Marcus Freeman ‘s Notre Dame opened 2025 on fire. A hostile Hard Rock Stadium. A top-10 Miami squad. And the revival of the storied Catholics vs. Convicts rivalry. Well, the last trip here? A 41-8 nightmare in 2017. But this time, it was different. A slugfest. A game of swings. The Irish went toe-to-toe until the final minutes, but the Hurricanes won the battle where it mattered most; the trenches. Following that, Miami edged it 27-24. But for Irish, the four-man rush never broke through. And the run game never hit its stride. So, the Irish left South Florida with more questions than answers. Now, the Irish may have dropped the season opener in Miami, but they scored big off the field, setting a new viewership record.

Look, “ Culture war ” might sound worn out today. But back then? N

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