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Notre Dame’s college football future hinges on a hinge. An elbow, specifically. That elbow connects CJ Carr’s upper arm to his lower arm, and it’s on the mend.
The Fighting Irish need a healthy and effective Carr. How the redshirt freshman quarterback fares will shape Notre Dame’s national title potential in 2025.
The national championship game Monday night painted an obvious picture of the gap separating the Irish from the summit: They must become more threatening in the pass game.
Ohio State clinched its 34-23 triumph with a play Notre Dame couldn’t make. The Irish rushed seven defenders on third down, leaving Christian Gray on a man-to-man coverage island against Buckeyes star receiver Jeremiah Smith.
That’s an unfair fight.
Will Howard finished his dazzling postseason by tossing a beautiful 56-yard completion into Smith’s mitts. From there, you could prepare the trigger on the red and white confetti.
“We felt like we had an advantage with Jeremiah,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said.
They had an advantage with Howard, too.
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Notre Dame needs better than Riley Leonard to win it all
Howard completed his first 13 passes during a quarterback masterclass, spreading the ball around among the nation’s best receiving corps. By comparison, quarterback runs persisted as Notre Dame’s most reliable weapon.
No dig intended here at Riley Leonard, Notre Dame’s outgoing starting quarterback. His leadership, toughness, running skills and durability helped Notre Dame reach the season’s final game. In a show of grit, Leonard ran on nine of Notre Dame’s 18 plays during its opening touchdown drive.
To prevail on this stage, though, the Irish require a quarterback who’s a stronger passer, plus more…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dames-college-football-success-150011044.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2025-01-24 15:00:00
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