You obviously learn nothing of significance out of games like Saturday’s 56-3 win over Tennessee State. The opponent is simply not good enough to make major qualitative judgments about your own team in such contests. Knowing that, I was looking for little things. Here are a few that stood out.

Sam Hartman again

We don’t know what Sam Hartman will look like against teams as good as Ohio State Sept. 23, or even NC State next week. But through two weeks of lesser competition, he has been essentially perfect. The question for Irish fans when ND got the ball with less than a minute left in the first half and one timeout in its pocket was less whether we’d see a score than how difficult it would be and how long it would take. As it turned out, not at all, and not long. He even took the tight ends off of the milk cartons by hitting Mitchell Evans a couple of times and Holden Staes for the touchdown.

Almost every single throw was exactly where it was supposed to be. Other than a snippet of Jimmy Clausen’s 2009, that’s never been true of a Notre Dame quarterback for any significant length of time.

Having a quarterback in total command of the game is a remarkable blessing. Everything just seems easier.

The team seems looser and closer than before

I’m not saying it wasn’t there, but we never saw this kind of outward camaraderie and sense of fun from the Irish in years past, including last year. The entire defense coming together to Irish jig in the end zone after a Clarence Lewis pick-6; Sam Hartman hiding behind Gino Guidugli to avoid the student adoration after he was put on the video board while in a backwards cap; Hartman openly cheerleading his backups on the sideline; Steve Angeli running around with a goofy grin and hugging Tobias Merriweather after his first career touchdown pass; the whole front row of the team lined up for the Alma Mater doing another jig at the end of the game. Some of these things probably existed in previous years, but never this front and center.

I don’t know if it means anything right now, but it’s pretty cool.

The depth on this team is really good

It took a drive or two to get Angeli going when he was placed in the game. That was about it in terms of major drop-off in performance for Notre Dame with the reserves in. Jaylen Sneed showed off insane closing speed on an option pitch, Joshua Burnham flashed for another tackle for a loss, and on defense, the results were no different with the deep reserves in than they were with the starters.

On offense, presumptive #3 (or lower) running back Jeremiyah Love had an impressive TD run, we saw some cool stuff from Rico Flores, and the offensive line didn’t make life too difficult for Angeli or Kenny Minchey when they entered the game. Things didn’t look that good in past years on the rare occasions when Notre Dame blew out an opponent and put in the deep reserves.

Eight different players scored a touchdown for Notre Dame. Five of them did so for the first time in blue and gold (OK, I’m cheating a little bit by including the Hartman Flip, but technically, it’s true.)

I said it last week, but this is undeniably a byproduct of what we’ve seen on the recruiting trail since Marcus Freeman became head coach. The blue-chips of the blue-chips haven’t (yet) come to Notre Dame, but a lot of really good players are coming. It raises the floor of the team, not just season to season, but week to week.

The targeting rule

A writer in our Slack said the targeting rule only exists to screw Notre Dame – and that was before the actual targeting call that went against the Irish was made.

Every fan base probably feels that way, but the difference is that we are right.

Anyway, at least it happened before halftime, so Antonio Carter won’t miss any of the NC State game.

The real season starts next week

It was refreshing and pleasant to get Notre Dame on the board with two wins before Week 1 ended. Starting next week, a 10-game run of 9 power-conference foes (and Central Michigan) begins.

You can’t say for sure what awaits for Notre Dame, but what is definitely true through 2 games is that the Irish have done exactly what you’d expect CFP contenders to do with overmatched opponents. Now, we will see what ND can do with significant opposition.