Now that Nick Saban is done coaching, he rarely holds back on his opinions about all sorts of college football topics. His most recent comments about Notre Dame and its offense, led by quarterback CJ Carr, were certainly blunt. Now that everyone knows what the Hall of Famer thinks, it's time for Carr to go out and get things done right.
"Notre Dame hasn't been able to put it together in big games," Saban said during a recent podcast appearance. "They got guys wide (expletive) open in the BYU game and hell, I can throw it to them. If a guy is open by 10 yards, you don't have to make a perfect pass. Just get the ball to them."
Saban might have talked about the "Notre Dame offense," but it's not remotely hard to see he's really talking about Carr. In defense of the ESPN analyst, he's not the only one questioning Carr's performance in big games. Nor is he entirely wrong.
Carr has gotten a reputation as someone who simply struggles when he's facing off against top-20 teams. Against BYU specifically, he completed just 27 of 49 pass attempts and didn't throw a touchdown pass.
CJ Carr gets chance to silence Nick Saban criticism in Notre Dame football showdown with Miami
Against Miami, in his first-ever collegiate start, Carr struggled in the first half, but he actually came on in the second half, completing 19 of 30 passes for 221 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. That's one reason why Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal has a ton of respect for what Carr can do.
The issue is that Carr can be one of the most accurate passers in the sport when he's on, but when he's off, he's very, very off. Even in games the Irish have won, such as the North Carolina game, there have been times when his accuracy and decision-making simply haven't looked as sharp.
It's the decision-making, more than anything, that Saban has an issue with. Carr should take that to heart. Instead of looking for the home run ball against Miami on Saturday night, the Notre Dame star has to take what the Hurricanes' defense is giving him. If he has to dink and dunk it down the field, then so be it.
Carr has the accuracy and enough very good receivers to make dinking and dunking work. Add a three-headed monster at running back, and Notre Dame has the offensive weapons to make things difficult for Miami. Carr needs to prove he can take what's given. That might be the final step in his evolution, and it could get guys like Nick Saban to sing his praises instead of taking shots at him.
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