Notre Dame football will have its most important game of the 2026 regular season later today, as it will host the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes.

The Irish are looking for multiple things in this game, the biggest being better positioning in the College Football Playoff rankings. Revenge is also on their mind, after losing to the Hurricanes in Coral Gables last season.

This clearly won’t be an easy game for Notre Dame, as it will take a team effort to pull out a win and keep the hopes of not repeating 2025 this season. The Irish have more than enough talent to win this game, and here are five keys for them to defeat Miami.

Notre Dame makes Miami’s offense one-dimensional

Part of this equation had to do with stopping Hurricanes star wide receiver Malachi Toney, but since he suffered an injury this weekend and is out an extended period of time, the job has become much easier for the Irish. Toney was by far the top receiving option for Miami, with over 650-yards than the next Hurricane in Cooper Barkate. This spat of luck for Notre Dame will help them key in on stopping both backs, Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory. Stopping the run game will by a massive key for the Irish.

CJ Carr has a monster game

We have yet to see Carr hit the 300-yard mark passing in a game, but he’s been wildly consistent. He hasn’t been as sharp as we’ve seen in the last two games, but the talent is obviously there. If Carr is about to carve up the Miami secondary, it will open up running lanes for the Notre Dame running backs. He hasn’t thrown an interception since Purdue, spanning four games. Carr will need to be at his best for the Irish to upset the Hurricanes.

Constant pressure on Miami QB Darian Mensah

Mensah is the nation’s leader in completion percentage, at 80.7%, and making him uncomfortable in the pocket is a must. Notre Dame is unsure if Francis Brewu or Jason Onye will play, as they were listed as questionable on Thursday. Regardless, the Irish can’t allow Mensah to have time to find receivers, even without Toney. Making him uncomfortable could result in some risky throws, and with how good the Notre Dame secondary is, there could be some chances at interceptions. Boubacar Traore, Bryce Young and company will have to be at their best against a very good Miami offensive line to secure a victory.

Notre Dame plays keep away by running the ball

The run game has come around, as Notre Dame has two very good options in Nolan James Jr. and Jonaz Walton with Aneyas Williams spelling them a bit. The progress needs to continue, but it won’t be an easy task. The Hurricanes have a very good defensive line led by Marquise Lightfoot, and have played stout against the run, again leading the country in rushing yards allowed-per-game. Notre Dame needs to buck that trend and run the ball efficiently to open up passing lanes for Carr.

Notre Dame plays more physical than Miami

This game will be won in the trenches, it’s going to be an all-out war from the big fellas. Both teams have lines that many schools across the country are envious about, and Notre Dame needs to come out on top in this battle. Wearing down the Hurricanes is in the Irish’s best interest, as a tired line won’t block as effectively as they can. It seems like whichever team is more physical will win this game, and hopefully that is Notre Dame.