When Steve Angeli left through the transfer portal back in April, the choice of Notre Dame’s next starting quarterback seemed like a formality. The combination of junior Kenny Minchey’s play in fall camp and concerns about how ready freshman CJ Carr really was to take the reins made that decision more complicated. Just over a week before a daunting home opener on the road against Miami, head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff put their full faith in the freshman. Through four games, Carr hasn’t just proven them right. He has given the Irish a whole new ceiling.
Nobody was thinking about the College Football Playoff after Notre Dame lost their first two games by a combined four points and stumbled to an unconvincing victory against Purdue. A team that was built on defense in the first three years of the Freeman era looked shaky ranking outside the top 100 in many statistics. The first three weeks of games led many fans to think every game would need to be won down the stretch in a shootout. But Saturday’s 56-13 stomping against Arkansas in Fayetteville, a game flagged by many as a potential slip-up spot, presented a pretty compelling case that they could do just that. Carr was at the heart of it.
“There’s very few people that you come in contact with that are blessed with that leadership, competitive trait. I’m talking like not normal,” Freeman said about Carr. “It’s more important for us to win than it is for him to play well. That’s his mindset. He’s so competitive. I want to do whatever it takes to make sure this offense performs well and we win.”
He put that trait on display in Notre Dame’s relentless offensive display. With Carr at the controls, the Irish totaled 641 yards of total offense at 8.9 yards per play while scoring on eight of their 10 drives. Arkansas was left desperate and dejected, playing much of the second half inside a half-empty Razorback Stadium. He never took his foot off the gas, putting together a near-perfect quarterbacking performance. The first-year starter eclipsed 300 yards while throwing four touchdowns, matching the freshman record. In his eyes, though, there was still more he and the offense had to give.
“There are still three or four balls left on the table that we could come down with and that I could make better throws on,” Carr said. “It can be even more than what we showed.”
At this level, he is on pace to blow the program’s best single-season mark for pass efficiency out of the water. That is the kind of play that can make a good team great. But, still, he sees potential for more, a testament to the competitive drive his head coach cited.
Because of his hunger to win at all costs, Carr also knows his place in the offense. He doesn’t have to do it all, not even close. The running back duo of juniors Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price reminded the nation why they are among the best backfields in the country, if not the best. They shared 27 carries for 143 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. But while the offense will continue to be built on the run, Carr and this talented wide receiver room can add a layer that fans haven’t seen in years.
Speaking of the pass-catchers, almost all of them got involved on Saturday. The Irish had eight different players with a reception, four of them hauling in three or more.
“It’s unbelievable,” Carr said when asked about the receiving talent around him. “Anywhere you look, there’s guys that will win one-on-one matchups.”
Junior Jordan Faison led the way with seven catches for 89 yards, while Carr continued to strengthen his connection with graduate transfer Malachi Fields, who brought in three for 72. Will Pauling’s three catches for 53 yards were his best marks of the season as well. The air raid is not often associated with a Notre Dame offense. That could change this season.
Now sitting at 2-2 on the season, a win like this one makes the first two losses all the more frustrating. Notre Dame has lots of work to do if it wants to run the table and sneak into the 12-team field come December. One thing is certain: Carr’s confidence in their ability to do so will be unwavering.
“It’s kind of not something I really think about, to be honest with you,” Carr said when asked about his competitive streak. “I feel like growing up, we were never playing with toys or doing things like that. We were always just competing with each other, my dad and I, my brothers. And so it’s just kind of part of who I am, I guess.”
This is who he is. That personality should inspire confidence in Irish faithful. There is no doubt that Carr will rise to the moment.
“It’s my first SEC opponent game, and coming down here, the atmosphere is electric,” Carr said. “The fans were going in those first few drives. It was also really good to quiet them, and after a while the stands started to go away.”
A rare smile crept onto his face as he finished his sentence. Recalling the hostile environment in Fayetteville and how his team tamed it brought him evident joy. His calm, unflappable demeanor speaks volumes about the belief he possesses, both in himself and his team. It’s the kind of belief that makes everything still feel possible. With Carr at quarterback, it just might be.
