Miami loses Malachi Toney to ankle surgery before unbeaten run meets Notre Dame

Top-ranked Miami will take its 8-0 record to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday without the player who has carried the most weight in its passing game. Wide receiver Malachi Toney hurt his ankle in practice Wednesday. A person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press it is a high ankle sprain, that Toney is scheduled for surgery and that he will miss multiple weeks. NDNation reported that the latest updates rule him out against the Irish.

The Hurricanes lose a lot. According to NDNation, Toney has 73 of quarterback Darian Mensah's 188 completions, plus 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns. The next three receivers, Cooper Barkate, Daylyn Upshaw and tight end Elija Lofton, have 871 yards and eight scores between them. The AP put his share at 35 percent of Miami's catches, 39 percent of its receiving yards and 46 percent of its touchdown receptions. Toney also returned punts, and NDNation said freshman Somourian Wingo will take over that job.

There is a longer-term hope. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported that people inside the program expect Toney back for a possible College Football Playoff run. For this week, Mensah has to spread the ball around. He has completed 81 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and one interception. NDNation lists freshman Vance Spafford, who has nine catches, as Toney's backup. Brett McMurphy, as cited by On3, said Upshaw or senior Vandrevius Jacobs could move into the slot. Coach Mario Cristobal spent the week waving off talk about the rivalry. He told reporters, in remarks carried by NDNation, that none of the people making predictions "can block anybody, throw a ball, catch a ball."

What it means for Saturday at Notre Dame

Miami comes in averaging 47.6 points across eight wins, but its defense has given up more lately. It survived 38-35 at North Carolina last week, a game after a 43-35 win over Florida State, and has allowed 93 points over its last three games after allowing 49 in the first five combined. Notre Dame is 7-1 and No. 11 in the playoff committee's rankings, so a second loss would likely end its playoff hopes. The Irish have injury problems of their own. NDNation reported that defensive linemen Francis Brewu and Jason Onye, linebacker Drayk Bowen, cornerback DJ McKinney and safety Brauntae Johnson are all unavailable. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on NBC.

The board treats the unbeaten team as the underdog. Notre Dame is favored by 7.5 points. On Novig, Notre Dame is -251 on the moneyline and Miami is +239. Hard Rock Bet has the best Miami price, at +240, so the 12 venues are almost level on that side. Sportsbook hold on the moneyline runs from 3.5 to 5.6 percent. On the spread, Novig lists Miami +7.5 at -111 and Notre Dame -7.5 at +108. The total sits at 54.5 on Novig, with the over at -104 and the under at -102. FanDuel's under at 55.5 is the best number on that side, at -115. Full prices are on the game page.