Gold Shuts Out Blue 24-0

2023 NDFB Blue Gold Game Final Stats

The University of Notre Dame football team held the 92nd Annual Blue-Gold Game to cap its 2023 spring practice schedule on Saturday, April 22, in Notre Dame Stadium. Bolstered by a three-touchdown performance from quarterback Sam Hartman, the Gold defeated the Blue 24-0. 

The two teams were drafted by members of the Fighting Irish program earlier this week. There were no kickoffs in the game, after each score the ball was placed at the 35-yard line. The final attendance of the game was 32,942. 

Gold began with Hartman under center on the first drive. Early-enrollee freshman Jaden Greathouse kicked off his solid Notre Dame debut with a 21-yard catch followed by a Gi’Bran Payne 30-yard run. 

Jayden Thomas scored the first touchdown of the game catching the ball at around the five-yard line and fighting his way across the goal line. 

The Gold defense set the tone on its first play of the game, with Jordan Botelho sacking Tyler Buchner for a loss. Howard Cross III then ended Blue’s first drive with a sack of his own. 

On the first play of Gold’’s next drive, Hartman delivered a 46-yard pass to Jayden Thomas, then hit Davis Sherwood for 11 yards and the Gold was right back into the red zone. On third and one, Payne fought for a first down to put the ball at the one and Hartman scored on a quarterback keeper on the next snap. 

Blue put together a drive on its next possession led by two solid runs from Audric Estimé. On a key third down, Buchner connected with Deion Colzie to gain another set of downs at the Gold 35-yard line. 

Jaiden Ausberry put Blue behind the down marker, however, with a tackle for loss and Jaden Mickey ended the scoring threat with an interception of a Buchner pass intended for Colzie at the 12-yard line. 

The Gold drove to the Blue 40 on their next drive, but a key stop by Benjamin Morrison on a reverse for an eight-yard loss put the Gold behind schedule and forced their first punt of the game. 

Blue could not take advantage of the opportunity however, and quickly went three-and-out. Thomas was key on the next Gold drive again turning a swing pass into a first down (he would finish the day with six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown). Sherwood tacked on a 19-yard catch and Hartman then found Greathouse on the slant pattern to the Blue 13-yard line. 

Standing behind great protection from the offensive line, Hartman double-pumped and found a wide open Salerno at the back pylon in the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the game. Hartman’s day would end there, finishing 13-of-16 for 189 yards and three scores (one rushing). 

That completed much of the scoring in the game, as after halftime the teams shifted to a running clock. Steve Angeli did lead a Gold scoring drive that overlapped the third and fourth quarter, keyed by a Greathouse 19-yard catch. Zach Yoakam ended the scoring in the game with a 28-yard field goal. 

Greathouse finished the game with 11 catches for 118 yards. Payne led all rushers in the game with 51 yards, while Sam Assaf added another 42 for the Gold team. Jaylen Sneed led the Gold with seven tackles, while Nolan Ziegler had a game-high 10 for the Blue.