Even with the outcome most likely decided, Notre Dame continued to press against Central Michigan. [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag] had hit a lot of receivers over the course of the game, but one he hadn’t was tight end [autotag]Holden Staes[/autotag]. That changed in the fourth quarter. Hartman hit Staes for a 4-yard touchdown, his first reception of the game, and any remaining doubts that the Irish would win were gone:
Sam Hartman's third TD extends the Norte Dame lead! #GoIrish
đź“ş: @peacock pic.twitter.com/jzeDOp53AV
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) September 16, 2023
Not only did the touchdown extend the Irish’s lead further, but it set a program record. Dating to last season’s Gator Bowl, the Irish now have scored at least 40 points in five straight games. That’s the first such streak in 136 years of Notre Dame football. Everyone who has made this possible should feel very proud.
We will have more about the Irish’s 41-17 victory in other posts, but for our purposes here, let’s purely focus on social media reactions to Staes’ late touchdown: