No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish decided to roll into the season with CJ Carr, a redshirt freshman, as their starting quarterback. He showed in the first half of Sunday's season opener against No. 10 Miami why that might have been a smart decision.
Carr completed his first career touchdown pass late in the second quarter, and it was a breathtaking play that showed the type of talent and poise he has that could make him a standout player at Notre Dame for years ahead.
While facing a 3rd-and-goal, Carr took a shotgun snap and immediately found himself under pressure, retreating nearly 25 yards into the backfield in an effort to avoid the pass rush. He then unleashed a pass while rolling to his left, finding a wide-open Micah Gilbert in the front of the end zone for the touchdown.
Carr makes it happen ☘️
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 1, 2025
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ABC #GoIrish☘️ | @13Cjcarr pic.twitter.com/Nj8pQv1yZ0
If you are a Notre Dame fan or coach, that is one of those players where you are probably screaming "No! No! No! No!" the entire time he is running backwards, and then screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" after you see the result.
Carr only played four snaps during his true freshman season in 2024, never attempting a pass.
His first career start not only came against another top-10 team, but also on the road in a hostile environment. He had some early struggles in the first quarter, but he showed on his first touchdown that he does have the goods to make plays at a high level against elite competition.
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