Notre Dame outlasts Miami: No. 11 Irish stymie No. 1 Hurricanes to bolster CFP resume

Two years ago, Notre Dame reached the national championship game, breaking through a program glass ceiling that lasted from the '80s. That year, they finally broke through and won a New Year's Six bowl game, but the following years have been less kind. 

Notre Dame lost three straight games against top 16 opponents, both of which last season came against teams that made the College Football Playoff. After two losses kept them out last season, the Irish knew that they couldn't afford to echo the same issue. 

Instead, the Irish knocked off the No. 1 team in the nation. Quarterback CJ Carr had his first masterful performance against a ranked opponent. For at least one day, all is right in South Bend. Short of disaster, the Irish are heading to the playoff. 

Midway through the third quarter, something happened without many looking up to care: Darian Mensah eclipsed 100 yards passing.

Mensah came to life in the third quarter, completing 10 of 18 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. But, again, there was an interception as Miami's momentum cooled.

It was that kind of night for Mensah, who clearly missed superstar receiver Malachi Toney on the field. Toney is out until at least the ACC Championship Game with a high-ankle sprain that required surgery this week. Replacing his 128.4 receiving yards per game (third nationally) won't be easy, but his absence limited what the Hurricanes could run against Notre Dame's defense.

It was clear early when the Hurricanes turned to running back Mark Fletcher Jr. on four of its first five plays, including a pass out of the backfield on the first offensive play of the game.

Miami has options, including Cooper Barkate, Mensah's favorite receiver a year ago as Duke teammates, but they need more time to iron out the kinks.

CJ Carr will enter the final three weeks of the regular season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

It's been a wild season with superstars suffering injuries or struggling in big games, but only Carr has managed to break through – and respond – from similar circumstances. He was downright surgical against Miami. His final scoring drive in the first half was the purest, sharpest possession of his career. He was 6 of 7 passing for 79 yards and an 18-yard touchdown. Most impressive was him extending a play on a Miami offsides, completing a pass to Micah Gilbert for 18 yards.

After that drive, the oddsmakers online and in Las Vegas took notice – dropping Miami's Darian Mensah from the favorite to second behind Carr.

It's quite the rebound for Carr, who is now 3-3 in his career against AP-ranked teams. Beating the No. 1 team in the country will forever be remembered here in South Bend, obviously, but the way he did it just a few weeks after struggling on the road at BYU was impressive. He put up good passing yardage, but the aver per attempt and the lack of a touchdown throw told the story behind that heartbreaking loss in Provo.

Tonight? Well, Carr responded the way any player-of-the-year candidate should and that's why he's now leading the Heisman race.

FINAL: Notre Dame 31, Miami 24

No. 11 Notre Dame withstood a late charge from Miami to knock off the undefeated No. 1 team in the country and cement its College Football Playoff resume. The win is the first over a top 16 team over the past two years; the Fighting Irish were previous 0-3 against such opponents. 

The Fighting Irish got off to a blazing hot start behind quarterback CJ Carr, who shook off his struggles against ranked opponents. The junior threw a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-point lead into halftime, and extended to 24-3 with a 20-yard touchdown pass to start the third quarter. 

But after a slow start for Heisman hopeful quarterback Darian Mensah, the Miami offense came alive. The Hurricanes rattled off three touchdowns in four drives to cut the lead to one score late in the fourth quarter. With the game on the line, Mensah dropped back on fourth down and appeared to find Elijah Lofton in the corner of the end zone. However, Notre Dame's Luke Talich stepped up and knocked the ball out, ending the game. Miami had one last shot to tie the game, but a sack on Mensah ran out too much time. 

Carr finished with 319 yards and three touchdowns in one of the best performances of his career and leaves as the betting favorite to win the Heisman. Mensah's case becomes much more compliated after the loss, but he still finished with 302 yards and three touchdowns, two of which came to fellow Duke transfer Cooper Barkate. 

Notre Dame desperately needed a victory after ranking as the last team into the College Football Playoff Rankings on Tuesday, and should now cement their spot. Miami sits in a more precarious position with the loss, especially with only one quality win on the schedule. 

