The longtime rivalry between Navy (6-1) and Notre Dame (7-1) continues; however, the Fighting Irish had the last laugh in this contest, winning 51-14. The atmosphere surrounding MetLife Stadium, in support of our troops, was phenomenal and filled with energy. Despite the 76,112 people in attendance, the patriotic spirit at MetLife Stadium was palpable. The Fighting Irish opened the game with a spread offense, aiming to send an early message to Navy. They were aggressive from the start, trying to force Navy to play from behind. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard threw for 178 yards, with his longest throw of the game reaching 42 yards, and he scored two touchdowns.
Building Momentum Moving Forward
Despite a disappointing loss to Northern Illinois University earlier in the season, Notre Dame has begun building team cohesion and striving for dominant performances. While creating six turnovers and only punting twice throughout the game, Coach Freeman noted his team is still not satisfied. He acknowledged they would celebrate, but there is still room for improvement as the season progresses.
“For us, we achieved the outcome we wanted,” Freeman stated. “There’s always room for improvement. I’m not satisfied because we want more; we want perfection. We’ll let others determine what type of win this was, but we’ll celebrate because everyone in that room put in a lot of work to achieve it. We’ll get back to work, address inefficiencies, and build on the areas we’ve done well.”
“I’m still trying to figure out whether we’ve got it or not,” Leonard said. “There’s always more in the tank. It’s been a work in progress, but I think we’re getting better every week.”
Early in the game, the Fighting Irish managed to cause timely and uncharacteristic turnovers by Navy. Before this game, where Notre Dame orchestrated six turnovers in total, the Midshipmen hadn’t recorded any turnovers since the opening week against Bucknell. Three turnovers in the first half ultimately shifted the game’s momentum. Despite Navy's explosive play potential, turnovers made it difficult for them to stay competitive.
“That was a point of emphasis. This team is No. 2 in the country in turnover margin,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. “To be plus-6 in turnovers is a direct reflection of complementary football.”
This season, the Fighting Irish have struggled with slow starts. In this game, they emphasized getting an early start and putting pressure on Navy. Leonard was methodical and efficient in his first two drives, both resulting in points.
“The last couple of games, we started down 7-0, and had long drives to tie the game,” Leonard said. “Our ability to respond and reload—Coach Freeman talks about it all the time. He emphasizes reloading, so no matter what happens on the last play, you can’t let it affect the next.”
What’s Next for the Fighting Irish and Navy?
Saturday night, the Fighting Irish will take on the Florida State Seminoles (1-6). Meanwhile, the Midshipmen will face Rice University (1-3) on Saturday evening.
“Sometimes you want something so bad that you play outside of yourself, and I think we did that today,” said Navy head coach Brian Newberry, whose team had not lost a fumble all season.
