CJ Carr’s 49 Pass Attempts Expose Notre Dame’s Ceiling in BYU Loss

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr threw 49 passes against BYU on Saturday, more than double his season average. He completed 27 of them for 261 yards without a single touchdown. The Irish lost 28-24, dropping to 6-1 after their first serious stress test of the 2026 college football season exposed exactly how thin the margin is when the running game disappears.

The Cougars scored first on an 11-play, 75-yard drive and held a 14-7 lead at halftime. Notre Dame outscored BYU 14-13 after the break, but the early deficit proved insurmountable.

Carr’s workload tells the story. Entering Week 7, he averaged 24 attempts per game. Forced into obvious passing situations against a physical BYU front, his completion rate cratered to 55.1 percent. He did not throw an interception, but he fumbled away possession late in the second quarter, killing a 10-play, 69-yard drive that could have tied the score before halftime.

The ground attack collapsed. Notre Dame rushed for just 115 yards on 30 carries, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt. It was the lowest rushing output since the season opener against Wisconsin. The Irish had piled up 361 rushing yards the previous week. Against the Cougars, they went backward by six yards in the rushing differential.

Sophomore Nolan James Jr. handled the bulk of the work, carrying 16 times for 77 yards and one touchdown. Freshman Jonaz Walton added five rushes for 17 yards and a score. Carr himself ran six times for 13 yards. Aneyas Williams managed eight yards on three touches.

Senior wide receiver Jaden Greathouse hauled in eight catches for 125 yards, shattering his previous season high of 48 yards set against Rice. Jordan Faison caught six passes for 64 yards. Tight end Jack Larsen had four receptions for 23 yards, while Micah Gilbert added three catches for 31 yards.

BYU moved the ball with historic ease against a unit that had allowed just 13.4 points per game through the first six weeks. The Cougars generated 360 total yards, obliterating the previous opponent high of 286 set by North Carolina in Week 5. They threw for 239 yards and rushed for 121, setting new season highs against the Irish defense in both categories.

Notre Dame failed to record a single sack. The defense logged two tackles for loss and three pass deflections. Sophomore cornerback Jayden Sanders picked off a pass. Senior linebacker Luke Talich and freshman safety Joey O’Brien each registered a tackle for loss. O’Brien, junior cornerback Leonard Moore, and senior defensive lineman Keon Keeley broke up one pass apiece.

Kicker Spencer Porath converted all three field goal attempts and his lone extra point. The offense ran 11 full drives and scored on five, settling for field goals on two of those possessions.

Entering Week 7, Notre Dame averaged 41.1 points per game with a plus-27.7 scoring differential. The 24 points marked the lowest offensive output of the year, falling below the 27-point performance against Michigan State in Week 3. BYU’s 28 points were the most surrendered by the Irish this season.

Notre Dame enters its bye week before facing Navy on Oct. 31.