Sam Hartman threw four touchdown passes in a nealy flawless debut as Notre Dame raced to a 28-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 42-3 victory over Navy. The Fighting Irish scored touchdowns on their first five possessions and did not have to punt during this lopsided contest. Defensively, Notre Dame gave up ground in the early going but managed to keep the Midshipmen off the scoreboard. Later, the huge deficit forced Navy out of its offensive comfort zone and the Irish dominated.

Freshman receiver Jaden Greathouse caught two scoring passes from Hartman while Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas had one apiece. Hartman finished his day with 19 completions on 23 passes for 251 yards. Notre Dame utilized five running backs to cover 191 yards in 32 attempts. Audric Estime had 95 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries while Jadarian Price scored on a 19-yard burst. The Midshipmen could muster only 169 total yards.

The Irish started quickly with a crisp 13-play touchdown march on the opening possession. Estime did the heavy lifting while Hartman mixed in a few pinpoint throws. Navy nearly responded on the ensuing possession with a productive drive but a fourth down pass by Tai Lavatai in Irish territory missed its mark. From that point forward, Notre Dame continued to score while the Middies found it increasingly difficult to gain ground.

Trailing 21-0 in the second period, Navy finally threatened to get back in the game. They covered over 50 yards on the ground in grinding fashion and reached the Irish 19 yard-line before the drive stalled. Coach Brian Newberry elected to call upon kicker Evan Warren for a 37-yard field goal but the attempt was wide right. Two minutes remained in the half and Hartman went back to work. He hit Chris Tyree and Greathouse with passes before finding Thomas in the back of the end zone with 13 seconds left.

Any hopes of another second half comeback were dispelled in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Midshipmen meekly went three and out to give the ball back to Notre Dame. A few plays later, Hartman avoided the rush and threw a dart to a wide-open Greathouse in the end zone from 20 yards out for a comanding 35-0 advantage.

The Irish defense continued to smother Navy’s attack. A missed field goal by Spenser Schrader was the only blemish on the offensive stat sheet. As the game moved into the fourth quarter, Hartman directed his final scoring drive of the day. Runs by Price and Jeremiah Love moved the ball into scoring territory before Hartman hit Deion Colzie in the flat. Colzie weaved his way through Navy defenders and breezed into the end zone to extend the lead to 42-0.

The Midshipmen were able to make headway against the Notre Dame reserves on their final drive but fell short of the end zone. Newberry eschewed another fourth down pass and again called upon Warren to put points on the board. His 31-yard boot was successful to account for the final margin.

Notre Dame’s performance answered a few questions regarding this year’s team while others remain TBD. First, Hartman is everything Irish fans had hoped for. He was cool under pressure, accurate and made good decisions. His receivers other than Thomas were on the hot seat entering the game but exceeded expectations. Colzie was focused, Tyree flashed good hands with his trademark speed, and Greathouse picked up where he left off this spring. Tobias Merriweather was the only disappointment. He had no receptions and one very blatant drop.

The offensive line was very strong. There were no false starts or missed blitzes. They dominated Navy’s defensive line as one would expect with their size advantage, so additional games will be needed to gauge their ceiling. The backs ran well and contributed in the passing game. Each of them hit the hole without dancing and punished would-be tacklers. The tight ends did not have a reception and Mitchell Evans picked up the only Notre Dame penalty of the day with an early holding call. This group will be more involved and productive going forward.

Defensively, linebacker Marist Liufau was the most improved player for the Irish. It appears his football instincts are finally catching up with his outstanding physical gifts. Jack Kiser and JD Bertrand looked to be the same players they have always been. Both are good tacklers but lack the speed and playmaking ability that elite teams expect from their linebackers. Neither had a tackle for loss. The front line was solid against the triple option attack but more revealing tests lie ahead.

The cornerbacks could not be evaluated because Navy did not throw enough downfield passes to notice them. The safeties, however, remain unsafe. DJ Brown whiffed on an easy open-field tackle, Thomas Harper was hopelessly beaten on a long pass that was quite fortunately overthrown, and Clarence Lewis was again missing tackles and a step late on every play. Ramon Henderson was simply invisible. Only Xavier Watts demonstrated a nose for the ball and good tackling ability.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Can the Irish defense make stops at or behind the line of scrimmage? There weren’t many “Wow” plays but the defense made key stops when needed to keep Navy out of the end zone.
• Will Hartman and his wide receivers be connected or hopelessly disjointed? Hard work and dedication over the spring and summer were obvious. The passing game is far ahead of 2022 when Michael Mayer was the only sure thing.
• Can Notre Dame’s offensive line handle Navy’s run blitzes? The line executed well and there were no mental breakdowns with the blocking scheme.
• Which team will win the turnover battle? There were officially no turnovers but both teams had bad moments. Estime had the ball punched out of his hands but Evans was able to knock it out of bounds. Hartman overlooked a defender downfield and nearly threw an interception. Navy had two fumbles that the Irish recovered but the referees chose not to acknowledge them.
• Can Notre Dame’s special teams contribute in a meaningful way? The units were solid but the missed field goal by Schrader will carry doubt into the next game. Punter Bryce McFerson took the day off.
• Have the Irish back seven defenders learned how to tackle? Not to my satisfaction.
• Can Gerad Parker keep the Middies off balance with inspired play calling? Parker was excellent. His call for a run by Estime on an early third and long was inspired. He mixed his plays very well and the team responded by executing in a decisive manner. It was refreshing after the Kelly era where confusion often reigned and purple faced rants followed.
• Which young players will distinguish themselves for Notre Dame? Greathouse, Love, GiBran Payne, and Price served notice that they will help the offense this year. The young guys on defense did not get very man snaps but I was briefly impressed by Josh Burnham and Jaden Mickey.

With the opener out of the way and the triple option in the rear view mirror, the team can look forward to an easy home game next week before going on the road. There are still areas of concern but Hartman alone gives Notre Dame fans a level of hope and expectation that they haven’t enjoyed in quite a while.