Elija Lofton's near-catch for Miami becomes latest entry in Canes-Irish rivalry lore

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.

“They negated Elija Lofton's touchdown with two hands on the ball and two feet inbounds,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “Like we told our team before we left Miami, do not leave it in the hands of the officials. ... Congratulations to Notre Dame for winning the game, but very disappointed in the way that was called with the game on the line and clear possession of a football inbounds.”

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.

“I thought it was a touchdown,” Miami quarterback Darian Mensah said.

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.

“I felt like he didn't have control of it,” Talich said. “I was glad. I was super pumped-up when they upheld it.”

Rules analyst Terry McAulay, speaking on the NBC broadcast of the game, said he felt officials adjudicated the play correctly and that Lofton didn't have total control.

“You see him bobble it just a little bit before the ball gets knocked out,” McAulay said. “It's incomplete.”

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.

“I was celebrating,” Mensah said. "I thought it was a touchdown."

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