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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Notre Dame left South Bend on Saturday night with an impressive 31-24 win over No. 1 Miami. The Fighting Irish jumped out to a 24-3 lead in the third quarter before the Hurricanes rallied back, scoring 21 unanswered points. Quarterback Darian Mensah led the late charge, scoring on back-to-back drives before adding a touchdown with just under 10 minutes left to make it a one-score game.
Then came one of the most controversial plays of the weekend. With just over 3:30 left, Mensah hit tight end Elija Lofton for 41 yards, and on fourth-and-six from the 18, he found Lofton in the end zone in what looked like a game-tying touchdown. Notre Dame safety Luke Talich knocked the ball loose as Lofton hit the ground, and officials ruled it incomplete after a review. Miami couldn't catch up after that.
Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal didn't mince words after the game.
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"Really disappointed that they negated Elija Lofton’s touchdown with two hands on the ball and two feet in bounds. But like we told our team before we left Miami, do not leave it in the hands of officials because that’s what you’re going to get here," Cristobal said. "Very disappointed with the way that was called with the game on the line and clear possession of the football in bounds."
"I can sit here and go all day. I know the games get called back and forth. Certain plays that determine certain games when you have instant replay. And you know, I'm pissed off. I mean, what do you want me to say, it's [expletive]," Cristobal added. "I'll leave it at that. That's the way it was seen by them. So I gotta live with it and respect it."
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The game had massive College Football Playoff implications. Miami came in 8-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country, while Notre Dame was No. 11 and needed a marquee win to keep its season alive. The Irish got it, improving to 8-1 and picking up the head-to-head win over a team that edged them out of the final playoff spot last year. The win moved Notre Dame up to No. 3 in the latest AP poll, with Miami falling to No. 5. The next CFP rankings will drop on Tuesday.
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Miami still has a strong résumé even with the loss and should contend for the ACC title, with Duke coming to Miami next weekend followed by home matchups against Virginia Tech and Boston College to close out the regular season. That's a winnable stretch for the Hurricanes, but the loss to Notre Dame could affect its chances of getting a first-round bye in the CFP.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, closes with Boston College, SMU, and Syracuse, a schedule that should put them in position to finish 11-1 and one of the top seeds in the playoffs.
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