The Irish hold high expectations this season. There has not been a game where someone has not asked about or mentioned the College Football Playoff. I felt worried about the season after watching the first two performances against Miami and Texas A&M, but after watching two straight strong bounce-back games from the Irish, I feel stronger about what will happen going forward in the season. The main thing that has contributed to this success is the offense.
As I wrote in a previous article in regard to the offense, “It has performed well, but does not have the same identity as when it was anchored by former quarterback Riley Leonard.”
I take back what I said.
Head coach Marcus Freeman said in the weekly press conference, “There was a lot of good in all three phases, improvement from week three to week four for our program.” That quote is extremely true. He also mentioned the new offensive line and defense, saying, “It’s a reflection of younger guys on defense and offense just improving with experience, improving with time. It’s a reflection of the guys understanding what they’re being asked to do.”
Freshman quarterback CJ Carr, who now anchors the new Irish offense, has the ability to step in for Riley Leonard and give this team an identity. A different one, maybe, but a strong one nonetheless. The Saline, Michigan native has a total of 1,091 passing yards and 272.8 yards gained so far this season through four games. More notably, he broke records this past weekend against Arkansas with a career-high of 354 yards. He has garnered praise from the national media as well as his teammates.
“I see a lot of greatness in CJ,” junior running back Jeremiyah Love said. “CJ is one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football.”
Two strong players join Carr in the backfield, junior running back duo Love and Jadarian Price. Carr recognizes them as two players who are essential to the team’s success.
“It’s easy when you have Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price and the best O-line in the country,” Carr said. “It just takes all the pressure off my shoulders.”
Freeman also commented on the offense and its promising improvement.
“Our offense is explosive,” Freeman said. “They’re getting big plays. They’re able to control the clock, control the line of scrimmage, and that’s detrimental to a defense.”
Both running backs have risen to the attention of the national media as well, as they have contributed so much to the Irish offense. Love, known for his explosive speed and ability to hurdle over an opposing team’s defender, currently has a total of 341 rushing yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Love has lived in the end zone as well, adding five rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns. Price joins Love with impressive statistics of his own. In 2025, Price has a total of 273 rushing yards, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, to go with a total of six rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown.
Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider commented on their incredibly high ceiling.
“The sky’s the limit, we [are] still progressing ... we adapted and I think there’s a lot of room for growth.”
As I mentioned previously, I was wrong about the Notre Dame offense. Should they continue to keep their momentum going, utilizing the two running backs and unlocking the passing game, the Irish should be able to win out this season.
Now 2-2 after the 0-2 start, Notre Dame will look to keep its winning streak alive this Saturday against Boise State, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.
