Blue-Gold Game takeaways to cap the spring season
Following are a few items that stood out Saturday during a chilly and rainy Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium that the Gold Team dominated in a 24-0 victory over the Blue Team.
All eyes on
For as much as we’ve discussed how junior quarterback Tyler Buchner outplayed graduate Sam Hartman throughout the spring season, the script was drastically flipped Saturday.
Hartman finished the game 13-of-16 passing for 189 yards with 2 passing touchdowns and a 1-yard touchdown run on his four offensive drives.
Buchner went 8-of-18 passing for 44 yards with an interception on his six possessions.
Buchner didn’t lead a scoring drive, converted only two of his eight third-down tries, and neither of his two fourth-down conversion attempts.
Hartman got off to a hot start, completing his first five passes and nine of first 10.
Poised, confident and accurate, this was the Hartman everybody expected to see when he transferred to Notre Dame in January.
Buchner played timidly and often looked confused in the game.
During one possession in the first quarter, Buchner threw a lazy pass to the left sideline that should’ve been a pick-six but the ball was dropped by freshman linebacker Jaiden Ausberry of the Gold Team.
Disaster averted, only momentarily, Buchner on his next pass attempt, was intercepted by sophomore cornerback Jaden Mickey.
Coming out party
Two guys still trying to play their way into some live game reps this fall — Irish freshman wide receiver Jaden Greathouse and sophomore linebacker Jaylen Sneed — both enjoyed solid games Saturday.
Greathouse led all Irish pass catchers with 11 receptions, 118 yards and 13 targets, including a nifty 21-yard catch.
Sneed, a five-star recruit who’s expected to find his place this season, finished with seven tackles (3 solo).
Sneed made two of those solo stops on consecutive third- and fourth-down plays in the first half that helped turn the Blue Team over on downs.
Leftover matters
*The offensive operation went smoothly under first-year offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, who called the game from upstairs, inside the Notre Dame Stadium press box.
There were no pre-snap penalties, no botched substitutions and only one ill-timed time out.
*After a hot start for the Gold Team offense in the first half, neither squad’s offense did much of anything in the second half.
There were 11 total offensive possessions in the second half, seven ended with over on downs, three ended on punts, and one on a field goal.
*Working mainly with Buchner, three of Notre Dame frontline receivers on the Blue Team — sophomore Tobias Merriweather, junior Deion Colzie and senior Chris Tyree — combined for only 5 catches for 33 yards with no touchdowns.
The longest reception for the trio was a 14-yarder by Tyree.
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