Miami, Florida – It’s the Catholics versus the Convicts renewed, the Miami Hurricanes host Notre Dame to kick off the 2025 season at Hard Rock Stadium. Sunday’s marquee matchup between two highly ranked opponents has generated plenty of excitement, trash talk, and high expectations, continuing a rivalry that dates back to the 1980s. Former Ohio State (2004-08) and NFL linebacker Marcus Freeman leads the No. 6 Fighting Irish in his fourth full year as head coach. In 2024, Freeman led Notre Dame to the most wins in a single season in program history, finishing 14-2, reaching the CFP National Championship, falling 34-23 to his alma mater. The Fighting Irish were dominant, winning 13 straight, including seven victories over ranked opponents.
100 seasons. Born in Miami. Built by Miami…
…And forever representing Miami. This is Hurricanes Football. pic.twitter.com/YqS3GCrcjE
— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) August 30, 2025
They’ll be facing the 10th-ranked Hurricanes with coach Mario Cristobal at the helm. Year Four of his tenure is about to begin, and Cristobal knows the stakes. UM rocked the best offense in the country, achieving their first 10-win season since 2017, including their first undefeated home record since 2002. However, the program’s vulnerable defense collapsed at Syracuse, costing them both the ACC Championship and CFP postseason. Mario went out and revamped the defense while also adapting to significant changes on offense, hiring several personnel and drawing from the transfer portal. The last time these two teams met, well, the Hurricanes put on quite a show, crushing Notre Dame 41-8 back in 2017, the year Miami’s Turnover Chain debuted. Notre Dame leads the all-time series with The U 18-8-1, though the Irish have not won in Miami since 1977.
Players to Watch
Miami Hurricanes
Carson Beck
"This is my future. I think this decision (transferring to Miami) is one of the better decisions that I've made." – Carson Beck
Welcome to the 305 Carson 🙌🌴@CanesFootball | @MiamiHurricanes | #ItsAllAboutTheU | #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/94BTxtL41t
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) July 22, 2025
New season, new quarterback. Carson Beck has some big shoes to fill after Cam Ward’s stellar performance last year. This will be his first game back since his injury during the SEC Championship, so there may be some rust on the first drive or two. Beck threw for 3,485 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, making him one of the best QBs in the country. What he does against Notre Dame can set the tone for the rest of the season.
CJ Daniels
Former Liberty & LSU WR CJ Daniels has committed to @CanesFootball 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
College stats so far:
🙌 148 receptions
🙌 2,434 yards
🙌 21 TDs
🙌 16.4 YPC#GoCanes #TheU 🙌🟧🟩 pic.twitter.com/yLizITNbak— CB (@ChalupaBatmaan) December 18, 2024
The LSU transfer caught 42 passes for 480 yards in his lone season with the Tigers. Before that, Daniels logged 106 receptions totaling 1,959 yards and 21 touchdowns in his time at Liberty. He might be Beck’s prime target, averaging 11.4 per catch. Expect a couple of deep balls going his way, testing out the opposing defense. If Daniels is the top target in game one, it will be a glimpse of the potential dynamic duo with his quarterback going forward. It’s him or Jojo.
Reuben Bain Jr
#Miami DL Reuben Bain Jr.
Speed, power, explosiveness. Good engine. Disruptive in passing situations.
18 TFL’s & 11 sacks in 20 career games. Some Jared Verse in his game. pic.twitter.com/x4DUBLacFw
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) June 20, 2025
Coach Marcus Freeman picked freshman CJ Carr to be the starting quarterback this Sunday. Reuben Bain and company must rattle Carr’s cage. A pressured QB is prone to mistakes, and this game might come down to turnovers. In 2017, Miami forced four. They will have to do so again, and Bain may be a key to that success. When he’s healthy, Reuben is a force on the field, using his experienced leadership to elevate the defense.
OJ Frederique
OJ Frederique Jr. 1ST CAREER INT!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/EXXS4mCVII
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) November 2, 2024
Speaking of, this gentleman is primed to shine. OJ Frederique logged 30 tackles, seven deflections, and an interception for 2024. OJ was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and the most impactful true freshman in the 2024 season. Frederique can assist in shutting down Notre Dame, and if he can continue to grow and become the player everyone says he can be, then the Fighting Irish are in for a long night.
