Notre Dame redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr has done a lot of great things this season so far, creating more optimism for the Fighting Irish passing attack than we have seen in a very long time. All the production and stellar performances have blinded the fanbase from one key fact: Carr is still a young signal caller who is going to have some ups and downs at times. 

It was not a day to remember for Carr overall, who was pretty consistently off target during the contest from an accuracy perspective, and made several first-year starter mistakes. The Michigan native ended the day going 16 of 26 for 136 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Carr also ran the football five times for -7 yards and another score. 

While it was a very underwhelming performance from Carr, and the worst of his career so far, the rest of the Notre Dame offense was able to make up for it. The running back duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price were both sensational during this contest, especially the former. Love managed to rush for 228 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, while also hauling in another five receptions for 37 yards in the passing game. 

Price didn’t get as many opportunities on offense, but did also carry the football 13 times for 87 yards on the night himself. On top of a reception for nine yards, Price also returned his third career kickoff for a touchdown as well. No matter what was asked of him, the Texas native was up to the task. Not only is this the best running back duo in the country right now, but it’s one of the very best that the Fighting Irish have ever had.

CJ Carr improvements moving forward 

For Carr, this victory was a big one. The USC Trojans is your biggest rival, and one of the best overall rivalries in college football, so winning this game is always a great thing. This was also the first primetime victory for Carr as a starter as well, which will hopefully be the first of many in the future. 

While it was nice seeing Carr get victories over Purdue, Arkansas, Boise State, and NC State over the last four weeks, none of those wins were in high leverage situations. Notre Dame was on the losing end against Miami and Texas A&M to start the season, a pair of games that would have been labeled as a massive victory for Carr and the Irish team. A ranked win in a primetime environment still eluded them. 

It was great to see the team rally around Carr on an underwhelming night, but one thing is certain, the 6-3, 210-pound signal caller needs to be better when the next top opportunity comes. Heading into the matchup, most expected Carr to have a big day against a USC secondary that is a pretty middling group. That felt likely with how Carr has been playing recently, but that did not come to fruition. 

There is going to be a game, hopefully during a hypothetical playoff run later this season, where an opposing defense for a very good team is going to do whatever it takes to shut down the Irish run game. Head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will need to be able to depend on Carr to step up to the plate and play his best football in the biggest moment. 

With this being just his seventh career start, nobody should overreact to this performance from Carr. He was due to have a bit of a up and down game, everyone does at times. They key will be for Carr to use this upcoming bye week as a help to understand how to improve, and get back on track. If Carr’s early success has shown us anything, betting against him probably isn’t a great idea. 

It’s always a more pleasant experience to improve on things after a big victory compared to a tough loss. When the lights shine brightest next, let’s just hope that Carr is playing his best football. He isn’t going to be remembered for what he did against the Arkansas Razorbacks, but for what he was able to accomplish against the USCs of the world.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News

Notre Dame Fighting Irish finally settled a heated national debate during massive victory over the hated rival USC Trojans

A heated national debate was settled during the Notre Dame victory over USC.

Ryan Roberts