Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr throws a pass in the second half of a NCAA football game against Texas A&M at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in South Bend. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame Fallout From Loss To Texas A&M: Fighting Irish Are Failing CJ Carr

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By John Kennedy | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 4:45 AM ET

The only path to success for Carr in his first season as QB

Everyone around the Notre Dame program knew that whoever was named the Irish starter at the QB position would go through a learning curve and that mistakes would be made. Through two games, CJ Carr hasn't been perfect; he's had his ups and downs, but he is not the reason the Irish sit at 0-2.

Carr is getting little to no help from key areas of this team.

The only way Carr could have had a relatively smooth sailing, successful first year record was if the Notre Dame defense and offensive lines played well and supported him so that he didn't have to be near perfect to earn wins.

Unfortunately, through two games, these units have not played winning football, leaving Carr to have to be a hero to save the day. This is unsustainable.

I can't imagine the pressure of being a first-time starting QB for Notre Dame. I also couldn't imagine playing in my first home game knowing I need to score touchdowns on every drive just to keep the team in the game because the defense cannot be trusted or relied upon in any way. This is an unfair reality Carr has faced.

MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chris Ash on the hot seat?

One of the most common themes on the Always Irish postgame radio show was the notion that the Chris Ash experiment has failed and that he needs to be relieved of his duties.

While I completely understand this sentiment of frustration, I don't think this is how Notre Dame or Marcus Freeman operate after just two games. That being said, something needs to change, and change fast, because the Irish defense has regressed more than my hairline did from stress during the course of this game.

While I think firing Ash isn't in the cards as of now, Marcus Freeman must be more involved with the defense. He is the boss, and he's a defensive coach in his DNA. He must become more involved to try to get this unit back on track, because things are trending in a dangerous direction.

Irish fans have been spoiled with lockdown defensive units for a while now; seeing this regression to below mediocrity happen so quickly is jarring. Playing good defense has been such a staple for so long within this program; it feels like the Irish have forgotten who they were.

Notre Dame is a very frustrating 0-2, the worst thing it can do is let that lead to 0-3. The only way out of this hole is winning, but a lot must change before that can become a regular occurrence.

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This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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