‘He’s got a lucky clover in his back pocket’ – Notre Dame QB CJ Carr unveils what makes an emerging Fighting Irish star so special
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr had a historic day against the Arkansas Razorbacks. He owes a lot of his success to an emerging Fighting Irish star.
The Notre Dame offense just turned in one of their most impressive performances in recent memory against the Arkansas Razorbacks this past weekend. During the team’s 56 to 13 victory, it felt like the offense could do no wrong. Mike Denbrock’s group continues to get better and better each week, and it feels like they have barely tapped into their ceiling so far.
In that offensive performance, which included 641 total yards and eight touchdowns as a team, redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr once again stole the show. On the day, Carr completed 22 of 30 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-3, 210-pound signal callers appeared cool, calm, and confident throughout the contest on his way to an elite performance.
Following the victory, Carr was made available for the Fighting Irish media. He was asked about his relationship and connection with junior wide receiver Jordan Faison. The 5-10, 183-pound pass catcher has become a go to weapon for Carr, and he has been making a ton of plays for the Fighting Irish through four games, including against Arkansas.
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Notre Dame answered some major questions against the Arkansas Razorbacks. There was none bigger than on the offensive side of the football.
“I don’t even know,” Carr commented on Faison’s improvement as a player. “He’s improved for sure but I feel like we’ve always had that faith in him that he can be a guy we go to at any point. I describe him in the quarterback room like he’s got a lucky clover in his back pocket every time because he’s in the right place. He’s always doing what he should do. When you get the ball in his hands, the body control to make a guy miss. He’s always falling forward. It’s just Mr. Consistent.”
A special connection
Whatever that luck, skill, or combination of the two is, Carr has clearly found comfort when throwing to Faison. During the game against the Razorbacks, Faison was able to haul in seven receptions for 89 yards, and both were team highs on the day for the Irish. Of those seven receptions for Faison, six of them went for first downs. That is about as efficient as you are going to find.
While Malachi Fields leads Notre Dame in receiving yards with 275 currently, Faison isn’t far behind with 244 yards. The latter also leads the team in receptions with 19, and has scored two touchdowns. You can even throw in the fact that Faison completed his only pass of the day for 40 yards on a fake punt. He is quickly becoming a fan favorite for the all-around game he possesses.
Trust between a quarterback and a wide receiver is so important, especially for a younger signal caller. Faison has become the top pass catcher for Carr, and is doing the most with his opportunities. Seeing Faison fully healthy has been a welcomed sight for Irish fans. The lacrosse star is becoming the consistent playmaker that this offense has needed for a couple of years.
It has been a long time since Irish fans have been this pumped about a Notre Dame offense, especially the passing game. The emergence of Carr has been the big reason, but you can’t discount what Faison and the fellow wide receivers are also doing. One can’t be great without the other.
