Hurricanes Down the Fighting Irish in Top Ten Matchup

No. 10 Miami had not played a ranked opponent in a season opener since 2011. Notre Dame, ranked No. 6 in the AP Top 25 Poll, started a new quarterback for the sixth-straight season. Redshirt freshman CJ Carr won the starting job.

First Half

In the first half, the Hurricanes held the Fighting Irish to 63 yards rushing. Jermiah Love, considered to be the top running back in college football this season was held to just 13 yards rushing, and 33 yards for the game and no touchdowns.

Able to leap tall buildings (and opposing players) in a single bound, Love hurdled several Miami defenders trying gain crucial yardage in the losing effort.

Carson Beck certainly did not look like a quarterback that had off-season elbow surgery and was held out of spring practice. Instead, he looked comfortable and confident in the pocket. Beck completed 65 percent of his passes in the first half for 147 yards and two touchdowns to give the Hurricanes a 14-7 lead at the intermission.

CJ. DANIELS.

Hey @SportsCenter, you might want to take a look at this one 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/2u7iPPB0dr

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) September 1, 2025

In the second quarter on third and goal, Carr scrambled all the way back to South Bend before pulling the trigger and finding an open receiver all alone in the end zone to get the Irish on the scoreboard.

Second Half Drama

The Fighting Irish came roaring back in the second half and outscored the Hurricanes 17-6 in the fourth quarter. With the score 24-17 in favor of Miami, Carr fired a pass to tight end Eli Raridon that went for 64 yards down inside the Miami red zone. Two plays later, Carr scored on a quarterback draw to tie the score at 24-24 with a little over three minutes left in the game.

CJ CARR.

TIE GAME#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/OVz4i35EeG

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 1, 2025

Beck then drove Miami down to within field goal range of the suspect right leg of kicker Carter Davis. However, from 47-yards out, Davis drilled the kick right down the middle for a 27-24 Miami lead and the victory.

On the final Notre Dame possession from their own 25-yard line, with no timeouts, Carr completed just one of three passes and was sacked on what was the final play as the clock struck zero.

Final Thoughts

Beck, with his new bionic elbow, completed 67 percent of his passes for 205 yards for the game. And more importantly, zero INTs.

The Hurricanes held the Notre Dame rushing attack, one that gained over 2,000 yards as a unit in 2024, to less than 100 yards rushing (93) and 3.3 yards per rush. Two Irish turnovers didn’t help the cause either.

With the loss, the Fighting Irish were the fourth top ten team to lose in Week 1. This coming week’s AP Top 25 Poll will look like a March Madness bracket buster.

Miami hosts Bethune-Cookman next Saturday. Luckily for the weary Fighting Irish, they get a bye week before hosting a tough and talented Texas A&M squad on Sep. 13.