COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECAP

No. 7 Miami beats No. 3 Notre Dame soundly

The Sports Xchange

November 11, 2017 at 10:02 pm.

Nov 11, 2017; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Lawrence Cager (18) signals for a first down after running the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Photo Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Nov 11, 2017; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Lawrence Cager (18) signals for a first down after running the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Photo Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Running back Travis Homer rushed for 146 yards, quarterback Malik Rosier passed for one touchdown and rushed for another, and the defense came up with three interceptions and a fumble recovery as No. 7 Miami stunned No. 3 Notre Dame 41-8 on Saturday night.

After shutting out the Fighting Irish in the first half, the Hurricanes (9-0), who scored 24 points off the four Irish turnovers, opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 90-yard scoring drive capped by running back DeeJay Dallas’ 4-yard touchdown run to go up 34-0.

The Irish (8-2) finally broke into the scoring column on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brandon Wimbush to tight end Alize Mack with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

In addition to the interceptions, defensive end Jonathan Garvin forced and recovered a fumble on a sack and Miami held Notre Dame’s vaunted rushing attack (324.8 yards-per-game average) to just 109 yards and 261 overall. Running back Josh Adams, No. 9 in the country in rushing entering the game with a 132.3 average, managed only 40 on 16 carries. The Hurricanes rushed for 237 yards and passed for 137.

The result was the largest margin of victory for Miami in the series since a 56-7 pounding of the Irish in 1985.

The first half was a dominant performance by Miami on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, Rosier passed for 111 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score as the Hurricanes amassed 194 yards in total offense in building a 27-0 lead.

Defensively, the Hurricanes held the Irish to just 139 yards in total offense and came up with three turnovers, all on interceptions — the last of which cornerback Trajan Bandy returned 65 yards for a touchdown just 16 seconds before the break.

Miami cashed in on the other two picks — one by safety Jaquan Johnson, the other by cornerback Malik Young — for 10 points.

The Irish’s deepest penetration in the first half was to Miami’s 35-yard line on their first possession, and they were shut out in the first half for the first time since the sixth game of the 2016 season, a 10-3 loss at North Carolina State.

NOTES: Notre Dame TE Alize Mack was cleared to play after sitting out against Wake Forest last week because of a concussion. He came into the game with 17 receptions for 154 yards in eight outings. … With his 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter, the 73rd of his career, Miami senior PK Michael Badgley tied Carlos Huerta’s school record for field goals. He added a 30-yarder later in the period to take over the record. … Temperature at game time was 78 degrees with 75 percent humidity and the wind at 15 mph out of the east-northeast. Skies were clear. The temperature in South Bend, Ind., was 33 degrees.

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