Sam Hartman has had a solid season for the Notre Dame football team. However, did he deliver up to expectations this season?
Sam Hartman is a good college quarterback who’s won a ton of football games. A three-star recruit from North Carolina, Hartman became the ACC’s all-time leading passer at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons won 38 games with Hartman as starting quarterback, including 11 games in 2021.
The Deacons played for the ACC championship and won the Gator Bowl against Rutgers that season. Hartman made himself into an outstanding college quarterback. With the season nearly over, it’s time to ask, did he meet expectations at Notre Dame?
Many writers expected the Irish to contend for the College Football Playoff. Hartman was supposed to be the missing link between getting to the Playoff and possibly winning a game. Neither is going to happen this season.
After a heartbreaking loss to Ohio State early in the season, they rebounded against Duke, only to play its worst game of the season to Louisville. The second loss sealed Notre Dame’s playoff fate. However, there was still much to play for, including a College Football Playoff berth.
Then, the Irish traveled to Clemson and played its second-worst game. There is an argument, however, that if Notre Dame could have made plays in the second half, it could have won that game. The lack of playmaking at quarterback is a large part of the narrative of this season.
Was Hartman a disappointment for Notre Dame football this season? Were his expectations overblown? Let’s see if there’s an answer to these questions.
Notre Dame football’s offense was wildly inconsistent this season.
To place the offensive inconsistencies of the Notre Dame football offense squarely on the shoulders of Sam Hartman would be short-sighted and just plain incorrect. Offensive coordinator Gerad Parker has to be accountable for the scheme and its inability to put the ball in the hands of the playmakers.
There is no way that Chris Tyree, the fastest player on the offense, should have 37 touches for the season — 11 of those are punt returns. There is no intentionality when it comes to getting him the ball. Tobias Merriweather leads the team in yards per reception (20.6) has 13 receptions. That’s not on Hartman; that’s on the scheme.
That said, one could argue that if Notre Dame had a high-level playmaker at quarterback against Ohio State and Clemson, they win those games. Head coach Marcus Freeman did get conservative against the Buckeyes. The defense did its job, holding Marvin Harrison, Jr. to 32 receiving yards.
Hartman completed 68 percent of his passes and threw a touchdown pass in that game. He didn’t put the ball in danger to give Ohio State extra possessions. He did everything you want a quarterback to do against an elite opponent except make a play in a crucial situation to win close.
The offense was terrible in the first half against Clemson. Hartman threw a pick-six in the first half and found themselves down 24-9 before they got off the mat. That said, the Irish defense allowed seven points in the second half, and the offense could not score touchdowns. That was a common theme in their marquee games.
All season, it seemed as if the offense had a different feel depending on who they played. The Irish were bullies this season. They beat up on lesser teams where the quarterback did not need to be a difference-maker.
The Pitt game is a perfect example. Hartman was awful in that game, but it didn’t matter. Notre Dame football still put 58 points on the Panthers. Much of that was the defense forcing five turnovers.
How much better was Hartman for Notre Dame football than Drew Pyne?
That question might seem a bit of a hot take, but it is worth asking. Physically, they are eerily similar. Both are around six feet tall and about 200 pounds with good, not great, arms. Hartman and Pyne were not highly sought-after recruits coming out of high school. Pyne was thrown into the fire after Tyler Buchner was hurt and found his way as a quarterback.
Pyne’s 2022: 2,021 yards, 22 touchdowns, six interceptions
Hartman’s 2023: 2,549 yards, 22 touchdowns, seven interceptions
Notre Dame finished 9-4 in 2022 and is currently 8-3 this year. Tight end Michael Mayer led the Irish in receptions last year, and tight end Mitchell Evans still leads the Irish in receiving despite a season-ending injury three weeks ago.
The offense is six points better this season, but Notre Dame did not have an FCS opponent or a team playing as poorly as Pitt was in 2022.
Coach Freeman told Pyne to transfer despite solid play. How much better was the offense than last year? Pyne also did not benefit from this season’s improved receiver room either.
That’s not to say that Notre Dame football’s record would have been any better with Drew Pyne as QB1. It was supposed to be better with Hartman; it wasn’t. That’s not to blame Freeman for telling Drew they were pursuing a quarterback in the portal. It was the right move, but it did not work out as Freeman and his staff thought.
Bad Sam Hartman showed up too often this season for Notre Dame football
One of the biggest arguments for Notre Dame football to be a contender with Hartman was that he’d be playing with more talent. While that might be true for the offensive line and running back, Notre Dame does not have a receiver the caliber of A.T. Perry or Jacquarii Roberson. Despite playing behind a better offensive line and running game, Hartman came to South Bend with bad habits.
Hartman has a tendency to throw interceptions in bunches. All seven of Hartman’s interceptions came in one four-game stretch. He threw those picks against Clemson, Pitt, and Louisville ( he did not turn the ball over against USC). Notre Dame went 2-2 during that stretch.
Hartman had a similar four-game stretch in 2022. He threw eight interceptions against Boston College, Louisville, North Carolina State, and North Carolina. In 2021, Hartman had a five-game stretch where he threw 11 interceptions, including a four-interception game against Pitt.
The positive of having Sam Hartman at Notre Dame football was that he’s a veteran who can absorb an offense and has played a lot of football. The negative of having Sam Hartman at Notre Dame is that he’s a veteran who has played a lot of football. He is who he is as a quarterback.
That’s a good thing, too. It’s not a “get you to the College Football Playoff” thing.