Freshman Tommy Rees passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns to Michael Floyd on 15-of-29 completions as Notre Dame rolled to a 33-17 victory over Miami-Florida in the first matchup between these former powerhouses in 20 years, at the Sun Bowl.
Floyd finished with 108 yards on six receptions for the Irish (8-5), who earned their second bowl victory in three seasons and finished the year with four straight victories.
Robert Hughes added 84 yards on 27 carries, Cierre Wood also rushed for 84 yards, including a 34-yard score, and the Notre Dame defense recorded four interceptions during the victory.
Stephen Morris subbed for the ineffective Jacory Harris and went 22-of-34 for 281 yards and two scores for the Hurricanes (7-6), who have not won a bowl game since 2006 and dropped three in a row to end their season.
Harris had a dismal first half, going 4-of-7 for 37 yards and was picked off three times.
Leonard Hankerson posted 66 yards and a TD reception on six grabs, while Tommy Streeter added a 42-yard touchdown catch in defeat. He was given an unexpected jolt on the game's final play, when he lost traction beyond the back of the end zone and collided with a retaining wall when unable to stop.