For a brief window on Saturday night, it looked like Notre Dame would absolutely dominate Miami in a showdown that was the biggest game the Fighting Irish had played in the last two years. Then, the No. 1 team in the country started playing like the No. 1 team in the country, and Marcus Freeman’s squad needed someone to step up. Enter Luke Talich.
Talich, who is only playing as much as he is this year because starting safety Brauntae Johnson has been out since the second half of the season opener against Wisconsin, has had himself a heck of a season. No performance this fall has been bigger or better than his against Miami.
Facing off against a top Heisman Trophy candidate in Darian Mensah, Talich beat him not once, but twice. First, Talich beat Mensah when Miami had all the momentum. The safety made a clean interception that let the Irish catch their breath and reset.
Then, later in the game, when Miami was once again driving for a tying touchdown, Talich looked like he'd been beaten on a throw into the end zone, but he knocked the ball loose as the receiver came down with it. The incompletion came on fourth down, ending Miami's drive.
Luke Talich stars against Darian Mensah as Notre Dame football earns signature Miami victory
In the end, the Hurricanes got one more drive with less than a minute to go, but the Notre Dame defense stepped up again and, this time, forced a fumble on a desperation play and recovered it as the clock ticked down.
That, of course, meant Notre Dame not only upset the No. 1 team in the country, but also showed its mettle and, most importantly, made a strong case for itself to a College Football Playoff committee that claimed the Fighting Irish didn’t have any impressive wins.
Thanks to Luke Talich and the rest of a gritty bunch, Notre Dame has a big 31-24 win now.
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