Deacon Sports Xtra: Hartman Shares Praise with Rest of Record-Setting Offense
10/17/2022 12:30:00 PM | Football
“Whatever praise and accolades I get, it’s all credit to them. The receivers and quarterbacks always get a lot of love for the big, flashy plays. But none of that happens without the offensive line, the running backs and tight ends.” - Sam Hartman
Sam Hartman was slinging the football around confidently against No. 4 Clemson in front of a sold out crowd at Truist Field and nearly 3.2 million TV viewers nationwide.
The offensive line was fending off the talented Tiger defensive line and the receivers were destroying their secondary, allowing Hartman to methodically pick apart the Clemson defense play by play. Before it was all over, Hartman had thrown for 337 yards and six touchdowns — setting a new program record for most passing touchdowns in a single game, but the Deacs fell just short in heartbreaking fashion, falling 51-45 in double overtime.
Hartman's name is now littered all over the program record book, but even more importantly for the trajectory of the 2022 football season has been his leadership and mindset, as he set the tone in not allowing Clemson to beat the Deacs twice.
"He is the heartbeat of our football team," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said on ACC PM on the ACC Network. "He's such a competitor. He's become such a great leader. There was a feeling after the loss to Clemson that he was not going to let our football team have a bad practice. If we didn't beat Florida State, it wasn't going to be because we weren't prepared or focused.
"Sam sets the direction of our football team, and he's done a great job with that. He doesn't panic. We fall behind and he doesn't panic. He's just a great competitor and leader. There's no other quarterback I'd rather have."
The Deacs bounced back from the disappointment with a mammoth 31-21 win over then-undefeated Florida State. Hartman passed for 234 yards and two scores in the win, leading an 18-play, seven-minute drive in the fourth quarter that secured the win following a Matthew Dennis field goal.
"That last drive by the offense was just huge," Clawson said. "They're within seven points and we get the football back and convert third downs and convert fourth downs and drain the clock and then Matt Dennis to hit a field goal like that, and then our defense gets a stop."
After missing the season opener because of a medical condition, Hartman returned to the field by throwing for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a steady rain in a win at Vanderbilt.
"I thought he played well," Clawson said after that victory. "He's just played so much football. When he goes out there, he has a command of things. Everybody else's play elevates because of him. Atorian (Perry), Donavon (Greene) and the guys know he's going to get them the ball. He did a great job. He's one of the premier quarterbacks in the country."
Hartman now owns virtually every passing record in Wake Forest program history: Most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, most consecutive games with multiple touchdown passes, most touchdown passes in a single game, most career passing yards and most career passing touchdowns. He's fourth in ACC history and one of just nine quarterbacks in the conference to throw for more than 10,000 career yards.
Predictably enough, Hartman deferred praise after the win over Florida State and instead heaped appreciation onto his teammates.
"They make me look good," he said. "Whatever praise and accolades I get, it's all credit to them. The receivers and quarterbacks always get a lot of love for the big, flashy plays. But none of that happens without the offensive line, the running backs and tight ends. That's why I love it here. It's a team win. In that locker room, it's everybody celebrating.
"It goes back to everybody I've played with before and for coach Clawson and coach R sticking with me. I'm grateful to every receiver who's ever caught a ball I've thrown and to every offensive lineman and running back. It goes across the board, and I wish that is what it would show, but it's my name on there."
The offensive line was fending off the talented Tiger defensive line and the receivers were destroying their secondary, allowing Hartman to methodically pick apart the Clemson defense play by play. Before it was all over, Hartman had thrown for 337 yards and six touchdowns — setting a new program record for most passing touchdowns in a single game, but the Deacs fell just short in heartbreaking fashion, falling 51-45 in double overtime.
Hartman's name is now littered all over the program record book, but even more importantly for the trajectory of the 2022 football season has been his leadership and mindset, as he set the tone in not allowing Clemson to beat the Deacs twice.
"He is the heartbeat of our football team," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said on ACC PM on the ACC Network. "He's such a competitor. He's become such a great leader. There was a feeling after the loss to Clemson that he was not going to let our football team have a bad practice. If we didn't beat Florida State, it wasn't going to be because we weren't prepared or focused.
"Sam sets the direction of our football team, and he's done a great job with that. He doesn't panic. We fall behind and he doesn't panic. He's just a great competitor and leader. There's no other quarterback I'd rather have."
The Deacs bounced back from the disappointment with a mammoth 31-21 win over then-undefeated Florida State. Hartman passed for 234 yards and two scores in the win, leading an 18-play, seven-minute drive in the fourth quarter that secured the win following a Matthew Dennis field goal.
"That last drive by the offense was just huge," Clawson said. "They're within seven points and we get the football back and convert third downs and convert fourth downs and drain the clock and then Matt Dennis to hit a field goal like that, and then our defense gets a stop."
After missing the season opener because of a medical condition, Hartman returned to the field by throwing for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a steady rain in a win at Vanderbilt.
"I thought he played well," Clawson said after that victory. "He's just played so much football. When he goes out there, he has a command of things. Everybody else's play elevates because of him. Atorian (Perry), Donavon (Greene) and the guys know he's going to get them the ball. He did a great job. He's one of the premier quarterbacks in the country."
Hartman now owns virtually every passing record in Wake Forest program history: Most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, most consecutive games with multiple touchdown passes, most touchdown passes in a single game, most career passing yards and most career passing touchdowns. He's fourth in ACC history and one of just nine quarterbacks in the conference to throw for more than 10,000 career yards.
Predictably enough, Hartman deferred praise after the win over Florida State and instead heaped appreciation onto his teammates.
"They make me look good," he said. "Whatever praise and accolades I get, it's all credit to them. The receivers and quarterbacks always get a lot of love for the big, flashy plays. But none of that happens without the offensive line, the running backs and tight ends. That's why I love it here. It's a team win. In that locker room, it's everybody celebrating.
"It goes back to everybody I've played with before and for coach Clawson and coach R sticking with me. I'm grateful to every receiver who's ever caught a ball I've thrown and to every offensive lineman and running back. It goes across the board, and I wish that is what it would show, but it's my name on there."
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