The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have themselves a quarterback in Sam Hartman, the accomplished Wake Forest transfer and sixth-year senior. In an impressive 42-3 drubbing of Navy in Notre Dame’s season opener, Hartman demonstrated complete command of the offense. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and new offensive coordinator Gerad Parker could not have drawn it up any better.
Sam Hartman On the Money
While not perfect, Hartman proved decisive. He ran the offense well and proved efficient from the get-go, picking apart a porous Navy defense. His very first pass for Notre Dame was a 19-yard completion to Jayden Thomas. For the day, he connected on 19 of 23 pass attempts for 251 yards with four touchdowns. More importantly, he had no interceptions. Hartman got the ball out of his hands quickly and accurately and exploited Navy’s defense short and deep.
Hartman engineered scoring drives on the Irish’s first five possessions, all of which ended with touchdowns. His fourth touchdown pass of the game tied him with Ron Powlus (1994) and Jack Coan (2021) for most in a Notre Dame debut. It also marked the 114th touchdown pass of his collegiate career, tying him with University of Florida’s Danny Wuerffel (1993-1996) for 13th all-time on the FBS passing list.
“It starts up front,” Hartman told the Associated Press. “I had a lot of time to go through my reads and progressions and felt comfortable.”
A Plethora of Weapons
Notre Dame’s wide receivers entered the season opener without a go-to standout. Plenty of weapons emerged as Hartman spread the ball around effectively. Four different receivers made big plays and three different receivers caught touchdown passes. Freshman Jaden Greathouse led the way with a pair of touchdowns, including a 35-yard score on his first career catch. Thomas and Deion Colzie both added scoring receptions from Hartman. And Chris Tyree made his presence felt with a 20-yard catch. Those four accounted for 14 receptions, totaling 212 yards.
First-year Navy head coach Brian Newberry came away impressed with Hartman’s play. “He’s a smart player; he sees the field really, really well,” Newberry told AP. “He put the ball in the right places. He’s like a coach out on the field. He ran the offense well. He was super-efficient.”
Mission Accomplished
What a difference a year makes. Notre Dame erased any fears about another slow start after opening last year 0-2. And while Notre Dame held on for a 35-32 victory over Navy last year, the Irish outplayed an inferior Midshipmen squad in every aspect this time around. With outstanding protection from the mostly experienced offensive line, the Irish thrived in the run game and pass game.
Tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher and center Zeke Correll were physical up front. Guards Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan also played well in their first starts. Audric Estime led the running attack, gaining 95 yards on 16 carries, including a one-yard scoring run. Running back Jadarian Price also scored. In last year’s contest, the Irish rushed for just 66 yards on 34 carries.
“It’s easy when you have two of the best tackles in the country,” Hartman said. “Out wide, those guys just made plays in space.”
Moving Forward
The No. 13 Fighting Irish have reasons for optimism. The offense is clearly in good hands with Hartman. The physical offensive line cleared huge holes and protected Hartman and company from start to finish. As a result, the offense scored at will. On the other side of the ball, the Irish defense proved stingy all game long.
Notre Dame faces an FCS opponent for the first time in history next weekend, hosting Tennessee State. After that, the Irish play North Carolina State and Central Michigan before welcoming No. 3-ranked Ohio State to South Bend for a highly anticipated clash on Sept. 23. Notre Dame was clearly the superior team against Navy, but the convincing victory should create some early momentum. It will be needed against Ohio State in what promises to be a dramatic showdown between two of college football’s most historic programs.
Photo courtesy: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
