Starting off the 2023 season in Dublin, Ireland, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish barely broke a sweat in thrashing the Navy Midshipmen by a 42-3 score on Saturday. Just over two-thirds of the Irish’s total offense was gained in the opening two quarters, with new quarterback Sam Hartman delivering a sparkling debut.
Just like their last meeting on the Emerald Isle 11 years ago, Notre Dame took a commanding first-half lead and then coasted the rest of the way. The ease of the victory allowed Irish head coach Marcus Freeman to substitute liberally and allow many of the newcomers and raw talent to get noticed.