There was a lot not to like about how the Notre Dame football team played on Sunday night against the Miami Hurricanes. However, there was one thing to really like about the offense and what it means for the rest of the season. CJ Carr looks exactly like the young quarterback Marcus Freeman and Co. said he was. Even after some early struggles, he rose to the occasion, especially in the second half, and his head coach certainly noticed.
"His ceiling is so high," Freeman said of Carr after the game. "He's going to have to take this loss and not let it eat at him too much. He's a gamer. He performs when the lights are on. He prepares his tail off. He's going to do great things. It's just the start for him."
Marcus Freeman praises CJ Carr’s poise after Notre Dame football loss to Miami
The Notre Dame head coach pointed out one play in particular that convinced him that his redshirt freshman quarterback has got the "it" factor. It came in the second quarter.
The Irish had the ball on the Miami 7-yard line down 7-0, and the Blue and Gold were hoping to come away with a score. He dropped back to pass, felt the pressure, and started running backwards about two dozen yards. He then reversed course and fired a no-look pass to the back of the end zone for a score.
"Throw it away! Throw it away! Throw it away!" Freeman recalled repeating in his head during the play after the game. "I couldn't see exactly what was going on. I watched him spin out. And usually when you're feeling pressure it's like, 'Throw the ball the away! Don't throw the ball across our body! He kept his eyes down field and made a play."
Carr finished the game completing 19-of-30 passes for 221 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also carried the ball 11 times for 16 yards and another score.
There were things to improve on for the young quarterback, especially his decision-making in RPOs. However, the Notre Dame football team's coaching staff came away impressed and hopeful for the rest of the season.