11/07/2026 10:49:00
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11/07 22:48 CST Elija Lofton's near-catch for Miami becomes latest entry in
Canes-Irish rivalry lore
Elija Lofton's near-catch for Miami becomes latest entry in Canes-Irish rivalry
lore
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) --- For 38 years, Miami has insisted the same thing:
Cleveland Gary didn't fumble in a still-debated loss at Notre Dame.
And now, that play has some company.
Add another did-he-or-didn't-he to the lore of the rivalry between the
Hurricanes and the Fighting Irish. Miami argued that Elija Lofton caught what
would have been a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter of what became a
31-24 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night --- only to have the referees say
Lofton didn't complete the play.
"Very disappointed in the way that was called with the game on the line and
clear possession inbounds," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.
Had Lofton been credited with that catch, it would have made the score 31-30
with an extra point try pending. Miami lost the 1988 game --- the one where the
Hurricanes say Gary didn't fumble --- by that same 31-30 score. And if that
wasn't enough of an eerie coincidence, Miami entered that 1988 game ranked No.
1 in the country while Notre Dame came in ranked No. 4.
The rankings going into Saturday night: Miami No. 1, Notre Dame No. 4.
Lofton had the ball in his hands and his feet were down, which was the reason
why Miami felt it was a touchdown. But the issue was whether the catch was
completed, and Lofton had the ball knocked away by Notre Dame's Luke Talich ---
while both players ended up out of bounds.
That 1988 loss that still stings Miami because it took away a national title
shot. Gary was ruled to have fumbled near the goal line, even though Miami
argued he was down before the ball came loose and was recovered by Notre Dame.
"Robbed. We were robbed," former Miami star Randal Hill said of the Gary play.
Miami could have felt the same way on Saturday.
This one doesn't knock Miami out of title contention --- the College Football
Playoff is still very much in play for the Hurricanes. But the Lofton play, at
minimum, is one that fans will debate for a long time.
The fact that Miami had a chance at tying the game late probably surprised
some, based on how the first 35 minutes went. The Hurricanes --- playing
without injured receiver Malachi Toney --- got into a 24-3 hole in the third
quarter before their comeback push started.
Among all Football Bowl Subdivision players entering this weekend's slate of
games, Toney was second with 73 catches, tied for second with 13 touchdown
receptions and third with 1,027 receiving yards. He was widely considered to be
a Heisman Trophy contender, the most electrifying player on the most dynamic
offense in the country.
Toney was responsible for 35% of Miami's catches, 39% of its receiving yards
and 46% of its touchdown receptions in the Hurricanes' first eight games. In
his absence, Cooper Barkate caught a pair of touchdown passes and Lofton had a
TD grab as well --- but in the end, the Hurricanes were left to wonder what
might have been.
___
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