As experienced as the Irish may be, though, there is one spot where they’ll face questions: quarterback.
Riley Leonard, the signal caller who led the Irish to the CFP Championship Game last season and a 14-2 record, was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of this year’s NFL Draft.
Stepping in now as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback is freshman CJ Carr, a consensus four-star recruit who made his collegiate debut in last September against Purdue, but saw no action after that.
Miami’s defense – led by new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman – will no doubt look to make Sunday’s matchup as uncomfortable as possible for the freshman and the Hurricanes say they’re confident they and their aggressive scheme can get the job done.
“Believing in Coach Hetherman and his game plan, just going off what he knows … It’s a first-time quarterback, but that doesn’t mean anything,” linebacker Wesley Bissainthe said. “They have a really good team. Just locking in, being where our feet are, locking in on what we have to do on the defensive side of the ball, and everything will take care of itself.”
But the Irish won’t be the only ones Sunday with a new quarterback under center, though the questions Miami faces there are slightly different.
Cam Ward, who led the Hurricanes to their first 10-win season since 2017 last year, was the first pick in this year’s NFL Draft and is preparing to get his professional career started with the Tennessee Titans.
Stepping in now for Miami is former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who, as a sixth-year redshirt senior has plenty of experience in big games. In fact, during his Georgia career, Beck posted a 24-3 record as a starter and threw for 7,912 yards and 58 touchdowns.
But his season last year ended in disappointing fashion, with Beck suffering a serious injury in the SEC Championship Game. He underwent surgery and opted to transfer to Miami for a fresh start.
He was unable to compete in spring drills with the Hurricanes, though he was certainly a presence in the locker room, the film room, and on the sidelines, working to get to know his new teammates and learn offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s system.
Beck was cleared to throw shortly after spring practice ended and has been working to build chemistry with his receivers and playmakers throughout the summer. That work only intensified during preseason camp.
Sunday’s game, though, will mark his first real action…
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