10/15/2023 football Edit

Sam Hartman revels in Notre Dame's culture pushing back in takedown of USC

Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman (10) outplayed his USC counterpart, reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams on Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium. (Jeff Douglas, Inside ND Sports)

Eric Hansen • InsideNDSports

Publisher

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It was more like the flow from a fully operational Keurig machine than an actual field-storming, but Sam Hartman was here for all of it.

Especially his postgame stoking of the portion of the Notre Dame Stadium crowd that funneled into and jammed the stadium tunnel chanting his name, and refused to leave or even temper their collective roar that continued long after 21st-ranked Notre Dame concocted its most lopsided victory over the past 28 years on Saturday night.

And arguably one of the most imperative.

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“If I'm blessed to have kids, I hope I can bring them back and they play a highlight,” the 24-year-old ND quarterback said after a stunningly decisive 48-20 takedown of 10th-ranked USC and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.

“Probably won't be as cool as Joe Montana, but, you know, I met Joe Montana today. That was pretty sweet. Add to that a USC victory, and I think that that is going to be something I can kind of cherish for the rest of my life.

“And the memories with those guys in the locker room, to bring it back to the team. Just [cornerback] Cam Hart. You see that guy and his disappointment and his frustrations of last week, and to see him bounce back and just see the entire team, just it was a full, complete game. I'm so grateful for that. Grateful for this fan base and everything.

“I freaking love the Irish.”

And a week after a flat 33-20 loss to a Louisville team that encored its Irish upset with a 38-21 cratering at Pitt on Saturday, the Irish (6-2) gave their fanbase something to fall in love with in their sixth straight home conquest of the Trojans (6-1).

Notre Dame’s most loathed rival. Its constant recruiting adversary. Its forever measuring stick, even with its impending move to the Big Ten next season.

And on Saturday night, a chance to redefine what had suddenly looked like a team that had slipped onto a trajectory for a lost season.

“You know, weeks that you lose are really long, especially around here,” said second-year Irish coach Marcus Freeman, now with already half as many Top 10 wins in his vault in 22 games (2) as predecessor and all-time winningest Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly amassed in 12 seasons.

“The expectation is that you win every game you play. I know the hours are the same, but the weeks that you win seem to go by really fast and the next opportunity is here.

“But it is what it is. You have to pick your head up and go back to work. Adversity is a part of life. I told our guys — here is the word I used — I said I want to be an anti-fragile program. We have to be an anti-fragile program. What does that mean? We just didn't get through it, through adversity. We are better because of the adversity we faced.”

Saturday night they laid the adversity on USC’s doorstep, particularly the Irish defense.

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Coordinator Al Golden’s unit coaxed five turnovers, sacked Williams six times and held the nation’s top-scoring offense (51.8 ppg) to more than 30 points below its average.

And former Irish star QB Montana, the 50th-anniversary-celebrating 1973 ND national champs, and a contingent of prospects and recruits of recruit-apalooza proportions looked on as the Notre Dame limited USC to its lowest yardage total (302) since Lincoln Riley became head coach ahead of the 2022 season and brought Williams with him from Oklahoma.

Safety Xavier Watts had two of the career-high three interceptions throw by Williams. With those he added 61 interception return yards, forced a fumble, and scooped up a loose ball and returned it 15 yards for a TD. The former wide receiver also had seven tackles, second to linebacker JD Bertrand’s 11.

“All through the week we work really hard,” he said. “Everything gets tightened up throughout the week. You could see all week that we were practicing really hard, doing all the details right. Friday just all came together and ended up showing it tonight.”

The high winds and heavy rains that had been forecast for the game — with USC prepping for that in practice with a garden hose — came and went long before kickoff on a cool, crisp night.

But the Irish defense brought the thunder, limited the nation’s leading passer (206.4 ratings points) to a near career-low 100 and limiting the nation’s leader in points responsible per game (28.7) to a benign second-half touchdown pass to Brenden Rice.

