Notre Dame has a long history of standout quarterbacks, and freshman CJ Carr is already giving fans reason to believe he could be the next big name. The redshirt freshman made his college debut Sunday night in a tough 27-24 loss to No. 10 Miami, and he looked every bit like a starter in the making.
Carr entered the season with plenty of question marks after replacing Riley Leonard, who had powered Notre Dame all the way to last year’s national championship game. Leonard’s mix of experience and athleticism was always going to be tough to follow. But Carr wasted little time showing he has his own tools to work with.
CJ Carr’s debut stats
Final score: Miami 27, Notre Dame 24
- Comp/Att: 19/30
- Passing yards: 209
- Passing touchdowns: 2
- Interceptions: 1
- Carries: 11
- Rushing yards: 16
- Rushing touchdowns: 1
Carr accounted for three touchdowns against one of the best defenses in the country. He threw two scores and added another on the ground, keeping the Irish in the game until the very end. Two of his touchdown drives came in the fourth quarter, tying the game before Miami pulled ahead for good.
It wasn’t flawless. Carr threw an interception and took a costly intentional grounding and sack on back-to-back plays that sealed Notre Dame’s fate. Still, his composure and ability to move the offense stood out.
Key moments
In the second quarter, Carr scrambled away from Miami’s rush and delivered a strike to Micah Gilbert, giving both players their first career touchdown. He later connected with Jordan Faison in the fourth quarter after dodging more pressure from the Hurricanes’ defensive front.
Not everything went right. A tipped screen pass landed in the hands of Miami’s Ruben Bain Jr., setting up a field goal for the Hurricanes. But Carr bounced back immediately, leading Notre Dame on two more scoring drives that kept the Irish alive late.
Notre Dame ultimately came up short, but Carr’s debut showed flashes of the kind of quarterback he could become. If Sunday night is any indication, Marcus Freeman’s team may have found its next offensive leader.
