Miami and Notre Dame remain on a collision course for a Nov. 7 meeting in South Bend that will carry major College Football Playoff implications. The Hurricanes strengthened their hold on the No. 1 ranking with a dominant win over Pittsburgh, while the Fighting Irish slipped one spot to No. 5 after spending the week on a bye.
Miami received 59 of 70 first-place votes in the AP Top 25, up from 40 the previous week, and stayed No. 1 for a second consecutive week. Notre Dame dropped from No. 4 to No. 5 despite not playing, with Ohio State, Georgia and Indiana now ranked between the two programs.
BYU, which handed Notre Dame its only loss, fell from No. 2 to No. 8 after a 39-31 double-overtime loss to UCF. Notre Dame's only defeat remains to a top-10 team, but the Cougars no longer carry an undefeated record or a No. 2 ranking.
Here is a closer examination of how both teams stand, the injuries they are carrying, and the one remaining game each will play before they meet in South Bend.
Miami answers its close call with a dominant performance
Miami improved to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in ACC play with a 52-23 victory over Pittsburgh in its first game as the nation's top-ranked team since 2002. The Hurricanes led 31-7 at halftime and held Pitt to 69 rushing yards while controlling the game from the opening quarter.
The performance stood in contrast to the previous week's double-overtime survival against Florida State. Darian Mensah completed 31 of 37 passes for 387 yards and four touchdowns and Malachi Toney put up 16 receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns.
Mark Fletcher Jr. scored his 33rd career rushing touchdown, moving into second in school history, while Javian Mallory added two rushing touchdowns and Gavin Mueller scored the first touchdown of his Miami career.
Notre Dame uses bye week to regroup after first loss
Notre Dame (6-1) was on a bye in Week 8 after its 28-24 loss at BYU, which snapped a 16-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish sit at No. 5 and will have another week of preparation before facing Navy, then hosting Miami.
CJ Carr completed 27 of 49 passes for 261 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions against BYU, but Notre Dame allowed the Cougars to convert eight of 12 third downs. The Irish took a 24-21 lead with 9:31 remaining, but BYU scored the winning touchdown with 1:47 left.
Carr has thrown for 1,639 yards with 16 touchdowns and one interception on 66.8% completions this season.
Injuries for Miami and Notre Dame
Miami Hurricanes
- Malachi Toney briefly visited the medical tent against Pitt with an apparent right ankle issue but returned to the game.
- Joshua Moore and CharMar Brown remain out for the season.
- Max Buchanan, OJ Frederique Jr., Ja'Boree Antoine, Luka Gilbert and Milan Parris were also out against Pitt.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Leonard Moore, Jason Onye and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa all played against BYU after dealing with injuries. Moore recorded five tackles, Onye recorded three and Viliamu-Asa recorded two.
- Safety Brauntae Johnson remained sidelined with a foot injury after Marcus Freeman previously indicated a possible November return, but no definitive return date has been established.
The remaining schedules before Nov. 7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Oct. 31: at Navy (2-5) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (noon ET)
- Nov. 7: vs. Miami
Navy is 2-5 after a 49-39 loss to North Texas. Quarterback Jackson Gutierrez rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns, while Navy finished with 363 rushing yards.
Miami Hurricanes
- Oct. 31: at North Carolina (4-3) (7:30 p.m. ET)
- Nov. 7: at Notre Dame
North Carolina is 4-3 after a 31-30 overtime loss to Syracuse. It was Syracuse's first ACC victory after 11 consecutive conference losses.
Notre Dame already defeated North Carolina 37-26 on Oct. 3. Both teams also beat Stanford, with Notre Dame winning 58-7 and Miami winning 45-6.
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