College Football World Greatly Impressed by Notre Dame, Sam Hartman After Blowout of Navy

The No. 13 Irish and their new quarterback got off to a fast start in Dublin on Saturday.
College Football World Greatly Impressed by Notre Dame, Sam Hartman After Blowout of Navy
College Football World Greatly Impressed by Notre Dame, Sam Hartman After Blowout of Navy /

The Irish haven’t had a prolific passer in the mold of graduate transfer Sam Hartman since the Jimmy Clausen days in the late 2000s.

Sure, Everett Golson led Notre Dame to a national championship appearance in 2012, and had a cannon for an arm, but he didn’t have the accolades of Hartman, who transferred to South Bend as the ACC’s all-time leading passer at Wake Forest.

Hartman’s debut for Notre Dame on Saturday against Navy in Dublin proved to be everything that Irish fans were hoping for…and more. Hartman started fast, completing 14 of his 17 first half passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. By the time Hartman’s day was done, he completed 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 251 yards and four touchdowns, as the No. 13 Irish sunk the Midshipmen 42–3. 

Hartman’s four touchdown passes tied the most by a player in his Notre Dame debut, joining Jack Coan in 2021 against Florida State and Ron Powlus in ’94 against Northwestern, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

College football fans and media members alike were impressed by Notre Dame’s upgrade in the passing game, as well as the individual performance of Hartman. Here are some of the best reactions after Saturday’s 42-3 win in Dublin.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.