How CJ Carr's rough night vs. BYU raises new doubts about Notre Dame's title ceiling

The Notre Dame quarterback struggled downfield against an elite defense, leaving the Irish with no room for error as an early-November clash with No. 1 Miami looms PROVO, Utah — Heading into Notre Dame's star-studded matchup against BYU, quarterback CJ Carr was seen as a trump card. The junior was projected, by some, as a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft entering the season and one of the most talented signal-callers to come through South Bend in the modern era. Especially with relatively unheralded quarterback Bear Bachmeier on the other sideline, Carr's pedigree was viewed as a major mismatch. Instead, the gap in quarterback play proved decisive as BYU pulled off the 28-24 upset to stun Notre Dame.

And suddenly, a sterling case for Carr as a quarterback becomes much more complicated. Carr came into the weekend clearing 63% completion and a 155 passer rating in every prior game this season. Against BYU, the first elite defense on the schedule, Carr looked mortal. The junior completed a career-low 55.1% of his passes, 27-of-49 overall on 5.3 yards per pass attempt. As BYU built a double-digit lead, Carr had a period of completing only 7 of 17 passes across the second and third quarters. "I don't know, it wasn't the preparation," Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. "Some of those