Miami wide receiver Elijah Lofton nearly had an unbelievable play to tie the game, but he ultimately was unable to hold onto the ball in the corner of the end zone with 3:36 remaining. The Hurricanes faced fourth down with one final throw into the end zone, and Irish defensive back Luke Talich pushed the ball out. 

Miami coach Mario Crisotbal argued that Lofton held onto the ball long enough for the catch to count, but the ACC Replay Center confirmed the call. 

Mid 3Q: Notre Dame 31, Miami 24

Darian Mensah is putting on quite the show here in the second half, and Miami is once again within a score of Notre Dame.

Mensah hit Cooper Barkate on a quick slant for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:53 remaining. Notre Dame leads 31-24.

Notre Dame helped matters with Mark Zackery IV's pass interference in the end zone.

Mensah is 21-for-36, throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Barkate has nine catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 11 targets. It's a season-high for him.

Early 4Q: Notre Dame 31, Miami 17

The Irish came back to life at the right time.

On fourth-and-2, CJ Carr hit Nolan James Jr. on a wheel route for a 36-yard gain to Miami's 7-yard line.A few plays later -- including a personal foul facemask -- James scored on a 1-yard dive into the end zone to extend the lead to 31-17 with 12:55 remaining.

Carr is now 27 of 37 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns.

End 3Q: Notre Dame 24, Miami 17

The Hurricanes are back in the game thanks to a reawakened offense and a defense that has stepped up to stop Notre Dame's running game.

Notre Dame managed only 50 yards in the third quarter and gave up two touchdowns and 126 yards of offense. The Irish gained only 10 yards on the final three possessions of the quarter.

There are a lot of anxious Irish fans in the stands here in South Bend.

Safety Luke Talich jumped a route toward the sideline and intercepted Miami's Darian Mensah near midfield to give Notre Dame a much-needed boost after the Hurricanes scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to get back in the game.

Notre Dame's offense needs to wake up to extend the lead. Miami is outgaining Notre Dame 126-41 in the third quarter.

Late 3Q: Notre Dame 24, Miami 17

Darian Mensah is fast friends with Cooper Barkate. The former Duke teammates now at Miami are reconnecting tonight in the second half. Mensah just lofted a pass for a 12-yard touchdown to Barkate to pull Miami within a score of Notre Dame.

Barkate now has four catches for 58 yards. He entered the game averaging less than 40 yards per game. If you remember, Barkate eclipsed 1,100 yards receiving last season at Duke. He's taken a back seat to Malachi Toney, but with him out for the remainder of the regular season with a high-ankle sprain, Barkate needs to step up. He's doing that in the second half.

On fourth-and-1, Mensah kept the drive alive when he found Elija Lofton behind the linebackers for a 31-yard gain down to Notre Dame's 12-yard line.

Game on.

Mid 3Q: Notre Dame 24, Miami 10

Miami is back in the game on Darian Mensah's 12-yard touchdown pass to Elija Lofton, who went sky high and managed to touch his toes down for the score before falling out of bounds.

The catch capped an 11-play, 65-yard drive that included a big third-and-10 conversion on a 14-yard pass to Cooper Barkate. Barkate is Miami's leading receiver tonight in the absence of Malachi Toney. He's up to 38 yards on two catches.

Darian Mensah also eclipsed 100 yards passing on that drive. He's now 11 of 22 for 125 yards and one touchdown. 

Early 3Q: Notre Dame 24, Miami 3

CJ Carr just connected with Micah Gilbert on second-and-13 for a 20-yard touchdown. That's the second touchdown pass to Gilbert and third overall for Carr, who is making a statement tonight as the Heisman Trophy favorite.

Carr is 20 of 28 passing for 238 yards and three touchdowns.

Gilbert flashed "The U" and then broke it over his knee after the score, rubbing more dirt in the eye of the Hurricanes.

Miami sacked Darian Mensah on third down, and then Jordan Faison returned a punt 55 yards to put the Irish at Miami's 30-yard line with 13:24 remaining in the third quarter.

It's been a struggle all night for Miami in all three phases.

