Noah Cahill
Like in 2024, the Irish open the season with a massive test in a hostile environment. Last year, it was the towering Kyle Field in College Station. This year, it will be an electric Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Also similar to last season, with an offensive line that shared only six starts between them, Notre Dame has a big question to answer on offense: how will sophomore CJ Carr fare in his first-ever start? After winning a hard-fought competition with junior Kenny Minchey in the offseason, Carr will lead offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s offense against the Hurricanes. However, I don’t see his lack of experience mattering that much.
For as big a storyline as the quarterback competition was, and rightfully so, I don’t see Denbrock’s game plan changing much in this game. Neither Carr nor Minchey would have been asked to do much in week one. Protect the ball and let arguably the most exciting player in college football, junior running back Jeremiyah Love, do his thing. In addition to Love, Carr will be propped up by a far more battle-tested offensive line and one of the most promising wide receiver corps Notre Dame has fielded in years. The game, however, will be won on the other side of the ball. The Irish defense should be among the nation’s best once again in 2025. Between the loaded linebacking core, explosive rushers off the edge and lockdown secondary, defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s unit will raise hell for Miami transfer quarterback Carson Beck. The former Bulldog, who historically struggles to protect the ball, will be throwing at the likes of sophomores Leonard Moore and Adon Shuler while sophomores Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young are bearing down on him.
I see the Irish capitalizing on turnovers and doing enough on offense to earn a comfortable one-score victory.
Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Miami 17
Chris Dailey
It’s the first game of the season. There will be rust, there will be mistakes and perhaps most importantly, there will be a palpable sense of energy at Hard Rock Stadium. With the weather forecast showing signs of showers in the greater Miami area, whoever is going to win this game will do so by pounding the rock. There isn’t a team in the country with a running back room as deep as Notre Dame's. Complimented by one of the best defenses in the land, the Irish should do just fine slowing down the motor of Miami’s offense, running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and transfer quarterback Carson Beck. It may be a slow game for the neutral observer, but head coach Marcus Freeman won’t mind. Notre Dame should win this defensive battle thanks to the extra oomph of junior Jeremiyah Love and senior Jadarian Price in their star-studded backfield.
Prediction: Notre Dame 17, Miami 10
Ben Hicks
Week one tests have become a staple of head coach Marcus Freeman’s tenure at Notre Dame. They fell in Columbus to his alma mater, Ohio State, in his first year, trounced Navy across the Atlantic Ocean in year two and went into College Station to capture a thrilling victory a year ago. Opening the season in Miami Gardens against Miami not only continues that trend, but also presents an opportunity for the Irish to better the Hurricanes in South Florida for the first time since their 1977 National Championship season.
Winning on the road in college football is never easy. That task is only exacerbated by trotting out a first-time starting quarterback into a hostile rivalry environment. So how could Notre Dame win this game? Although Miami is much more experienced at the game’s most important position, the Irish have the better head coach and possess the game’s most explosive player on either side of the ball in junior running back Jeremiyah Love. Sophomore CJ Carr doesn’t have to be great; he may not even have to be good. Taking care of the ball and letting the backfield work will be enough on offense. If defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s defense can pick up where they left off a year ago and create turnovers, Notre Dame will be in a favorable position to pick up an early top-10 triumph.
Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Miami 20
Henry Lytle
This week one road matchup between the No. 6-ranked Irish and the No. 10-ranked Hurricanes may very well be the toughest game on Notre Dame's schedule in 2025. Between a talented Miami offense returning transfer quarterback Carson Beck, one of the most experienced quarterbacks in college football, an improving Miami defense under new coordinator Corey Hetherman and a road environment fueled by the historic rivalry, the Irish will have their work cut out for them. That said, I still give the edge to Notre Dame.
The Irish have the advantage in two key defensive metrics from 2024: forced turnovers and scoring defense, where Notre Dame was first and fifth in the country, respectively. While they lost notable contributors to the draft, they return multiple edge rushers in sophomore Boubacar Traore and graduate Jordan Botelho, who both suffered season-ending injuries last season, to help bolster the front against the run. Sophomore Bryce Young should also feature heavily in the rotation after flashing his immense talent during a strong freshman campaign.
Miami’s strongest defensive asset is its front seven, especially when facing the run. I think the Irish will be forced to throw the ball downfield, but with a talent mismatch at receiver, specifically junior Jaden Greathouse and six-foot-four graduate transfer Malachi Fields, there will be too many playmakers for the Miami defense to contain. The defense will give Beck and the Miami rushing attack too much trouble, allowing sophomore quarterback CJ Carr to make mistakes in his first start while still leaving with the victory.
Prediction: Notre Dame 27, Miami 20
Tyler Reidy
This won’t be an easy one for the Irish. Hard Rock Stadium almost never fills up for college football, but when it does, it gets loud. Notre Dame learned that the hard way in 2017, the last time the Irish and Hurricanes met (also each as top 10 teams). Weather conditions could also be suspect, and you know about Notre Dame’s severe disadvantage in experience at quarterback.
However, outside of quarterback, running back, offensive line and defensive end, I’m not seeing any proven positional groups on the Miami side. Carson Beck might have more big-game experience than any other quarterback out there, but none of his pass-catchers exceeded 500 receiving yards last season. Can he find rhythm with them, and will they get open against Notre Dame’s perpetually loaded secondary? Additionally, even though sophomore CJ Carr is a first-time starter at quarterback for Notre Dame, he’s not going up against a sure thing of a secondary. Miami’s defensive back room features a patchwork of transfers who have plenty to prove in their own right.
All in all, I view Notre Dame’s roster as more reliable than Miami’s across the board. And as we saw in several big games last year, Notre Dame’s talent and excellence in other areas can lead the way during a mediocre performance from the quarterback. Was Riley Leonard anything special against Texas A&M, Indiana, Georgia or Penn State last year? No, but returning studs like junior Jeremiyah Love and senior Jadarian Price in the backfield, sophomore safety Adon Shuler and junior defensive back Christian Gray were, guiding the Irish to victory in all of those games. If other position groups can step up and take the pressure off of Carr, Notre Dame should win this game comfortably in the end, and I believe it will.
Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Miami 17
Claire Watson
No. 6-ranked Notre Dame is set to face off against the Miami Hurricanes this Sunday. But, despite many doubts about Notre Dame's prospects on the road with a first-time starter at quarterback, I feel the Irish have the upper hand. After a trip to the College Football Playoff last season, they return a roster with big-game experience against a Miami team that came up short in 2024.
Among them, junior running back Jeremiyah Love and junior wide receiver Jaden Greathouse return to a strong Irish offense after making a massive impact, especially toward the end of the season and into the CFP. Junior wide receiver Jordan Faison joins Love and Greathouse as a key returning contributor. The three of them combined for 24 touchdowns in 2024, with Love leading the way with 19.
While the talent on offense is exciting, one of the biggest questions remains: Can sophomore quarterback CJ Carr replace Riley Leonard at the helm? Trotting out a young quarterback starting in his first game could give Miami an opening. However, I still see Notre Dame having enough to eke out the road victory.
Prediction: Notre Dame 21, Miami 14