"I made mistakes that I usually don't make,” Williams said. “I've been in college for three years now, and I don't think I've ever had a season or game or anything like that. So, you know, nights like that happen. There were a couple maybe you could call forced -- the scramble drill, I'd say. I could have thrown that one away, live to fight another down.

“But games like this happen in careers when you play for a while. Like Coach said, ‘You've got to get through it, got to keep fighting, got to be a leader. It starts at the head of the snake, and I'll be better."

Notre Dame is not without its areas of needed improvement once the first of two latter-season bye weeks passes next week and the Irish resume at home Oct. 28 against Pitt (2-4).

The Irish followed their 10-men on the field fiasco against Ohio State, with a 12-man episode against USC that was offset by a Trojan penalty. They also allowed USC to kick a field goal just before the half because Freeman had to call timeout, as a group of his players lingered on the field to celebrate a sack.

The alternative was another 12-man (or more) infraction.

And offensively, Notre Dame continues to trend in the wrong direction under first-year offensive coordinator Gerad Parker. The 251 total yards — compiled against the nation’s No. 109 team in total defense among the 130 in the FBS — is a Freeman Era-low.

Joe Montana, QB of the 1977 national championship Irish team, made a rare appearance at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night. (Jeff Douglas, Inside ND Sports)

But the offensive line bounced back from its nightmare in Louisville to allow zero sacks of its own against the nation’s No. 5 team in that category and just one tackle for loss to the nation’s leader averaging 9.5 a game coming in.

Junior running back Audric Estimé churned out 95 yards on 22 carries with two TDs.

“They take a lot of pride,” Freeman said of the Irish O-line that skipped the befuddling rotations that occurred the week before. “They take a lot of pride in what they do. They want the challenge. They embrace the challenge.

“As I told them, ‘Perception is we can't run the ball because of our offensive line. That doesn't mean it's reality, but take that as a challenge.’ I love the way they attacked in practice and performed today.”

Add Hartman, “I think it's all culture. I don't think anything I was going to say was going to change the way they showed up. I don't think it's anything to do with mindset, skill, anything. … They set the tone for the rest of the season [for how] you’ve got to play [for] Notre Dame.”

For his part, Hartman was more of a complementary piece, than the catalyst Saturday night, which suited him just fine. The Wake Forest transfer was an efficient 13-of-20 passing for 126 yards and two TDs with zero turnovers.

Forty-six of those 126 yards came on a deep pass to senior Chris Tyree on a third-quarter score that followed two three-and-outs to start the second half.

The Irish piled on with a 99-yard kickoff return from Jadarian Price, a 23-yard Spencer Shrader field goal following a turnover on downs and Watts' scoop and score.

“You don't see that anywhere really ever — you know, older guy like that,” Hartman said of Tyree. “His persistence. Who he is as a man will take him so much further than anyone can ever know, and that's something that I'll always be forever grateful for him.

“To be an older guy and have some struggles and have to change positions, like that itself — and he's had some bad stuff and some drops and some things where you're like, ‘Oh, man you’ve got to make that play.’ But he just kept showing up.”

“It's a credit to the coaching, the culture here, and just to Chris as a man. You don't find that everywhere, and I was so happy.”

Hartman went on to praise the defense and pondered that he’d have to buy Golden “another Ferrari.”

And then he paused.

“They ain't paying me enough to do that.”

But Saturday night was bigger and better than any NIL deal for Hartman.

“All week it was just something for me that was new,” he said of stepping into one of college football’s most storied feuds. “I know we had an Irish immersion program in California [this past summer]. I got to meet some people. Got to meet Jimmy Clausen. Everybody talked about it out there, right? ‘Beat USC, beat USC.’

“It was everybody you meet — walking to the airport, grabbing groceries at Trader Joe's, ‘Beat USC.’ We brought back the trophy and regained that, and it's been a tradition to win at home and that's something I'm really proud of and proud of this team for rallying around it.

“I know the magnitude. I'll be training in California for the pro stuff and … [now] I can walk a little bit higher and taller out there.”

NOTRE DAME 48, USC 20: Box Score