The 2025 Notre Dame football season has started slowly this year. The Fighting Irish looked sluggish in their first game against the Miami Hurricanes. After a comeback, they lost a close game, and then they had week two off due to an early bye week. They have a massive game against Texas A&M this week at home, and a lot of pressure is on CJ Carr under center.
At his weekly press conference on Monday, Marcus Freeman was asked if Carr showed enough in the Miami game to cement his position as the starting quarterback and prove that he is capable of doing everything that is asked of him in this offense. Freeman said he completely trusts Carr, is a special player, and can execute the entire playbook if need be.
“He showed he's ready, capable,” stated Freeman. “As the game went on, we were able to take some more shots. I still am a firm believer that shots are a response to being able to have positive run plays. We have to be able to run the football. But we feel CJ can execute the game plan and playbook. He's a special player.”
This came after Freeman revealed his specific game plan for Carr’s debut. The coaching staff intentionally protected the freshman quarterback early on, keeping him out of unnecessarily risky situations.
Moving forward, the biggest key for the Notre Dame football team is how this running game plays. Jeremiyah Love was widely seen as the best running back in the country this season, but he struggled against Miami. He only had 10 carries for 33 rushing yards with an average of 3.3 yards per carry.
Establishing the run will be a heavy priority against Texas A&M, especially since the Aggies are No. 83 in total rushing yards allowed, giving up 140.5 rushing yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry following their two games against UTSA and Utah State.
One added wrinkle to this game is that Marcel Reed got injured late against Utah State and did not return. It seems like he will be available against the Fighting Irish on Saturday, but if he is not 100%, CJ Carr has a chance to be the best quarterback in this game.
