Sam Hartman, Audric Estime, Notre Dame Hailed by Fans for Final Drive in Win vs. Duke

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To say Saturday’s matchup between No. 17 Duke and No. 11 Notre Dame went down to the wire would be an understatement.

Trailing by a single point with a dwindling clock, Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman needed to deliver a comeback drive. That is exactly what he did.

It wasn’t an easy drive, the Irish even faced a fourth-and-16. Hartman looked for a play but eventually kept it himself, galloping to a clutch first down. Two plays later, running back Audric Estime took it 30-yards for a touchdown that would prove to be a game winner.

Duke would get a possession but a fumble would seal it for the Fighting Irish.

The victory comes after the Fighting Irish dropped last week’s matchup to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the final seconds. It looked like it would be a heartbreaking final once again for the Notre Dame faithful, but instead it turns into a huge ranked victory.

Hartman’s day was not necessarily his best. He was 15-of-30 for 222 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. He also had six rushes for 23 yards, with the 17-yard dash on the fourth down being his highlight of the day.

Fans on social media praised his fiery effort despite the struggles.

Estime had 18 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns and fans on social media celebrated his clutch score and overall performance.

Notre Dame is now 5-1 and have officially rebounded from last week’s loss to the Buckeyes. The Fighting Irish have numerous big games remaining on the schedule, including a matchup with Caleb Williams and USC, a matchup with Clemson and Hartman’s chance to take down Wake Forest, his former team.

Next week’s matchup is also a significant one as Notre Dame will face undefeated Louisville. That game is set to kick of October 7 at 7:30 P.M. ET.