CJ Carr Gets Chance to Shine in Showdown vs. USC

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is sort of in one of those places that all young quarterbacks go through.

After a flaming hot streak after a rocky start at Miami, Carr hasn't quite had his "A" game in the last two weeks. For Carr, an "off day" according to some, is throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and missing some chances and having some stalled drives. Last week, his non "A" game stat line was throwing for a bit under 200 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The fact that these stat lines are Carr's when he and the offense aren't at their sharpest is encouraging. It demonstrates how dangerous this offense can be when clicking on all cylinders. The journey Carr is on is one all first-time starting quarterbacks take. There are ups, there are downs, missed chances or sloppiness, and there are lessons to learn. It takes time.

Carr is a quick learner and an ultra competitor, but some things you just can't rush. Experience is one of those things.

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— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 12, 2025

Carr has a chance to shine against USC with everything on the line

After the chaos of CJ Carr breaking into the starting lineup against Miami and Texas A&M subsided, Carr has had a chance to settle in against some programs with much less star power and helmet credibility than the first two. While this has been a great way to acclimate Carr to the college game with less stress and intensity, a part of me feels like Carr prefers spotlight games in primetime.

I think CJ Carr is a gamer. A guy who will play his best when it matters the most against the best. While we've seen flashes of this "it factor" already at times this year, and there will be more of them, the more experience he gets.

As for the short term, Carr has a chance to play USC in Notre Dame Stadium with a CFP bid on the line in primetime. I can't think of a better opportunity for a player who's had to grow up fast to keep Notre Dame's season afloat.

The stakes are simple. If Notre Dame wins, a CFP bid at 10-2 is very likely. If Notre Dame loses, the season will be viewed as developmental and disappointing regardless of what happens the rest of the way. There is no middle ground. These kinds of matchups are what the Notre Dame vs USC rivalry is all about.

I'm sure Carr is still frustrated about how the first couple of games in his career played out, the USC presents the perfect opportunity to show just how much has changed in a few short weeks.