Notre Dame got a reminder on Saturday night that talent alone won’t carry CJ Carr through every spotlight moment.
The Fighting Irish quarterback still looks like a player built for the next level. That much hasn’t changed.
But against BYU, Carr turned in what might have been the roughest outing of his career, and Notre Dame paid for it in a 28-24 loss. If the Irish are going to chase a national championship, that version of Carr can’t show up again.
BYU defensive coordinator Brady Poppinga said earlier in the week that the key to slowing Carr was to confuse him and force hesitation. On the field, that plan worked. From the opening series, Carr looked uncomfortable and out of rhythm, and the mistakes came early enough to shape the whole game.
Twice, Carr had receivers wide open for what should have been easy touchdowns and badly overthrew both. He also missed a tight end in the end zone by about 10 feet on another chance to put points on the board. Even when he was moving the offense, it often came on scrambling, unconventional completions rather than the crisp, controlled throws Notre Dame has come to expect.
His overall numbers weren’t disastrous, and the Irish were still in position late, but that doesn’t erase the bigger issue: Notre Dame should not have to survive a Top 10 opponent while its quarterback struggles to this degree.
BYU got the difference-maker performance from Bear Bachmeier. He was the player who carried the Cougars, going 22 for 36 for 236 yards and a touchdown through the air while also running for 45 yards and two scores.
He even caught a touchdown pass on a trick play. After a shaky third quarter, Bachmeier helped BYU march down the field and grab a 28-24 lead with less than two minutes left.
Carr did show what Notre Dame wants from him on the final possession. He pushed the Irish down the field and kept the drive alive with several important completions.
But the same accuracy issues kept popping up when the margin tightened. A number of his throws into the end zone had almost no chance, and although his final attempt looked like it should have drawn pass interference, it still wasn’t a clean delivery.
Now the Irish are staring at a season that may come down to one game if they want to reach the College Football Playoff. Miami is next, and it’s hard to imagine Notre Dame getting past the Hurricanes if Carr performs on November 7 the way he did on October 17. Miami’s offense is even better than BYU’s, and that game has a real chance to turn into a shootout.
Carr also needs to be sharper against SMU. The encouraging part for Notre Dame is that he clearly can be better. The troubling part is that after a so-so showing in the biggest game of the season so far, he still has to prove it against the best competition.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Has An Offensive Issue Bigger Games Keep Exposing
The loss to BYU did more than end Notre Dames 16-game winning streak. It laid bare an offensive problem the Irish had been able to mask for much of the season: too many drives have stalled when the game tightens, and third down has become the clearest place where that shows up.
Notre Dames third-down conversion rate sits at No. 39 nationally, which is respectable on paper but not nearly enough for the kind of games the Irish are now playing. Earlier in the year, superior talent could cover for some of those empty possessions, but against a similarly skilled opponent, the inability to stay on the field became impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Boubacar Traore Is Giving Notre Dame Fans One Big Reason To Watch
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Anthonie Knapp also landed on On3s second team, giving Notre Dame another notable midseason recognition, but Traores selection feels like the one that really captures what has been happening on defense. The only concern for Irish fans is that Traores recent early exit raised a fresh question around his availability, and with no other Notre Dame players on the list, the spotlight on him feels even brighter as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Dominant Run Defense Faces Its Biggest Question Yet
Notre Dames run defense has been one of the defining strengths of its season, and the numbers back it up. Through seven games, the Irish rank third nationally against the run, allowing just 67.3 rushing yards per game, and they have been especially steady against Power Five opponents, holding those teams to 67.8 yards on the ground while giving up only three rushing touchdowns.
The bigger test, though, is whether that front can keep carrying the load when the opponents quarterback can hurt defenses with his legs. Recent top-ranked units have shown that stopping designed runs and scrambles from mobile passers is often the difference between a very good rush defense and a truly suffocating one, and that is the area Notre Dame still has to prove. [Read more 🡒]