CJ Carr matches freshman record with 4 TD throws as No. 22 Notre Dame routs Arkansas 56-13

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — CJ Carr matched a Notre Dame freshman record with four touchdown passes and Jeremiyah Love caught two scoring passes and rushed for two more scores as the No. 22 Fighting Irish beat Arkansas 56-13 Saturday.

Carr went 22-for-30 passing for 354 yards and matched the TD passing record set by Ron Powlus, who threw for four scores in his first game, against Northwestern in 1994. Carr, a redshirt freshman, threw for 294 yards and the four TDs in the first half, leading scoring drives of 75, 73, 75, 70, 75 and 45 yards. He did not play in the fourth quarter as Notre Dame led by 36 points.

Love caught TD passes of 7 and 34 yards and had scoring runs of 1 and 3 yards, finishing with 14 carries and 57 yards.

Also for Notre Dame (2-2), Jadarian Price scored twice, on a 35-yard strike from Carr and on a 3-yard run. Carr also found Will Pauling with a 23-yard TD strike, and Aneyas Williams completed Notre Dame's scoring with a 17-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Arkansas’ defense allowed 420 yards in the first half and 643 in the game. Notre Dame converted one fourth down and three third downs on what looked to be its final drive of the second quarter as Love capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive from three yards out.

But Raylen Sharpe fumbled on Arkansas’ next offensive play, giving the ball back to the Fighting Irish at the Arkansas 45 with 19 seconds left in the half. Carr completed a 10-yard pass to Jordan Faison, then tied Powlus’ mark with a strike to Price, who raced from one side of the field to the other, needing to shake off just one arm tackle before scoring.

Arkansas (2-3) quarterback Taylen Green, who entered the game tied for third in FBS in touchdown passes, couldn't muster a response. He finished 17-of-32 passing for 207 yards with an interception and no touchdowns.

Most since

Arkansas’ 42 first-half points allowed were the most the team has given up in the opening 30 minutes of a game since allowing the same total to No. 1 Southern California in 2005.

Notre Dame last scored 42 points in the first half during the 2024 season in an eventual 66-7 over Purdue in the third week of the season.

Big picture

Notre Dame’s two early-season losses put the Fighting Irish’s College Football Playoff hopes in jeopardy, but Saturday’s win showed they’re far from a mediocre team.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has a tenuous hold on his job. The sixth-year coach is 32-34 through his five-plus seasons.

Up next

Arkansas gets a bye and returns Oct. 11 at Tennessee.

Notre Dame hosts Boise State on Saturday.