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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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CJ Carr has moved to the front of the Heisman Trophy betting race after leading Notre Dame past previously unbeaten Miami. The quarterback is BetMGM’s favorite entering Week 11, putting him in position to challenge a drought that stretches back nearly four decades.
Notre Dame has not produced a Heisman winner since wide receiver Tim Brown in 1987.
Carr still has work to do before joining him, but Saturday’s performance gave his candidacy a significant boost with the regular season approaching its final stretch.
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Carr is listed at +165, ahead of Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, who are tied at +300. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier and Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker follow at +1500.
The movement was substantial. According to VegasInsider, Carr entered the Miami game as BetMGM’s fourth choice at +1200. Mensah had been the favorite at +150 before the Hurricanes suffered their first defeat.
Carr helped change that order by completing 29 of 40 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in Notre Dame’s 31-24 victory. He distributed completions to 10 receivers, and the Irish finished with 412 total yards without committing a turnover.
The performance also earned Carr Associated Press national player of the week recognition, Notre Dame announced Monday.
His ability to spread the ball around helped the Irish produce against the nation’s top-ranked team without giving Miami an extra possession through a giveaway.
Micah Gilbert caught two of Carr’s touchdown passes, while Jordan Faison caught the other. Notre Dame built a 24-3 third-quarter lead before Miami rallied, forcing the Irish to protect their advantage down the stretch.
The victory improved Notre Dame to 8-1 and strengthened its College Football Playoff position. It also came against a Miami program whose 27-24 win over the Irish last season helped keep Notre Dame out of the playoff field.
The betting lead, however, is not a voting result. Smith and Mensah remain close behind, and another weekend can reshape the race just as dramatically as this one did.
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Brown became Notre Dame’s seventh Heisman winner back in 1987. A season that included consecutive punt-return touchdowns against Michigan State, a defining performance in the campaign that brought the trophy back to South Bend.
Carr now has a defining win of his own.
Notre Dame hosts Boston College next Saturday, giving him another opportunity to build on it.
Beating Miami moved him to the top of the odds board. Staying there will require making that performance the start of his finishing push.
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