Mario Cristobal didn’t wait until Saturday to get a read on CJ Carr. He saw the Notre Dame quarterback up close last season, and that first impression has only grown stronger as he’s watched the film this week.
Cristobal met with reporters ahead of the Notre Dame game and had nothing but praise for Carr, who made his first career college start in last season’s opener against Miami. Even with the Hurricanes coming away with the win, Cristobal’s takeaway was clear: “Notre Dame has itself a quarterback.”
The Miami coach said the early version of Carr already looked like a player headed for something bigger.
“Well, right away you saw in that game that he was on his way to being an elite player. And by the second half, he was doing elite things. So, he’s a guy that continues, has continued to develop as a passer, as a runner, a guy that has complete control of the offense.”
Cristobal didn’t stop there. He pointed to Carr’s accuracy, command and feel for the game, along with the way he handles pressure and keeps Notre Dame on schedule.
“Very accurate. Gets them in the right plays, understands where pressure is coming from, understands where he’s protected, where he’s not protected, gets them in the right run game stuff, extends plays, hurts you with his feet. I mean, he’s become the complete quarterback and arguably one of the best players in college.”
Some of that is standard coach praise, of course. No opposing coach is going to walk into a weekly media session and unload on the other team’s quarterback. But Cristobal’s comments also line up with the kind of growth scouts have been tracking with Carr.
Saturday gives Carr another chance to prove he can bring that same level against Miami that he’s shown against lesser opponents. Notre Dame saw a stronger version of him in the second half of that Miami game than it did early on. He just didn’t get the same opportunity to show it in the second half of the BYU game.
In Other News...
Jason Sudeikis Brings A Personal Notre Dame Twist To Miami Showdown
Saturdays Notre Dame-Miami matchup is getting the full College GameDay treatment, and ESPN is leaning into a guest picker with a real personal tie to the Irish. Jason Sudeikis will join the show for Week 9, bringing a connection to Notre Dame that goes beyond celebrity status and into family history.
Sudeikis attended Fort Scott Community College and did not play basketball there, but his bond with Notre Dame runs through his grandfather and a long-running affinity for the program. He also was in the building for the 1988 Notre Dame-Miami clash known as Catholics vs. Convicts, which gives this weekends return trip to the rivalry a fitting bit of extra texture. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Carr Faces The Notre Dame Moment That Could Change Everything
CJ Carr has already put his name in the Notre Dame record book, but the one thing still missing is the kind of win that changes how a quarterback is remembered. He has played well in big spots, yet the Irish have come up short in all three of his starts against Top 10 opponents, a stretch shaped in part by defensive breakdowns that left little margin for error. Now comes No. 1 Miami, the sort of stage that can turn a promising run into something much bigger.
For Carr, the matchup also arrives with a familiar wrinkle: Notre Dames offense has been asked to stay cautious this season, and that approach has kept his passing numbers from fully taking off. Still, this is the kind of game where the conversation can shift quickly, especially if the Irish can finally pair his individual production with a result that matches it. A defining victory is sitting right there, and the pressure around it is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Miami
Notre Dames defense is heading into its toughest assignment of the season with more questions than answers. Injuries and uneven play have left the unit searching for stability, and the timing could hardly be worse with Miami bringing the top-ranked scoring offense into the matchup. For a group that has already had trouble generating consistent pressure and finishing drives, this is the kind of game that quickly exposes every soft spot.
The challenge now falls to the coaching staff to piece together a plan that can slow down a high-powered attack while working around key players who are hurt or limited. Notre Dame will need a better pass rush and a sharper ability to get off the field in key moments, because against Miami, long defensive lapses can turn into points in a hurry. The Irish do not need perfection, but they do need a cleaner, more urgent version of the defense they have been trying to find. [Read more 🡒]