2023 College Football: Winners and Losers from Week 0 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
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2023 College Football: Winners and Losers from Week 0
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Jadarian PriceCharles McQuillan/Getty Images
Led by star transfer Sam Hartman and his four touchdown passes, Notre Dame kicked off Week 0 of the 2023 college football season with a dismantling of Navy.
And the race for a national championship is officially on.
Dramatics aside, Notre Dame opened Saturday’s seven-game schedule with a painless win in Dublin, Ireland. In the evening, Caleb Williams began his Heisman Trophy defense as USC hosted San Jose State.
Every week throughout the season, Bleacher Report will feature some winners and losers of the slate.
Let’s get started on the most memorable news of Week 0.
Winner: Sam Hartman’s Debut
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Sam HartmanPhoto By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images
The moment Sam Hartman committed to Notre Dame, the Wake Forest transfer took on College Football Playoff expectations.
So far, so good.
Hartman dominated in his first contest with the Fighting Irish, leading them to a 42-3 blowout win over Navy. Excluding one spike, he completed 14-of-16 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the opening half. Hartman finished a sparkling 19-of-23 for 251 yards and four scores.
“He did a really good job,” ND coach Marcus Freeman said on NBC. “More than the execution of the plays and the receivers and throwing the ball, he got the offense into the right protections and to the right calls.”
Notre Dame has a long season ahead, but Hartman gives the Irish a real chance at being a national threat.
Loser: Navy’s 1st-Half Finish
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Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Given that ND was a huge favorite, whether Navy lost by 15 points or 45 didn’t much matter. But at least go down swinging, please?
Late in the second quarter, Notre Dame held a 21-0 lead. Navy orchestrated an eight-minute drive that edged inside the red zone, where the Midshipmen faced a 4th-and-4. Rather than being aggressive, however, new coach Brian Newberry decided to kick a field goal.
Navy missed, but that’s not important. The process stunk.
Sure, the Mids could’ve made it 21-3 and were set to receive the second-half kickoff. To that point, though, Notre Dame had scored a touchdown, touchdown and touchdown on its three drives.
Field goals ain’t gonna cut it here, Brian.
That particular choice didn’t determine this outcome. But as the Midshipmen aim to crack four victories for the first season since 2019, they must be smarter about when to play conservatively. This wasn’t the day.
Winner: Caleb Williams and USC
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Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
That’s what you expected from the Heisman winner, right?
USC rolled to a 56-28 triumph over San Jose State, leaning on Caleb Williams to the tune of 285 yards and four scores. He guided the Trojans to touchdowns on six of their eight possessions.
Also, he did this.
We’re not kidding.
Williams has a long road to a second Heisman—something only Archie Griffin accomplished in 1974 and 1975 with Ohio State—but he put up the necessary numbers on a stat-padding Saturday.
And looked awesome doing it.
Winner: Jacksonville State’s FBS Opener
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Welcome to the party, Jacksonville State.
In their first-ever contest as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Gamecocks also earned a Conference USA victory. The newcomers to the highest level clipped UTEP 17-14 in a thrilling finish.
Malik Jackson rushed for 76 yards, Ron Wiggins added 63 yards and both of them scored touchdowns for JSU. Most importantly, the defense forced three turnovers—including a game-sealing pick by seventh-year defender Jeremiah Harris with only 1:15 to play.
Jacksonville State isn’t eligible for postseason play, but every victory is valuable for the program’s future.
Loser: Ohio’s Offense
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Tony Ding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Perhaps this is more a personal disappointment; I hoped for Ohio to put together a terrific offensive year.
However, that potential rested on the health of quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Although an ACL injury ended his 2022 season in November, he recovered in time for the opener at San Diego State.
But the 2023 campaign might have begun with a disaster.
Rourke left the contest with an unspecified injury and the Bobcats suffered without him. CJ Harris tossed three interceptions, and a missed 31-yard field goal in the early third quarter didn’t help matters.
As long as Rourke is available by the time conference play starts against Bowling Green on Sep. 23, Ohio still has league-winning potential. But that upside is entirely dependent on Rourke’s health.
Winner: UMass! For Real!
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- 2019: 1-11
- 2020: 0-4
- 2021: 1-11
- 2022: 1-11
Sam Wasson/Getty Images
If you’re not familiar with Massachusetts football, here’s a quick and easy refresher about its recent history.
So, hey, when you begin the season with a victory, that’s worth every bit of the celebration that follows. UMass snagged three takeaways and racked up 468 yards—only seven short of the team’s 2022 high—while taking down New Mexico State 41-30.
The value of a win cannot be understated; since UMass joined the FBS in 2012, it hasn’t surpassed four victories.
Let’s be serious: Week 0 might be the final time I write about the Minutemen in this space in 2023. But on this particular night, they deserve the moment in the spotlight.
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