Halftime: Notre Dame 17, Miami 3

As good as Notre Dame's defense has been, color me more impressed by quarterback CJ Carr. The Irish's final touchdown drive in the final minutes of the first half might have been the best drive of his career. He was 6 of 7 passing for 79 yards and an 18-yard touchdown. He's 18 of 26 for 205 yards and two touchdowns at halftime. Incredible stuff for the Heisman Trophy hopeful.

Meanwhile, Heisman favorite Darian Mensah is 6 of 12 passing for 74 yards. Update: Mensah is no longer the favorite. He and Carr flipped on the Heisman charts after Carr's prolific touchdown drive, per FanDuel.

Notre Dame is outgaining Miami 251-145 yards. The Hurricanes are 0 for 6 on third downs and the Irish are 3 of 7. 

Miami hit two explosive plays, and each time the Hurricanes' drive stalled afterward. Playing without superstar receiver Malachi Toney has made everything tough, but Notre Dame's defense has made it harder for the Hurricanes.

The goal-line stand in the second quarter will be remembered, no matter tonight's result. The Hurricanes had three tries at the 1-yard line and failed to get in. They had five tries inside the 5, and four inside the 2. Not one play crossed the goal line.

Both offensive lines have held up well enough in pass protection, but in tight spaces Notre Dame's defensive front has proven more capable. 

Miami is averaging 4.3 yards per rush, but 29 of its 69 yards came on one run from Mark Fletcher Jr. Three plays later, Miami punted.

Late 1Q: Notre Dame 17, Miami 3

Was that perhaps the best possession of the season from quarterback CJ Carr?

Notre Dame just marched 81 yards in a matter of only 99 seconds on eight plays. Carr hit Micah Gilbert on a slant for an 18-yard touchdown with Miami trailing in coverage.

Carr was masterful, completing 6 of 7 passes for 79 yards, including an 18-yarder off a Miami offsides penalty. Gilbert, who grabbed the high ball, wrestled it out of Ethan O'Connor's grasp for the catch as he fell backward toward the line of scrimmage and Miami's sideline.

Carr connected on two passes of 10 yards,  two more for 18 yards (both to Gilbert, and single throws of 14 and and 19 yards. 

Mid 2Q: Notre Dame 10, Miami 3

Miami had four tries inside the 2-yard line, including three at the 1, to score a touchdown, and Notre Dame stopped the Hurricanes each time. The Hurricanes had to settle for a 19-yard field goal with 6:25 remaining. The final play was blown up as Darian Mensah ran to his left, with Jaiden Ausberry and Boubacar Traore combining to drop him at the 1-yard line.

The 14-play, 83-yard drive lasted 7:31 but did not reach the goal.

Two Notre Dame defensive holding penalties inside the red zone helped the drive. Vandrevius Jacobs also caught a 22-yard pass. 

The Irish defense is winning the night.

Early 2Q: Notre Dame 10, Miami 0

Jordan Faison tapped his left foot down near the boundary in the end zone to complete a 27-yard pitch and catch from CJ Carr, and Notre Dame has a 10-0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.

That was a fantastic catch, but even better body control with Bryce Fitzgerald in coverage.

Faison has caught a pass in 30 straight games. 

That was a four-play, 65-yard drive. Carr was 4 of 4 passing for 65 yards on that drive. He's now 10 of 16 for 118 yards and the touchdown.

End 1Q: Notre Dame 3, Miami 0

Analysts tend to only say running backs are "running hard" in their breakdowns, but I'm gonna carry that over to the receivers on Notre Dame's roster. 

The last play of the first quarter is all the evidence you need. Jordan Faison caught a short pass on a crosser and bullied his way upfield, colliding and punishing Miami for a 26-yard gain up the left sideline (Miami's sideline).

Notre Dame ended the first quarter with 117 yards compared to Miami's 28. The Irish are averaging 5.3 yards per play and they're also dominating time of possession (10:46).

Not having Malachi Toney on the field is obviously affecting the Hurricanes' offense. Darian Mensah has been unable to hit a receiver downfield on the first three drives.

The Hurricanes have only 28 yards and are averaging 3.1 yards per play as we enter the final 30 seconds of the first quarter.

It's clear Miami wants to lean on running back Mark Fletcher Jr. tonight. He touched the ball four times on Miami's first five plays, but the Hurricanes stalled at the 44-yard line and Notre Dame forced a punt after tackling Fletcher in the backfield for a five-yard loss.

