Notre Dame vs. Miami: One fatal flaw could decide everything

It's safe to say the College Football Playoff selection committee isn't thrilled with what Notre Dame has done this season.

They knocked the Irish down to No. 11, seven spots lower than the AP poll, this week. That sent a strong message that Notre Dame still has to earn their full trust.

The perfect opportunity comes as the Week 10 college football games kick off. The Fighting Irish will host No. 1 ranked Miami in a clash of the titans under the lights.

Not having Malachi Toney on the field is already one major edge in Notre Dame's favor. The star Miami wideout is dealing with a new ankle injury that will sideline him. Not that it's stopping the Irish from preparing for him anyway.

But there's one other major flaw in this matchup the Golden Domers can exploit.

The biggest flaw one team can exploit is Miami's vulnerability in pass coverage, which Notre Dame can attack with quarterback CJ Carr and its receiving corps.

For all the Hurricanes do well, defending the pass isn't one of them. They rank just 121st among 138 FBS teams by allowing 252 yards in the air per game.

Miami allowed 341 air yards and earned a rock-bottom 30.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, their lowest mark in 12 years, after a narrow win at North Carolina.

While the Canes boast one of the nation's best run-stops, opposing teams have pivoted heavily to short, quick perimeter passes to neutralize their front seven. Miami has also struggled finishing tackles, missing more than a dozen against UNC.

Notre Dame has been efficient putting the ball in the air this season. It has just one interception, covers more than 8 yards per pass, and hits 67 percent of its passes.

The Irish passing offense should attack with:

Quick passes: Use slants, crossing routes and short outs to get receivers into space.

Tempo: Prevent Miami from comfortably substituting and disguising coverages.

Yards after catch: Make Miami's defensive backs tackle in space rather than simply defend the initial throw.

Carr has struggled with deep-ball accuracy recently, completing just 4 of 24 passes traveling at least 15 air yards over his last two games.

Notre Dame will need to emphasize rhythm throws and easy completions rather than relying on low-percentage deep shots.

The key matchup: Can Miami's secondary hold up against Notre Dame's short and intermediate passing game?

If it can't, Notre Dame will have to sustain long drives and keep Miami's explosive offense off the field.