Notre Dame, No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings, beat No. 1 Miami 31-24 in South Bend on Saturday night. It was Miami's first loss of the season. Miami trailed by seven with under four minutes left. It was fourth-and-6 at the Notre Dame 18. Quarterback Darian Mensah threw to tight end Elija Lofton in the corner of the end zone. Lofton appeared to get both hands on the ball and both feet down. Then Notre Dame safety Luke Talich knocked it loose as Lofton went out of bounds. The ACC officiating crew ruled the pass incomplete, and replay upheld the call. If the touchdown had counted, Miami could have tied the game with the extra point. NCAA rules say a receiver has to hold the ball long enough to do something players normally do, like run with it. Fans split over the call.

Lofton Caught It, and the Officials Got It Wrong

Miami and plenty of broadcasters say Lofton caught it and the officials took the game away.

Miami's coach says Lofton caught it. "Really, really disappointed that they negated Elija Lofton's touchdown with two hands on the ball and two feet in bounds," Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said after the game. He also used an expletive to describe the call.

The officials didn't tell him why. Cristobal said the officials gave him "zero" explanation. As of Sunday, the ACC hadn't commented publicly.

Plenty of broadcasters saw a catch too. Former Ohio State running back Beanie Wells said on CBS Sports HQ that "this is absolutely a catch" and that the game "should be going to overtime." ESPN anchor Kevin Negandhi posted that he still didn't know "how that wasn't a TD catch for Miami."

Some say the rule doesn't match what they saw. Broadcaster Jen Lada put it this way on X: "'An act common to the game' is feuding with my eyeballs."

But the Officials Got the Call Right

Former referees say Lofton never held the ball long enough to make it a catch.

Lofton never finished the catch. NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, a former NFL referee, said Lofton bobbled the ball before Talich knocked it out. "He does not have the ball long enough to perform an act common to the game," McAulay said.

The catch rule works the same in the end zone. Former NFL referee Gene Steratore said in a CBS Sports breakdown that completing a catch works "the same in the end zone as it is in the field of play." "If you watch this play in real time, it's an incomplete pass," he said. "It's too quick."

Still, Miami Lost This Game Before the Last Drive

Miami's own quarterback says the team can't leave a game in the officials' hands.

Miami fell behind by 21 points. The Hurricanes scored three points in the first half and trailed 24-3 early in the third quarter. Mensah threw for 49 yards before halftime. Miami also played without star receiver Malachi Toney, who's out with an ankle injury.

Cristobal warned his players about this. Before the team left Miami, he told them, "Do not leave it in the hands of the officials." Mensah said the same thing after the game: "Can't leave it in the hands of the officials. I've gotta play better."

Where This Lands

Cristobal says Lofton had two hands on the ball and two feet in bounds, and plenty of broadcasters agree. Two former NFL referees say Lofton never held the ball long enough, so the call was right. Miami fell behind 24-3, and Mensah says the team can't leave games in the officials' hands. As of Sunday, the ACC hadn't explained the ruling publicly.

Sources