In the 1980s, Notre Dame-Miami football matchups elicited trash talk that inspired documentaries.
This time around, both programs feature passion mixed with politeness.
No. 1 Miami (8-0) will face its toughest test of the season when it goes up against No. 11 Notre Dame (7-1) on Saturday evening in South Bend, Ind.
The battle could go a long way toward informing the College Football Playoff seeding at the end of the regular season.
Just don’t expect Miami coach Mario Cristobal or any of his players to boast about their No. 1 ranking or take shots at Notre Dame heading into a prime-time showdown.
“There’s no value in those words,” Cristobal said. “There’s no value in predictions, forecasts, narratives. Not one of the people talking about those things can block anybody, throw a ball, catch a ball, chase down and make a tackle.
“You have to be very grateful and humble to be entering the month of November and have a chance to be playing really relevant football, and knowing that the teams that are going to continue to do well in November are teams that are really good in technique and fundamentals and playing with a lot of intensity, playing with a lot of energy.
“This game is blocking and tackling, throwing and catching and running, executing. So we’d rather pour the focus into that and figure that any ounce that goes into that other noise is an ounce that wasn’t poured into the things that matter.”
The outcome certainly will matter, and Notre Dame is desperate for a big win after losing on the road against then-No. 8 BYU three weeks ago. The Fighting Irish are coming off a 35-13 win over Navy last week, and Miami is the last ranked team on their regular-season schedule.
Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman will not have a hard time motivating his players.
“There’s a great opportunity here on Saturday — the No. 1 team in the country,” Freeman said. “Our guys will be excited to play in Notre Dame Stadium, where we’re honoring Coach (Lou) Holtz, his life and the impact he made. It will be an incredible environment.”
CJ Carr has passed for 18 touchdowns and one interception for Notre Dame, and he has rushed for three touchdowns. Nolan James Jr., coming off his second 100-yard rushing game of the season, leads the Fighting Irish with eight touchdowns on the ground, and Jordan Faison has four TD catches.
Cristobal got an up-close look at Carr last season when Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24, and the Fighting Irish quarterback impressed him in the 2025 season opener.
“Right away, you saw in that game that he was on his way to being an elite player,” Cristobal said. “… He’s a guy that has continued to develop as a passer, as a runner, a guy that has complete control of the offense.”
Meanwhile, Miami is led by Darian Mensah, who has passed for 2,425 yards, 25 touchdowns and one interception. Mark Fletcher Jr. has a team-high nine rushing touchdowns, and Malachi Toney has 73 catches for 1,027 yards and 13 scores.
Fletcher and Toney combined for five TDs last week in the Hurricanes’ 38-35 victory at North Carolina.
Toney stood out to Freeman on game film.
“He’s elite,” the Notre Dame coach said. “He’s an eraser. He’s as good as anyone you’ll see. The thing about him is that he does everything well. Not only does he catch, he runs, he blocks, he’s a punt returner. He does everything well and plays the game the right way.”
But playmakers are not the only key to the game, according to Freeman. He believes the result could come down to the most fundamental aspects of football.
“The thing that you notice is they’re O-line-, D-line-driven,” Freeman said of the Hurricanes. “Similar traits that we pride ourselves on. It will be a battle at the line of scrimmage.”
–Field Level Media
