Notre Dame football gets the marquee stage in the collegiate world Saturday. This time with No. 1 ranked Miami (FL) football back in South Bend for the first time since 2016. Yet Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal likely remembers the revered 1988 matchup with the Fighting Irish.
He was a true freshman offensive lineman for the famed “Catholics versus Convicts” showdown.
ND fans took pregame marketing tactics to another level with the famed shirt and game nickname. That fourth-ranked Fighting Irish team knocked off the top-ranked ‘Canes 31-30.
Fast forward 38 years later, and Miami enters this venue undefeated and No. 1 again. But will the nation see similar results from that '88 meeting? Or can the Hurricanes prevail this time around? It's time to dive into the bold predictions for this highly-anticipated showdown.
CJ Carr and Darian Mensah puts on a show, but one seals Heisman fate
Mensah is arguably the nation's hottest quarterback. He brings an astonishing 25:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio into Notre Dame Stadium.
Carr, meanwhile, owns 18 touchdown throws. But he matches Mensah's interception number too.
Both will launch the field version of fireworks. Except Carr is facing a Miami defense's that's looked suspect in recent weeks. The ‘Canes have surrendered between 23 to 35 points in the last three games. Even North Carolina quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. picked apart Miami with 341 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Miami is built for shootouts thanks to Mensah handing this offense a throwing and running element. ND recently struggled with one dual-threat already in BYU's Bear Bachmeier, who combined for 269 yards and three touchdowns in the Cougars' 28-24 upset on Oct. 18.
Both will put on a show. But the winning quarterback will seal his Heisman Trophy fate here.
Malachi Toney won't try to sit
So there's a new curveball that surfaced for this heavyweight showdown of storied programs. Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney sustained an ankle injury during Wednesday practice.
Now Miami fans are on pins and needles wondering if he'll sit this one out. But there's the feeling he'll try to avoid sitting.
This game comes with hefty implications impacting who could get the top seed in the College Football Playoff. Plus this Hurricanes team has been on a mission since their National Championship Game loss to Indiana.
Toney only sits if his ankle injury is way severe than originally thought. If anything, Cristobal and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson may consider handing Toney a pitch count type of approach by limiting his usage.
Leonard Moore's NFL Draft fate gets sealed
Moore versus Toney certainly is one individual battle fans want to see. The Fighting Irish cornerback still plays an integral role for this defense even if Toney doesn't play.
Article Continues BelowAnd he'll seal his NFL Draft fate with this game. Moore frustrating Mensah and forcing him into errant decisions can boost his stock. Same with taking away Miami's second-best option Cooper Barkate.
But NFL scouts and perhaps general managers will be locked into how Moore performs against one or two Heisman Trophy contenders. This is the game that can turn him into the nation's most pro ready CB, and a potential top five pick (CBS Sports plugs him at No. 3 overall to the Miami Dolphins).
This will be a close contest and shootout, but the winner is?
Miami has withstood high-scoring affairs and is proving to win close games. Notre Dame's defense hasn't allowed 30 points in a game yet this season.
This feels like a close shootout. But Toney's injury and Miami's sudden lack of bottling air attacks swings the edge to Notre Dame.
Hence why the Fighting Irish will feed off the sellout crowd energy and turn Miami into the third No. 1 team to lose during the 2026 regular season.