Miami had 11 yards on the first possession. Fletcher was responsible for six of them.

Notre Dame 3, Miami 0

Spencer Porath kicked a 44-yard field goal to give Notre Dame a 3-0 lead on the first possession of the game.

The Irish marched 45 yards, led by 21 yards on four carries by Nolan James Jr., to set up the field goal. Notre Dame converted a fourth-and-1 at midfield to keep the drive alive, but came up three yards short on a CJ Carr pass to Jack Larsen to the right, setting up the field goal. Carr was 4 of 7 passing for 24 yards.

Carr had plenty of time in the pocket. Notre Dame showed impressive pass protection on its first possession.

Notre Dame has crossed midfield after converting a fourth-and-1 with a 4-yard run by Nolan James Jr.

The Irish mixing it up here early, with four pass attempts by CJ Carr on the drive. He was off target on one pass, throwing behind a receiver. He's 2 of 4 for 14 yards.

The Hurricanes also just helped Notre Dame with an offsides penalty.

David Lake of InsideTheU did a great job breaking down Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr's strengths and weaknesses this week. He also pulled some data on where and how Carr attacks the field. The most noticeable trait: he rarely throws swings and screens, passes typically caught behind the line of scrimmage.

Behind the line of scrimmage: 9% of attempts
0-9 air yards: 47.7% of attempts
10-19 yards: 16.2%
20+ yards: 21.2%

Carr ranks fourth in the country in the percentage share of deep throws. He's thrown more deep shots (47) than intermediate passes (36). SImply put, Carr is among he best on deep shot plays.

Cooper Barkate was Darian Mensah's top target a year ago, when they were teammates at Duke. That hasn't been the case at Miami, where Malachi Toney triples Barkate's production. Now that Toney is out for the biggest game of the season, might Mensah and Barkate reignite their unbreakable connection from a year ago?

Barkate has only 28 catches for 372 yards and four touchdowns through eight games, a noticeable drop from his 1,106-yard season a year ago with the Blue Devils. Last week, in a 38-35 win at North Carolina, he only played 34 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Barkate's best game this season was a five-catch performance for 98 yards and one touchdown in a 41-13 win at Clemson on Oct. 3.

What does Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson have up his sleeve for Barkate in the scheme? That, and revving up the running game with Mark Fletcher Jr., might be the biggest question facing the Hurricanes today.

Notre Dame opened as a 4.5-point favorite and is now laying 5.5, with the total at 57.5. History sides with the Irish. Now that Malachi Toney is out, siding with the Irish becomes an easy play. Notre Dame will play the nation's most efficient quarterback either way, but how different does he look without his top option? Meanwhile, Notre Dame's red-zone defense has struggled against far lesser offenses, so will Toney's absence actually matter? Miami is 5-3 against the spread this season. Notre Dame is 4-4. The Irish can win this game, but covering by five points will still be difficult. Pick: Miami +5.5 -- Brandon Marcello

No. 1 Miami may be without star receiver Malachi Toney against No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday, but the team hopes to have him back in time for the postseason. Sources tell CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz that the early feel on a return timetable is that Toney is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing ankle surgery.

Toney suffered a high-ankle sprain in practice this week that will knock him out for the rest of the regular season, but the team hopes surgery will help the sophomore receiver return in time to chase a national championship.

Malachi Toney injury update: Early expectation has Miami star WR returning in time for postseason run

Austin Nivison

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is dealing with a problematic case of inaccuracy on downfield throws. Over the Fighting Irish's past two games, he is just 4 for 24 on passes traveling 15+ air yards. Contrast that to the season's first six games, when he was 21 of 39 on such attempts, and it's clear something has changed.

Miami's Darian Mensah is the national leader in passing efficiency and completion percentage (80.7%) and has been firmly No. 1 in the CBS Sports QBPR for several weeks. The Duke transfer has upgraded Miami's offense and can bolster an already-strong Heisman Trophy case with a strong performance. Edge: Miami

Who has the edge in Miami vs. Notre Dame? Position-by-position breakdown for major showdown

David Cobb