Is Notre Dame ready to party like it's 1988?

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- As Notre Dame prepared for Saturday night's high-stakes game against No. 1 Miami, coach Marcus Freeman showed players snippets from the team's iconic clash with the Hurricanes in 1988, known in college football lore as Catholics vs. Convicts. "You study the history to value the opportunity happening for us," Freeman said. Notre Dame's current team has the opportunity to match the 1988 squad, which secured the school's most recent national championship. The Irish ensured their opportunity remained by beating Miami 31-24 in a game that didn't quite match the angst and drama of 1988, but certainly came close. "The scores are ... very similar," safety Luke Talich said. In fact, if officials had ruled that Miami tight end Elija Lofton had caught the ball in the end zone with 3:36 left, rather than saying it was dislodged on his way out of bounds, Notre Dame would have led 31-30, the exact score of the 1988 game. Perhaps Miami would have attempted a potential winning 2-point conversion, just as it did 38 years earlier on the same field. "We've been educated on some of the history of this game," Notre Dame wide receiver Micah Gilbert said. "It's a game that goes all four quarters. Throughout the years, it's always been that." As it happened, the Irish avoided a disastrous end to a game they dominated for stretches, building a 24-3 lead and looking as much a title contender as they did two years ago. Notre Dame received superb play from quarterback CJ Carr, who passed for 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, showing he could meet the moment against a top-10 opponent. Two running backs logged 10 or more carries and six players had multiple receptions, including wideouts Gilbert and Jordan Faison, who combined for three touchdown catches. A veteran offensive line did not give up a sack for the sixth consecutive game, and a defensive front that had been sleepy at times this season swarmed Miami quarterback Darian Mensah for most of the night. Notre Dame's active defense finished with seven pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a Talich interception that briefly stemmed a Miami offensive surge. Freeman called the game "as good of a win as I've ever been a part of, and as special of an outcome that I've been a part of since I've been the head coach here." The win brought momentary euphoria and relief. Notre Dame's College Football Playoff hopes are probably secured. But the Irish don't aspire to simply reach the playoff. They want a championship. To truly replicate what happened in 1988, Notre Dame must avoid what happened after they built that 24-3 lead. Preparing for the storm Freeman had warned his team that the storm would come Saturday night -- maybe early, maybe late, maybe somewhere in the middle. When Notre Dame built a three-touchdown lead early in the second half against a Miami team that looked lost offensively without star wide receiver Malachi Toney, Freeman had to remind himself of his own message. "It was 24-3, and I'm like, 'Oh man, we're doing pretty good,'" Freeman said. "But in the back of my head, I had said it to the group before the game: 'It's college football. There's going to be a struggle.'" Miami scored touchdowns on three of its next four possessions. The three scoring drives and the near-miss on a fourth all involved six or more plays and were 47 or more yards. Notre Dame's defense has had some high-profile struggles this season especially in its Oct. 17 loss at BYU, which scored touchdowns on all four of its red zone trips and mounted sustained drives all game. Notre Dame also gave up scores on its first three drives last week against Navy before buckling down, and three touchdown drives of 75 yards or more to North Carolina. Miami capitalized when Irish All-America cornerback Leonard Moore left the game after being poked in the eye, attacking replacement Mark Zackery IV, and Jayden Sanders, who was filling in for injured starter DJ McKinney. The Hurricanes scored touchdowns on the series when Moore left and the following one, before Moore returned. "It really started going [downhill] when Leonard went down," Freeman said. Notre Dame's injuries in the secondary -- safety Brauntae Johnson, who started eight games in 2025 and had four interceptions, has not played since the season opener because of a foot injury -- have made the unit vulnerable at points this season. The Irish entered the Miami game committed to man coverage, especially with Toney out. But Miami's success led to a switch to mostly zone coverage. "It was a pivot from what we had been planning for half of the week," Freeman said. Notre Dame showed its adaptability, but the secondary clearly needs Moore out there and others back from injury. If the Irish play the Hurricanes again in the CFP, they probably will have to contend with Toney. Other elite receivers also could stress Notre Dame's back end. The most encouraging defensive development came from a front that did not record a sack against BYU and had only two in the past four games. Notre Dame's overall pressure numbers were unimpressive, but the team generated a season-high 34 against Miami, according to Pro Football Focus. Top pass rusher Boubacar Traore, ejected for targeting early in the BYU game, made his presence known, along with outside linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and others. Notre Dame played without linemen Francis Brewu and Jason Onye but had more than enough pressure options. "They weren't always perfect, but they continued to be relentless in their effort to stop the run and to get after the quarterback," Freeman said. 'Get ready for the next one' When Notre Dame selected a game to honor former coach Lou Holtz, who died in March at 89 and is buried on campus, Miami was the clear choice. Holtz coached the Irish in four games against Miami from 1987 to 1990, including the win in 1988. "Save Jimmy Johnson's ass for me," Skip Holtz, Lou's son, said before Saturday's game, repeating Lou's famous line about the Miami coach from his pregame speech in 1988. Skip Holtz said this year's Notre Dame team is "capable of winning a national championship." He says he fully believes Freeman is the coach to replicate what Lou Holtz accomplished at Notre Dame, and sees similarities between the teams. Among those, according to Freeman, are the preparation and consistency of Notre Dame's top players, including Carr. He noted that even when their statistics don't pop, they grade at a high level every week. Carr's play against Miami eased some bubbling concerns that he could deliver against CFP-caliber opponents. Although he wasn't awful last season in losses to Miami and Texas A&M -- his first two career starts -- or BYU this season, all three games featured turnovers and some inaccurate stretches. Carr was not only precise against Miami, completing 29 of 40 attempts, he delivered his standard set of strong-armed throws to the perimeter. But he also attacked the middle of the field, and showed his elusiveness to evade Miami's rush and find Aneyas Williams on third-and-4 to prolong a drive that ended with a touchdown just before halftime. "CJ is constantly, constantly getting better, as we all are," Gilbert said. "He's pushing all of us to get better. So each game, you just see the confidence come out of him more and more and more, and the ability to just play the game that he knows how to play, trust his ability, and be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation." The emotion for Notre Dame players and coaches following the Miami win was palpable, and Freeman encouraged everyone to lean in. Carr wanted to stay on the field longer to celebrate. Talich pumped his arms to the fans outside Notre Dame's media room, as their cheering grew louder. Notre Dame's schedule hasn't had many truly quality opponents over the past two years, which has made moments like those hard to come by. The Irish don't get many chances to look elite against the elite. They did Saturday night, but they also know improvements -- and better health on defense -- are probably needed down the stretch. "I mean, it's a special moment," Freeman said. "Enjoy the moment because [Sunday], when you wake up, it's time to get ready for the next one."