SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior wide receiver Jordan Faison, junior quarterback CJ Carr and junior cornerback Leonard Moore have been named to the Pony Express Award Watch List.
The Pony Express Award honors the best tandem in college football, regardless of position. Notre Dame is one of just two programs represented by both an offensive and defensive player on this year’s watch list, with Carr and Moore forming the offensive-defensive pairing and Carr and Faison representing the Irish passing attack. The Irish are also one of just six teams with multiple pairings represented on the watch list.
Through six games, Carr has completed 70.8 percent of his passes for 1,378 yards and 16 touchdowns, tied for the sixth-most in the FBS, against just one interception. He has won 16 consecutive games as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback, tying Ian Book for the second-longest streak in program history behind Tony Rice’s 23 from 1988-89. With Carr under center, the Irish offense has averaged 44.0 points per game, the fourth-most in the FBS.
Faison leads Notre Dame with 28 receptions, 387 receiving yards and four touchdowns this season. A former walk-on, Faison recorded a career-high eight receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the win over North Carolina earlier this month. He has caught a pass in 27 consecutive games, tying for the second-longest streak in program history and ranking as the 10th-longest active streak in the FBS.
Moore has been targeted just 13 times in his five games this season, breaking up four passes while recording eight solo tackles. As a unit, the Irish defense leads the nation in total defense, allowing just 214.2 yards per game, more than 25 yards fewer than the next-closest team. Notre Dame has also allowed just 11.0 points per game, the fewest among teams that have faced at least four Power Four opponents this season.
The second-ranked Irish hit the road Saturday for a top-10 showdown against eighth-ranked BYU. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.