Sam Hartman explains why facing NC State defense is so challenging

Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman will be facing a familiar opponent Saturday afternoon as the Irish take on NC State in Raleigh.

Hartman played against NC State three times during his time at Wake Forest, with mixed results. The Demon Deacons were 2-1 in those three games, but Hartman threw six interceptions combined the past two years.

The senior joined ESPN College GameDay Saturday morning and shared what makes facing the NC State defense so tough.

“Obviously they run a different scheme, they run a different defense than you see week-to-week,” Hartman said. “But it really starts with their linebacker corps – a guy named Payton Wilson. I’ve got a lot of respect for him – incredible player. I’ve played against him since my freshman year.”

Wilson and Sam Hartman were both in the class of 2018. Wilson has battled injuries at times during his career, but when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best linebackers in the country. He had 10 tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception in NC State’s win over UConn in Week 1.

Hartman added that the NC State secondary is also a strength, even with several new faces.

“There’s no real drop off in the secondary, too,” he said. “They’ve lost a lot of guys, but we know that they’ve got guys that are going to be able to play. And they’re physical. They’re physical from snap one ‘til the very last snap. And we’re hoping to match that.”

Brennan Armstrong breaks down what he expects from Notre Dame defense

In addition to Sam Hartman breaking down the NC State defense, Wolfpack quarterback Brennan Armstrong shared what he expects from the Notre Dame defense earlier this week.

“Their front seven is really tough,” started the NC State quarterback. “So we’ve just got to control the trenches. We’ve got to make sure we establish ourselves. A lot of man coverage. Cover-one stuff. Guys are going to have to win on the outside. We’re going to have to make plays.

“I think they kind of saw what I can do with my feet. They’ll probably get a guy spying on me. Not trying to let me get out of the pocket too much. But yeah, they’re all around a good defense. A solid defense.”

In his first game with the Wolfpack, Armstrong led NC State to a 24-14 victory over Connecticut, passing for 155 yards, but making a real impact with his legs, carrying the football 19 times for 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns.