Sam Hartmans showed in Navy opener that Notre Dame finally has a quarterback who gets it

Playing his part and everything it entails on and off the field is something that doesn’t seem that big of a deal for Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman.

He gets it. He gets that if he plays well, he’s a story. He gets that if he doesn’t play well, he’s a story. He gets that if Notre Dame wins, he’s a story. If Notre Dame loses, well, what happens next may still be a few weeks away.

Hartman embraces everything about his role in this program this season, his sixth in college, but there comes a point that after all the work he’s put in, after standing solo in the spotlight for so long, Hartman seeks out ways for others to share in that success.

Late Saturday night at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland was one of those times.

One of four team captains for the No. 13 Notre Dame football team, Hartman completed 19 of 23 passes for 252 yards in a 42-3 victory over Navy. His play rekindled recent Irish quarterback debut memories of Jack Coan on a steamy Labor Day Sunday night at Florida State in 2021. If you really want to ride in the way-back machine, dial up the September night in Chicago to open 1994 when Ron Powlus worked similar wizardry on the floor of old Soldier Field.

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One of three Irish to attend Saturday’s postgame press conference, Hartman fielded three straight questions from reporters while teammates Jaden Greathouse and Marist Liufau sat in silence. Until Hartman spoke up, again playing the role of a leader who looks to let everyone eat.

“You can ask these guys questions, too,” Hartman offered.

Greathouse and Liufau were post-game question/quote worthy, but not to the extent of Hartman, not after his first start in a No. 10 blue and gold uniform unfolded in a way that few saw coming. We knew he was good. We knew he was going to elevate the position this season.

Nobody knew he was going to go out and make it look so … easy. So … effortless.

Notre Dame hasn’t had a quarterback like Hartman in years, maybe since another No. 10 (Brady Quinn). Heck, Notre Dame hasn’t had an offense look the way it did Saturday, in forever. Every time the Irish got the ball, you figured they were going to do something. Run it? Check. Throw it? Check. Complete it? Yep. Score it? Plenty of that and plenty of thanks to Hartman.

Watching Hartman handle the Navy defense left you baffled as to why it’s been such a struggle at the game’s most critical position for one of the game’s most prestigious programs. Why can’t more Notre Dame quarterbacks do what Hartman did? Sure, age and experience matter, but Notre Dame for far too long has made it look hard with guys who were supposed to be the guy but weren’t.

Heck, the quarterback who we were all told by those who say they know would be next at Notre Dame is currently drowning on the Alabama depth chart. Maybe Tyler Buchner knew something we didn’t last spring, knew that there was no way he would play a meaningful down of football with Hartman around, so he hit the road.

Seeing Hartman do what he did in a little over three quarters of work allows you to realize that that’s what a sixth-year senior looks like. What’s his ceiling? Sky too high?

Not after he directed the Irish offense to four touchdowns on their first four possessions. Not after he got everyone from Deion Colzie to Matt Salerno, Greathouse to Chris Tyree involved in the passing game. We saw a lot of what we had to see from Hartman, but the best part of what we saw might’ve surfaced just before halftime when Navy gave the ball back to Notre Dame with 1:55 remaining on the clock and 80 yards away from the end zone.

How would Hartman handle the hurry-up offense? Would he be too eager to excel? Would the spotlight be too bright? Yeah, right.

Hartman dissected the Navy defense like he’d found the defensive game plan in the hotel lobby that morning. He hit Tyree for 20 yards, then Devyn Ford for nine. He connected with Greathouse for 13, then, finally, Jayden Thomas for 14. That’s how you run a two-minute drill.

That’s what a college quarterback looks like.

“This moment wasn’t too big,” said Irish coach Marcus Freeman. “It's about him just going out and executing.”

It’s understandable to temper the enthusiasm because it was an overmatched and undersized opponent. Hold off on making hotel reservations near Lincoln Center in advance of the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Don’t start scouting flights to College Football Playoff sites. Hartman’s work was against Navy, but remember, this was a Navy team that put the fear of defeat in Notre Dame last season in Baltimore.

Remember that one? Freeman did. He rewatched that game on the flight over to Dublin last week. It probably left him a little salty when the plane touched down Thursday morning.

If he watches Saturday’s game on the return trip home Sunday, he’ll be pleased. Happy? How many college head coaches are happy? Still, there’s a lot of positives. The effort. The defense. The quarterback. For an opener full of unknowns, there was a lot to like.

“What a great way to start the season,” Freeman said. “You couldn’t draw it up any better.”

A lot of it started and finished with the quarterback. The old guy. The leader.

“We know what a challenge they presented on defense,” Hartman said. “We had a great plan and went out and executed it. It's not any of my abilities.”

Yes, it was.

Hartman tossed a fourth touchdown in the second half and might’ve had a chance at a fifth, but after that final throw to Colzie, who spent much of fall camp on the side of a milk carton, it was time for the 24-year-old Hartman to grab a baseball cap and a headset and maybe start thinking about where he could go afterward to grab a Guiness. He’d earned it.

The bar already was high for Hartman prior to Saturday. He may have raised it a few notches. We don’t know what the rest of the season will hold for him or for the Irish, but if the opener is any sign, it’s going to be fun to find out.

Following the first of 12 Saturdays for Notre Dame football, anything seems possible. Maybe everything.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame is College Football Playoff contender with Sam Hartman