Notre Dame’s season opener didn’t need a gaudy stat line to leave Gino Guidugli impressed.
CJ Carr threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, and while that number may not jump off the page for everyone, his quarterback coach saw plenty to like in the way he handled the moment. Guidugli pointed to Carr’s poise, leadership and command in a disciplined win over the Badgers.
“He's aggressive by nature and he wants to throw the ball down the field,” Guidugli explained. “He wants to force the ball in the tight windows.
There's not a throw that he doesn't think that he can't make, and that was one of the objectives going into the game. It's like, ‘Hey, they're going to play high in coverage.
Hey, they're going to close the middle of the field. We have got to be willing and be patient enough to continue to take the checkdowns.
“If we do that enough, eventually they're going to get tired of giving that up, and the shot play is going to come,” Guidugli continued. “I thought he adhered to that really great and put our offense in a great situation. I think at the end of the day, when you look back at the first half and the drives that we got stopped, it was more self-inflicted than it was anything that Wisconsin necessarily did.”
Carr entered the year carrying a heavy spotlight. He’s been listed by multiple outlets as a preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy, labeled a top 2027 NFL Draft prospect and placed on every preseason passing awards watch list in college football. But Guidugli said the work Carr did before the game mattered just as much as what showed up on the field.
The coach singled out Carr’s handling of the team’s “unscripted” period in practice leading into the Wisconsin game, saying the Saline, Michigan native separated himself in that area.
“Sometimes going fast eliminates some of those things where you don't have time necessarily to adjust the protections,” Guidugli shared. “You're just snapping the ball and you're just playing off what you see. I think we're always at our best when we give him time to evaluate the defense and get us in the right protection call and get us into the right route or the right run call based on the look because he's damn good at it.”
For Guidugli, the biggest takeaway wasn’t just what Carr can do with the ball in his hands. It was how he handled the flow of the game when things got messy.
“I thought his clock management was great,” Guidugli stated. “There were a couple times when the clock was going down and the call came in late or the headset cut off.
I thought he managed those situations great. I thought that, after the first series, he responded pretty well.
You get the sack and the fumble - He's not getting rattled. I was just happy.”
Notre Dame still has 11 games left in the regular season, and if Carr’s first outing is any indication, there could be plenty more big performances ahead. Guidugli, though, doesn’t sound surprised.
In Other News...
Jadarian Price Already Gave Seahawks Fans A Frustrating First Question
Jadarian Prices first NFL game gave the Seahawks something to think about right away. The rookie running back handled 10 carries for 52 yards and added 2 catches for 6 yards, and by Pro Football Focus grading he stacked up better than teammates George Holani and Emmanuel Wilson. Still, Seattle kept its backfield workload spread around, with Price playing 24 snaps, Holani 23 and Wilson 3 in a rotation that never really let anyone settle in.
What stood out most was how the usage changed as the game went on. Price saw fewer second-half carries than his early work might have suggested, and he was not used on third downs or in short-yardage spots, the kind of situations that usually tell you what a coaching staff really thinks of a rookie back. For a player who looked efficient in his debut, that split raises the first real question of his NFL role, and it may not be an easy one to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame's Right Guard Battle Just Took A Turn
Notre Dames offensive line looked far sturdier after halftime in its recent game, and the change showed up most clearly on the ground. Sullivan Absher helped lead the rushing surge, while left guard Anthonie Knapp continued to stand out with the kind of steadiness and experience the Irish have come to lean on up front.
Marcus Freeman said the unit made adjustments as the game went on, and those late improvements also put a spotlight on the right guard competition. Absher and Styles Prescod are still battling for that spot, and the way Notre Dame finished in the run game only adds another layer to a job that appears far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Suddenly Faces An Early Test Of Its Depth
Notre Dames defense was forced to absorb an early hit in the first half when Brauntae Johnson and Jason Onye went down with injuries, a setback that quickly shifted attention from the scoreboard to the roster behind them. Marcus Freeman said both players are expected to miss a few weeks, and Johnson was seen returning in a walking boot, a reminder of how thin the margin can be even this early in the season.
For now, the Irish will lean on Luke Talich along with transfers Francis Brewu and Tionne Gray to help steady those spots and keep the rotation intact. The encouraging part for Notre Dame is that Freeman still expects both injured defenders back later in the year, but the next stretch will say a lot about how well the depth has been built to handle a real test. [Read more 🡒]