The Miami Hurricanes beat sixth-ranked Notre Dame in their season opener, but the victory itself wasn’t the story. How they won was what mattered.
For the first time in over 20 years, Miami played like the dominant teams from their championship era. The Hurricanes didn’t just beat a quality opponent – they did it with the kind of explosive plays and defensive pressure that defined their glory days.
Transfer quarterback Carson Beck answered questions about his inconsistent offseason performance. He completed 64% of his passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame’s defense.
Beck’s second touchdown pass to CJ Daniels became an early candidate for play of the year. Beck released the ball while being hit, before Daniels had even established position. The pass had to clear three converging defenders while staying catchable.
That’s the kind of precision Miami’s great quarterbacks delivered under pressure.
The receiving corps produced in waves rather than relying on one star target. Daniels’ spectacular catch was joined by solid contributions from Malachi Tony and Keelan Marion.
Tony’s performance stands out because he’s only 17 years old. That puts him in rare company with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Alabama’s Ryan Williams as top receivers making impacts before turning 18.
Reuben Bain Jr. dominated Notre Dame’s offensive line and put NFL scouts on notice.
Bain spent most of the game disrupting plays in the Fighting Irish backfield. On one memorable rush, he beat Notre Dame’s right tackle using pure strength and technique. Bain spun the larger lineman out of position with his right shoulder, then pressured quarterback CJ Carr into an intentional grounding penalty.
Akheem Mesidor joined Bain in the backfield throughout the game. Miami’s defensive line consistently won individual battles against Notre Dame’s front.
The defense sealed the victory with a textbook final drive. Notre Dame had over a minute remaining and decent field position, but Miami’s defense allowed almost nothing to close out the win.
Head coach Mario Cristobal’s team accomplished something Miami hasn’t done in decades. They beat a ranked opponent while looking like the Hurricanes teams that once dominated college football.
This current roster might not have future NFL stars like Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson or Jeremy Shockey. But they’re playing with the same kind of explosive offensive production and relentless defensive pressure that made those teams legendary.
Miami fans have heard about “returns to glory” for years. Most of those proclamations proved premature.
This Notre Dame victory felt different because of how it happened, not just that it happened.
