Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547512
18 NOV. 14, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY JACK SOBLE AND KYLE KELLY M arcus Freeman shot his hands in the air like finger-guns be- fore emphatically pointing at CJ Carr as the quarterback jogged off the field. Perhaps inadver- tently, they formed an "L" shape. Fitting, on a night meant to honor Lou Holtz. Carr had just thrown the first of three touchdown passes, this one a dime to toe-tapping senior wide receiver Jordan Faison in the front-right corner of the end zone. He torched No. 1 Miami's soft underbelly, a pass defense ranked 81st in the country in efficiency entering the game, sending notions that he shrinks in big games into oblivion. Add an inspired performance from the defense Notre Dame fans expected this season, and the No. 11 Irish beat the Hurricanes in a game they had to have. They had to survive a comeback bid, but when the night was done, Free- man's "leave no doubt" campaign was still alive. Notre Dame knocked off Miami 31-24, ending the Hurricanes' perfect season and exacting revenge for Week 1 of 2025. The Irish improved to 8-1, and they put themselves in the driver's seat for a trip to the College Football Playoff. "This is as good of a win as I've ever been a part of," Freeman said. "And as special of a moment, as special of an outcome that I've been a part of since I've been the head coach here." Despite entering the game with a sea- son defined in part by slow starts, Notre Dame blitzed Miami — both figuratively and literally — from the jump. It started with Carr, who made his first career start in Notre Dame's loss to Miami on Aug. 31, 2025. Four hundred thirty- three days later, he played his best game in a blue-and-gold uniform. The junior quarterback completed 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards, despite little help from his run game. He threw touchdowns to Faison and twice to ju- nior wide receiver Micah Gilbert, who came alive with 9 receptions for 98 yards after a quiet month of October. His work on Notre Dame's two-minute drive to end the first half, moving in the pocket to evade Miami pass rushers and finding open targets downfield, was masterful. "My dad had called me before this game and was in town," Carr said. "Said he watched that game and his words were like, 'That was a boy playing out at SWEET REVENGE No. 11 Notre Dame knocks off No. 1 Miami, 31-24