Bert Auburn
BERT AUBURN NAILS THE GAME-TYING FG IN THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP 🔥
GEORGIA-TEXAS IS HEADED TO OVERTIME 😤 pic.twitter.com/TcTo4x8xqW
— ESPN (@espn) December 8, 2024
Considering how close the contest might be, it could also come down to field goals. Bert Auburn was shaky from 40 out last season with Texas, and I’m hoping there’s improvement because the alternative may not be sufficient. Let’s see what happens.
Notre Dame
CJ Carr
BREAKING: Notre Dame has named CJ Carr its starting quarterback ☘️
CJ is the grandson of longtime Michigan HC Lloyd Carr. pic.twitter.com/5lUcDK3ljM
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 19, 2025
Coach Freeman reportedly went with his gut in selecting CJ Carr for the season opener. Carr beat out Kenny Minchey in a closely fought QB battle, allowing him to make his first career start. The freshmen appeared in one game last season but didn’t record a statistic. Minchey, meanwhile, is in his third year and has four appearances with the Fighting Irish. Carr is a pocket passer, so this could work in Miami’s favor if the defense can pressure up front. I wouldn’t count out Minchey taking snaps in the event the game gets wildly out of hand.
Malachi Fields
A few under the radar matchups to keep an eye on this weekend 👀
💫 @AverySmith2022 🆚 @routerunner9 / @KendrickLaw2
💫 @Caleb_Tiernan 🆚 @Westxmo
💫 Malachi Fields 🆚 Charles Brantley#ShrineBowlWHOSNEXT pic.twitter.com/CHnQPWOYb2— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) August 30, 2025
Notre Dame added big wide receiver Malachi Fields, widening their offensive arsenal. Fields led the Virginia Cavaliers last season, recording 55 catches for 808 yards and five touchdowns. The former Cav averaged 14.7 yards per reception, marking his explosiveness on the field. He will be an impact player on this team and will factor in Sunday’s tilt. Fields is arguably the number one threat to Miami’s secondary.
Jeremiyah Love
Now that we covered the air threat, let’s check the opposing ground game. Jeremiyah Love rushed for 1,125 yards on 163 carries for the Irish last year, racking up 17 touchdowns and averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He also made 28 catches for 237 yards and a pair of TDs. Love can do it all and could be relied upon to help Carr chew up yards and pull off some screen passes. Shut him down, and Miami can take away a valuable asset from Notre Dame.
Leonard Moore
This cornerback is something of a no-fly zone. Accumulating 48 tackles, 11 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and a pair of picks, Leonard Moore is someone Shannon Dawson and company need to watch out for. Despite being a three-star recruit out of high school, Moore has demonstrated great playmaking ability and physicality, and the word is that his stock is looking good for the 2027 NFL Draft. Miami’s wideouts will need to outmaneuver him and gain separation to be targeted by Beck.
Christian Gray
This is a highly motivated individual. For those who don’t know or have forgotten, Christian Gray made a costly mistake against Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith at the CFP National Championship. Facing 3rd and 11 with 2:45 remaining in the game, Will Howard lobbed a 56-yard pass to a wide-open Smith, driving well into the red zone. Down 31-23, Notre Dame needed that stop and the ensuing field goal iced their chances. Gray has shown resilience and grown from that experience. What better way to bounce back than this Sunday?
Season Prediction
The first half of the schedule features all kinds of interesting matchups. For starters, the Hurricanes will face a quartet of Florida-based teams, including their state rivals, the Gators and Florida State, followed by a game against Louisville in week six, coming off their second bye. Of those six games, my concerns are against the Fighting Irish, Florida, and the Cardinals.
We are not the favorites in Week 1, and the Gators are hungry for revenge. Considering our tendency to do poorly out of a bye and how close past contests were, you can see my caution with the red birds. In fact, this is where I see Miami’s first loss. The road game at SMU can be an upset alert, but they’ll pull it out, outmaneuvering former Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. Virginia Tech will be Miami’s second loss. The rivalry is intense, and the Hokies can really throw a wrench into UM’s aspirations. Blacksburg is no joke. The Hurricanes will finish the season 10-2, making the ACC Championship and defeating Clemson.
Game Prediction
This makes it obvious which way I’m leaning. It will not be a blowout, however, Carson Beck and the Hurricanes will shine on both sides of the ball despite some rust that will likely be shown. Penalties need to be kept to a minimum while the defense forces turnovers. Do these two things, and they should be enough for the Miami Hurricanes to overcome Notre Dame. UM wins 34-24.
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