As the matching equipment for both teams said, The Notre Dame – Navy rivalry is one built on respect, honor, and tradition. Saturday at Notre Dame stadium almost felt like a tribute film to the storied rivalry in its 89th meeting. Irish fans clapped for the Navy cadets as they entered the field. The Notre Dame band played the fight songs of all the academies at halftime. The two teams sung the alma maters of both schools at the conclusion of the game. The camaraderie between the two schools and their fan bases was on full display. Along with the displays of friendship between the two schools, there was a football game to be played that required a different kind of respect than the pregame festivities – respect for the toughness of the Midshipmen and their triple option offense.
Notre Dame Avoids Falling Into Trap Against Navy
Last week’s heartbreaking loss to Clemson left many wondering if Notre Dame might play a little sluggishly this week in what many were calling a trap game against Navy. For the majority of the first half, that seemed to be the case. Notre Dame opened the game with a three and out, Navy scored on their first possession in just three plays, and it looked like the Irish might have fallen victim to looking ahead to next week’s matchup with an even bigger rival in USC.
Notre Dame, however, was determined to get the bad taste out of their mouth after the loss. As they would continuously throughout the game, the Irish answered quickly with a touchdown of their own. Head coach Brian Kelly made a statement to his critics by calling a quarterback run on fourth down near the goal line, the same call that cost Notre Dame the Clemson game last week. Luckily for Kelly, the offensive line didn’t miss any blocks this time and quarterback DeShone Kizer got in for a score.
Notre Dame jumped to a 21-7 lead in the second quarter, but as fans have come to expect in this rivalry, the Midshipmen were not prepared to give up. Led by big plays from fullback Quentin Ezell, Navy stormed back to tie the game at 21. Both of Ezell’s touchdowns (45 and 22 yards) attacked the middle of Notre Dame’s defensive line while defensive tackle Jerry Tillery was forced to sit out a few series due to a sprained elbow.
Following the two scores, Notre Dame got the ball back with 24 seconds remaining in the half. Rather than opting to take a knee and head into the locker room, the coaches decided to play aggressively and try to steal back the momentum. The Irish did just that as a few quick plays allowed freshman kicker Justin Yoon to kick the second longest field goal in Notre Dame history, a fifty-two yarder, to end the half.
After playing a huge role in the loss to Clemson, turnover luck swayed in favor of Notre Dame on Saturday. Notre Dame forced a fumble on the opening kick of the second half and capitalized on the great field position, the exact opposite of what happened to them last week. After grabbing hold of the momentum, Notre Dame never gave it back. C.J. Prosise, who bounced back after a poor showing against Clemson, extended Notre Dame’s lead to seventeen in the third quarter, and Irish fans were safe to begin looking forward to a primetime showdown with USC next weekend.
Heading into the matchup against Navy, headlines focused on the fact that Notre Dame had already played exceptionally well against the triple option this season when they defeated Georgia Tech. Some saw this as an advantage for the Irish, and others pointed out that Navy could use the film to structure an offensive game plan based on what the Yellow Jackets did well against Notre Dame. It is now clear that the Irish benefitted more from already preparing for the unique offense once before; but, ultimately, that was not the deciding factor in the game.
Notre Dame’s style of play in the second half determined the outcome. It was easy to see the Irish defense played with a different swagger and determination after making some halftime adjustments. Surely, the team embraced the fact that another loss means no chance at a playoff birth, which many people predicted for the team in the preseason. The loss to Clemson already makes the road difficult for the Irish, but the veteran-led team was not going to get caught in the trap that was Navy. Notre Dame showed toughness on both sides of the ball, as if they were not prepared to let each other down two consecutive weeks.
Notre Dame was able to erase last week’s lost from recent memory, but this week presents a new challenge and weight to be lifted. Brian Kelly has not been shy about how badly he wants to beat Southern California after last year’s embarrassment to end the regular season. The Irish lost 49-14 in the Coliseum last November, and Notre Dame fans can rest assured that the team remembers that feeling and wants nothing more than to beat the Trojans and keep their playoff hopes alive. Notre Dame welcomes USC into South Bend just two days after the ten-year anniversary of the infamous Bush push game. Could we be in store for another classic ending between the two classic rivals?
Main Photo
