CJ Carr threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as No. 3 Notre Dame beat North Carolina 37-26 in rainy conditions Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Jordan Faison caught two touchdown passes as part of an eight-catch, 132-yard receiving effort for the Fighting Irish (5-0).
Carr completed 21 of 29 passes for 234 yards. Jonaz Walton rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries.
Billy Edwards Jr. threw for three touchdowns, two interceptions and 208 yards for the Tar Heels (2-2), who were held to 285 yards of total offense. Jordan Shipp had 109 receiving yards on seven catches.
Carr’s 3-yard scoring run on fourth down to end a nine-minute, 17-play drive stretched Notre Dame’s lead to 27-20 in the third quarter, but a two-point conversion run failed. The Irish converted on three fourth downs on the march.
Notre Dame moved 68 yards on its next possession, scoring on Carr’s 6-yard pass to Nolan James Jr. on the first snap of the fourth quarter.
The Irish scored 14 points in 15 seconds in the first quarter to go up 14-7.
Carr threw 28 yards to Faison for the visitors’ first points.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa picked off Edwards on North Carolina’s next snap. Notre Dame needed one play to reach the end zone on Carr’s 12-yard pass to Jaden Greathouse.
Notre Dame’s next possession consisted of 11 plays covering 77 yards with Carr throwing 39 yards to Faison for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
The Irish threatened to expand the lead, but after reaching the North Carolina 1 midway through the second quarter, they were thwarted on downs.
North Carolina turned around and marched 97 yards on 15 plays to score on Edwards’ 14-yard pass to Jelani Thurman with 21 seconds left in the half.
That drive accounted for more than half of North Carolina’s 188 first-half yards as it trailed 21-14 at the break.
Jaden Jefferson returned the second-half kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, but the Tar Heels’ bid to take the lead went awry on a failed two-point conversion pass.
Edwards threw a 6-yard pass to Shamar Easter for the game’s first points to complete a 74-yard drive on the Tar Heels’ first possession.
