CJ Carr, defensive line shine for Notre Dame Football in Blue-Gold game
Notre Dame's Blue-Gold game showcases standout performances from freshman QB CJ Carr and a dominant defensive line, sparking excitement for the season.
The Notre Dame football team’s Blue-Gold game doesn’t mean anything in the long run. Just keep repeating that to yourself as you get goosebumps thinking about what this offense might do when there’s something on the line this fall.
There was certainly a lot to like about what Notre Dame football put on the field on Saturday afternoon but there was one name that get mentioned over and over and over. CJ Carr looks like the real deal.
Carr was one of three quarterbacks who got significant playing time for the Fighting Irish thanks to the fact that he played for both squads, while Kenny Minchey and Steve Angeli only played for the Gold and Blue teams respectively.
Carr made the most of his chances, completing 15 of 23 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. But more than his stats, which were plenty impressive was his stature in the pocket. Anyone who was tuning into the Notre Dame football game on Saturday who is not a fan of the Irish would not have any idea they were watching an 18-year-old true freshman.
Some of that is certainly thanks to the fact that he’s been with the team since before the Sun Bowl. Notre Dame coaches have talked about how much that’s going to help Carr in his development. That was on display on Sunday.
But CJ Carr was far from the only bright spot for the Golden Domers.
Defensive line looks dominating at times for Notre Dame Football in Blue-Gold Game
When you look at a scrimmage that ended 28-21, one might think that the defense had a bad day. Certainly Al Golden is going to say they could have done better. But it’s worth noting how well one unit played on Saturday.
Especially early in the game, the Irish defensive line looked as scary as one hopes they’ll look come fall. In all, both teams combined, the defensive line tallied a whopping seven sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss.
Even when they didn’t officially get to the quarterback, they also had two quarterback hurries.
In a game that saw a ton of players have very good outings, CJ Carr and the defensive line brought a ton of excitement to what was essentially a puffed up Notre Dame Football practice.