(Photo: Joe Weiser/Fighting Irish Preview)
Thirty-eight years ago, No. 1 Miami came to South Bend expecting to make a statement. Instead, Notre Dame made history.
Saturday night, the Hurricanes return as the nation’s top-ranked team, facing a fourth-ranked Irish squad that the College Football Playoff committee inexplicably considers the 11th-best team in America.
Eleventh? Seriously?
Notre Dame has 60 minutes to make that ranking look ridiculous. And the opportunity to deliver the biggest statement victory of the college football season.
The Irish also have an opportunity to avenge last season’s 27-24 loss to Miami, a defeat that still stings. This time, Notre Dame has the home crowd, the nation’s top-ranked defense and a chance to take control of its playoff destiny.
Both teams will be missing major pieces. Notre Dame will be without linebacker Drayk Bowen, while Miami has lost explosive receiver Malachi Toney. Two of the nation’s best players, watching from the sidelines.
Injuries happen. Every team deals with them. No excuses. Line up and play football.
The stage is set. Here are four keys to playing like a champion against Miami.
1. Make Mensah Miserable
Darian Mensah has been almost surgical this season, completing nearly 81 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and just one interception. Those are extraordinary numbers. Notre Dame’s job Saturday night is to make them considerably less impressive.
It starts up front. Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young, Armel Mukam and the rest of the defensive line must disrupt Mensah’s timing without sacrificing discipline. Getting pressure is important, but so is maintaining contain. The Irish cannot allow an aggressive pass rush to create easy escape routes for Miami’s quarterback.
Notre Dame defensive line coach Charlie Partridge addressed that challenge earlier this week, emphasizing the importance of getting Mensah off his spot.
“You got to do everything you can to get quick wins, identify protection, see if there’s a weak point,” Partridge said.
But Partridge made it clear that disrupting Mensah requires more than simply winning individual battles up front. Disguised coverages and different defensive looks can force the Miami quarterback to hesitate long enough for the pass rush to arrive.
“If you can disguise the coverage and show him something different, that has a chance to slow him down,” Partridge explained.
Without Toney, Mensah loses his most explosive target, and that changes the equation for Notre Dame’s defense. The Irish may have more freedom to bring pressure, disguise coverages and challenge Miami’s remaining receivers without having to devote as much attention to one extraordinary playmaker. But the Hurricanes still have dangerous weapons, and Notre Dame cannot allow short completions to turn into explosive plays.
THE GOAL: Hold Mensah below 70 percent completions and force his second interception of the season.
Notre Dame doesn’t need to sack Mensah on every possession. It needs to disrupt his rhythm, move him off his spot and make him uncomfortable from the opening series.
Without Toney in the lineup, making Mensah miserable just got a little easier. Take advantage of it.
2. Make the Crowd Feed Off You
Seventy-seven thousand fans. A Saturday night kickoff. College GameDay on campus. The No. 1 team in America coming to South Bend.
Notre Dame Stadium will be ready. The Irish need to give it a reason to erupt.
A big defensive stop, an early touchdown or a momentum-changing play could turn an already electric atmosphere into an absolute nightmare for Miami. But that energy has to begin on the field. Notre Dame needs to come out swinging, establish its physicality and make the Hurricanes uncomfortable from the opening possession.
The crowd can become a genuine advantage, particularly when Mensah is trying to communicate at the line of scrimmage. Third downs should be deafening. But the Irish must sustain that energy by getting defensive stops, moving the chains and avoiding the turnovers and penalties that can silence a stadium.
The fans will bring the noise. The players need to give them a reason to turn it up.
GIVE THE CROWD SOMETHING TO ROAR ABOUT. AND DO IT ON THE VERY FIRST SERIES OF THE GAME!
3. Attack Their Weakness
Miami has been nearly impossible to run against. The Hurricanes rank No. 1 nationally in rushing defense, allowing opponents very little room to operate.
But against the pass? They’re No. 122 in the country.
That’s not a statistical footnote. That’s an invitation.
CJ Carr has been outstanding at protecting the football, and Notre Dame’s offensive line has allowed just two sacks all season. That protection will be critical against Miami’s talented defensive front. Give Carr time, and the Irish have an opportunity to exploit the most vulnerable part of the Hurricanes’ defense.
Jordan Faison should be at the center of that plan. His quickness, versatility and ability to create separation make him a dangerous matchup against a struggling secondary. Move him around. Get him into space. Find ways to put the football in his hands before Miami can react.
Jaden Greathouse and Micah Gilbert also have opportunities to make an impact. And don’t overlook Jerome Bettis Jr., who caught six passes for 78 yards against Navy. His emergence gives Carr another option and makes Notre Dame’s passing attack that much more difficult to defend.
None of this means abandoning the running game. Nolan James Jr. and Jonaz Walton still have important roles, even against the nation’s best rushing defense. The Irish need enough balance to keep Miami honest, particularly in short-yardage situations and the red zone, without stubbornly attacking the strength of the Hurricanes’ defense.
Carr has the protection, the weapons and the ability to make Miami pay through the air.
JORDAN FAISON, THIS IS YOUR MOMENT!
4. Find a Way. Any Way. To Win.
Forget style points. Forget the rankings. Forget the experts.
Just win.
Notre Dame doesn’t need to dominate every statistical category Saturday night. It needs to win the moments that decide big football games. Protect the football. Convert third downs. Finish drives. Get defensive stops when they matter most.
The loss at BYU should serve as a reminder of what happens when opportunities slip away. Notre Dame had chances to change that game’s outcome but couldn’t finish the job. Against Miami, the margin for error figures to be even smaller.
There will be adversity. Miami is too talented to expect otherwise. The Hurricanes will make plays, and the Irish will have to respond. One bad possession cannot become two. Championship-caliber teams don’t avoid adversity. They overcome it.
Special teams could make the difference, too. A field goal, a big return or a punt that pins Miami deep could swing the outcome. In a game of this magnitude, every possession matters.
The College Football Playoff committee wants a signature victory? Here’s Notre Dame’s opportunity to deliver the biggest John Hancock victory of the season.
And who knows? The disrespect shown by the CFP committee just might turn out to be the biggest motivational gift Notre Dame could have received.
This isn’t about recreating 1988. It’s about what Notre Dame can accomplish in 2026.
The crowd will be ready. The opportunity is there. And when the ball is kicked off Saturday night, the rankings, the committee and all the noise surrounding this game will become irrelevant.
For 60 minutes, the Irish have an opportunity to show the entire country, exactly what they’re capable of.
Play like a champion.