College Football: Notre Dame beats Miami, Georgia routs Mississippi
The Fighting Irish used a key interception to end their rivalry with the Hurricanes, while the Bulldogs snapped a losing streak with a dominant performance.
By Luis Medina ·
Notre Dame players arrived at the field with a specific target in mind after a year of frustration against Miami. The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 4, defeated the No. 1 Hurricanes 31-24 on Saturday night, ending a cycle of losses that had defined their recent history against the team from Florida.
The rivalry has been contentious for Notre Dame in recent seasons. The Irish lost to Miami in the 2025 season opener. They also fell short of the Hurricanes for the final College Football Playoff bid at the end of that year. Coming into Saturday, Notre Dame held the No. 11 spot in the initial CFP rankings, a position that made a victory essential for their 2026 postseason hopes.
Quarterback CJ Carr led the offense against Darian Mensah. Carr threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Mensah, who played without injured receiver Malachi Toney, responded with 276 passing yards and three scores of his own. The defensive difference emerged from Luke Talich, a former walk-on from Cody, Wyoming.
Talich intercepted a pass late in the third quarter. The subsequent drive ended with a touchdown that extended the Irish lead to 31-17. With under four minutes remaining, Talich broke up a pass intended for Elija Lofton, preventing a catch that would have tied the game. The win will remove Miami from the top of the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday and place a new team at No. 1 in the CFP rankings on Tuesday.
Georgia faced a different challenge against Mississippi. The No. 2 Bulldogs, ranked No. 2 in the CFP, defeated the No. 12 Tigers, ranked No. 10 in the CFP, by a score of 42-7. This result follows a loss to unranked Auburn three weeks prior. Gunner Stockton threw for four touchdowns and added a rushing score. The ground game produced 295 yards, and the defense recorded five sacks of Trinidad Chambliss.
Other results on Saturday shifted the playoff landscape. No. 16 Tennessee beat No. 8 Kentucky 34-6. This marked the sixth consecutive victory for the Volunteers over the Wildcats. Kentucky has two top-10 wins, but a drop below No. 11 in the CFP rankings would likely require help from other teams.
Ohio State suffered a 41-28 loss to Oregon at home. The Buckeyes, who opened the season as No. 1 in the AP poll, now have three losses. Oregon holds the tiebreaker over Ohio State in the Big Ten race. The loss leaves Ohio State with a difficult path to the playoff, requiring a run to the Big Ten championship.
Alabama improved to 7-0 against teams coached by Lane Kiffin with a 31-13 win over LSU. The Crimson Tide, ranked No. 5 in the CFP, finished their final ranked opponent of the season with this victory. Utah defeated BYU 28-20, and UCLA beat Minnesota 34-20 to remain unbeaten. Texas won its third straight game, defeating Missouri 34-20 on the road.
