Notre Dame vs Navy: An Opportunity to Regain Momentum
Rob Gray-Imagn Images
With Miami looming next week, Notre Dame cannot afford to overlook Navy. Coming off a disappointing performance against BYU, the Fighting Irish have a golden opportunity to get back on track, build confidence, and prove they can dominate on both sides of the ball.
Notre Dame will once again hit the road to head to Gillette Stadium to take on the Navy Midshipmen in Foxborough, Massachusetts. For the Fighting Irish, this game entirely rides on what they bring to the table. Navy has struggled this year, and they do not seem to present any real challenge to Notre Dame. It is up to Notre Dame to take care of business early, denying any possibility of a "look-ahead" with Miami in town next week. As it is a rivalry game, Notre Dame needs to get off to an early start and put the game away early. Navy can be a tricky team to play and never fails to bring the toughness needed to present problems.
Luckily for the Irish, this is probably the weakest Navy team they've seen over the past few years. Standing at 2-5, Navy has struggled to find the formula against teams they have had success against in the recent past. A lot of those struggles come from their struggling pass defense. In three of their five losses, they have given up over 300 yards in each game. In those games, they also gave up a staggering 11 passing touchdowns, a clear sign that this Navy secondary has areas to expose.
Navy's suspect defense bodes well for CJ Carr and a Notre Dame offense still searching for answers. After the BYU game, it is clear that this offense still has a lot of work to do. A game like this may be exactly what they need to find their footing. To start, Carr may be able to use this game to gain some of his confidence back. BYU was a low moment in Carr's career, so a chance to play well against a struggling secondary could be beneficial. Navy will likely give Carr chances to hit on big plays downfield, so it will be up to him to make the plays he failed to make against BYU.
On the outside, this is just as big of an opportunity for the Irish wide receivers as it is for Carr. In Navy's most recent game, a North Texas wide receiver tallied a whopping 209 receiving yards. A game like that should have Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, and Micah Gilbert salivating to get on the field. Faison and Gilbert have been consistently productive all year, and Saturday should be no different. The most interesting player to look out for will be Greathouse, who seems to have finally gotten into the groove of the season. While it was not pretty for many Notre Dame players, the BYU game may have been Greathouse's best performance of the season, totaling eight catches for 125 yards. It will be crucial for Greathouse to continue his production with the Miami game right around the corner. There has also been a lot of talk about the wide receiver rotation in recent press conferences. Many fans have asked to see the depth of this group, as the BYU game featured a heavy dose of Faison, Greathouse, and Gilbert. Navy could present a great opportunity for players like Elijah Burress, Jerome Better Jr., and Mylan Graham to see more of the field.
Defensively, Navy always presents a unique challenge for any opposing team. As many know, they specialize in a triple-option run game that keeps defenses on their toes with multiple running options. Luckily for the Irish, the players are accustomed to playing Navy every year, and they have already seen this type of offense this year with Rice. Marcus Freeman's defenses have always played Navy well. Whether it's his defensive mind, his recruiting, or his preparation, his teams always seem up to the defensive task. On Saturday, it will be about stopping Navy QB Jackson Gutierrez. While he does not present many threats as a passer, Gutierrez is an incredibly dangerous runner, operating this triple-option offense. In seven games, he has already totaled 1,057 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. To add to those impressive stats, he is also averaging just under six yards per carry, proving that this offense can be very efficient on the ground.
To slow down this rushing attack, it will be up to the Fighting Irish front seven to bring the speed and discipline needed to stop it. When there are multiple running options, it takes the discipline needed to follow your assignment, not the ball. Along the defensive line, they will need to get early penetration through the middle to disrupt inside run schemes. Together, both the linebackers and defensive line can win this game simply by stopping the run, but Navy never makes it easy to do so. There will likely be no real test for the Notre Dame secondary, putting a large emphasis on this talented Notre Dame front seven.
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