Notre Dame climbed back into the College Football Playoff conversation Saturday night, hanging on for a 31-24 victory over top-ranked Miami.
Quarterback CJ Carr completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards for the Fighting Irish, who hung on after jumping out to a 24-3 lead. Micah Gilbert caught nine passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, and Jordan Faison added six catches for 77 yards.
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“I’m happy for this university,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman told NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen. “I’m happy for our players. There’s a lot of support from Notre Dame Nation, and this is a special moment for them.
The top-ranked Hurricanes are on the road against the Fighting Irish in a matchup with major College Football Playoff implications.
“I’m so happy for our players, because they put a lot of work in to achieve this. They’re a dang good football team, and they beat a dang good football team.”
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The Fighting Irish (8-1) are sure to improve their No. 11 ranking in the College Football Playoff, avoiding a second defeat that would have likely kept Notre Dame out of the CFP for the second consecutive year.
The win at Notre Dame Stadium came down to the final minute because of a late surge by the Hurricanes’ explosive offense, which entered No. 1 in scoring but looked anemic in the first half without injured star wideout Malachi Toney.
