stagnant and Notre Dame erasing its deficit.
Finally, new quarterback Carson Beck, the Georgia transfer, conducted a late drive, with an assist from the ground game and a key pass interference penalty, for the decisive points.
New kicker Carter Davis drilled a 47-yard field goal with 1:04 remaining, and No. 10 Miami pulled out a 27-24 win against Notre Dame in front of 66,793 raucous fans at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Hurricanes (1-0) secured their first top-10 win since 2017 against Notre Dame. They notched their seventh consecutive home win against the Fighting Irish (0-1), last year’s national runner-up, a run dating back to 1977.
“This game, this victory is for everybody,” coach Mario Cristobal said. “Our university, our players, our students, alumni, former players, coach (Jimmy) Johnson. Tremendously proud of this team, the resiliency, complementary football. A couple of hiccups and what not, but all in all, just an awesome night for the Miami Hurricanes.”
After the two-minute timeout in a 24-24 tie, Miami converted a key third-and-2 with running back Marty Brown on the ground. Coach Mario Cristobal, though, remained conservative offensively to set up Davis’ field goal but give the Irish another chance with no timeouts left.
“That’s when games are won, situational football, two-minute offense, four-minute offense,” said Beck, who went 20 of 31 for 205 yards and two first-half touchdowns in his UM debut. “Being able to execute in those situations ultimately win you football games, especially in close ones like (Sunday) night.”
On Notre Dame’s final gasp, defensive ends Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. split a sack on quarterback CJ Carr and, before the Irish could get set for another play, they had time run out. Mesidor was also credited with another sack the previous play when Carr was penalized for intentional grounding.
“It’s the reason why I stayed home, so I can do things like this in front of my family, in front of my city,” Bain said.
Notre Dame pulled even from down two touchdowns when Carr, who was 19 of 30 passing for 221 yards, scrambled up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown with 3:21 left.
It was set up once the Miami defense, holding up strong for most of the night, had a coverage bust, leaving tight end Eli Raridon wide open down the left side for a 65-yard catch and run.
“If we don’t bust, the night is elite,” Cristobal said.
Before allowing the Irish back into the game, the Hurricanes appeared to take control Sunday between the end of the first half and the start of the second.
Miami took a 14-7 lead into halftime after redshirt senior wide receiver CJ Daniels had the highlight of the night, skying for a one-handed 20-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the first half.
Beck was hit as he threw and tossed the ball up between two Irish defenders, allowing the 6-foot-2 transfer from LSU to go up and snag the football with his right hand before he tumbled over to secure the catch.
“He made some unbelievable throws,” Cristobal said of Beck. “He got out of the pocket, he scrambled, he got some chunk yards with his legs, as well. … Carson, Game 1, I thought he did a great job.”
Receiving the ball to start the second half, UM compounded that score with a methodical 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:37. It was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run up the middle by Brown to put Miami ahead, 21-7.
Brown played an elevated role in the Miami backfield after fellow running back Jordan Lyle, who started Sunday, made an early exit due to injury. He carried 15 times for 54 yards while power runner Mark Fletcher had 66 yards on his 15 attempts in the game played largely in the trenches.
“It was a muddy and bloody night,” Cristobal said. “All night, that thing was like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.”
The Hurricanes had a chance to run away with it after a three-and-out defensively, but they failed to convert a third-and-1 with Brown on the ensuing offensive possession.
Notre Dame responded with an 11-play, 64-yard drive, as Carr found wide receiver Jordan Faison open in the flat for a 1-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter that pulled the Irish within a score, 21-14.
As Miami’s offense was going stagnant with three-and-outs, the defense stepped up by forcing a turnover that led to points. An initial breakup of a screen by cornerback Damari Brown led to the football bouncing around a couple more times for Bain to come away with an interception, hustling over from the edge of the line.
Bain credited defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman’s emphasis on swarming to the ball for him to come away with the interception.
With the field position but failing to convert a first down, Davis booted a 38-yard field goal to make it a 10-point game, 24-14, with under 10 minutes to play.
Notre Dame got those three points back with a 39-yard field goal from Noah Burnette with 5:32 left that brought the Irish back within a touchdown.
The Hurricanes struck first early in the second quarter when Beck threw to freshman standout receiver Malachi Toney for a 28-yard touchdown on a deep crossing route at the goal line. Beck side-stepped to his left in the face of pressure to find the 17-year-old out of American Heritage in stride.
“He was our secret little weapon,” Beck said, ” but I don’t think he’ll be a secret anymore.”
Toney said he had butterflies when his name was announced as a starter, but he settled in for the game.
Notre Dame pulled even later in the second on a third-down pass of its own. Carr ran backward to buy himself time and then found wide receiver Micah Gilbert open in the end zone for the 7-yard score.
Irish running back Jadarian Price got them to the 3-yard line with a 30-yard run down the left side, and Hurricanes linebacker Wesley Bissainthe sent them backward on second-and-goal after a forced fumble against Price, with Carr recovering the football.
The teams exchanged mistakes in the first quarter, and Miami was unable to capitalize off excellent field position from a takeaway.
What should’ve been a short field goal was never attempted due to a botched snap.
Miami got the field position at the Notre Dame 24-yard line when wide receiver Malachi Fields was lit up by UM defensive tackle Justin Scott on a screen, forcing a fumble recovered by safety Jakobe Thomas.
The UM defense held touted Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love to 33 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe called the Miami defense “night and day” from last year’s troubled unit.
The Hurricanes have a quick turnaround for Saturday’s second game on the schedule, back at Hard Rock Stadium against Bethune-Cookman.
Originally Published: August 31, 2025 at 11:14 PM EDT