After choosing to sit out the Sun Bowl, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman raised eyebrows. On Friday, he explained the reasoning behind his “extremely” difficult decision.
Speaking with Jenny Dell of CBS Sports during No. 16 Notre Dame’s 40-8 win over No. 19 Oregon State, Hartman said he sat the game out to give backup QB Steve Angeli and others a shot at shining on a big stage.
“The Notre Dame fan base and the entire community has been incredible to me,” Hartman said. “If I disappointed some people, I want to apologize. But to give Steve and everybody an opportunity to go out and execute and play well is something that I’ll always cherish.”
Angeli took full advantage of the chance given to him. In his first career start, the sophomore finished 15-of-19 for 232 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, helping lead Notre Dame to the blowout win.
With the Irish up 17-0 in the third quarter, Angeli scrambled up the middle for a big gain, ending his run by lowering his shoulder into an Oregon State defender. Angeli’s aggressive run pleased Hartman, who watched from the sidelines as cameras caught the QB smiling ear-to-ear after the play.
