While the Notre Dame football team knows there's plenty that needs to improve from its Week 1 loss to its Week 3 game versus Texas A&M, there's one thing head coach Marcus Freeman knows he and his staff need to do first. They need to take the training wheels off quarterback CJ Carr. That will be one of the most significant changes the group is planning before their home opener on Saturday.
Carr got plenty of praise after his first career start against the Hurricanes. However, it was clear that when they started the game, the game plan was to try to ease the quarterback into the game with a ton of short passes. That, in turn, hamstrung the offensive attack until later in the game when the Fighting Irish were playing from behind constantly.
Notre Dame football set to open up playbook for Week 3 home opener
During his Monday press conference, Freeman admitted the staff is planning on taking the leash off Carr against Texas A&M. In other words, the Notre Dame football game plan will incorporate everything into the playbook.
Freeman said the early objective was to get Carr comfortable with an easy pitch and catch. The limited playbook almost worked, as the Irish lost by just 3 points.
However, as the game went on, it became apparent that Carr had a better understanding of the internal clock and when to look for an additional receiver than the staff expected. With a must-win game on Saturday, they're going to put the game in his hands.
The Notre Dame football team needs to knock off Texas A&M if it wants to make sure it still controls its own destiny in a run to the playoffs. Should they lose, the season is in grave peril.