The Rip Miller Trophy is on the line once again this Saturday when the Irish travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the top-25 ranked Navy Midshipmen. Navy’s defense has been the embodiment of “bend but don’t break” this season. We preview the Midshipmen defense here:
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Navy (6-0) 2024 results:
Vs Bucknell (49-21, Win)
Vs Temple (38-11, Win)
Vs Memphis (56-44, Win)
At UAB (41-18, Win)
At Air Force (34-7, Win)
Vs Charlotte (51-17, Win)
As a team, Navy allows 387.5 total yards per game, a number that is below average in the FBS. They have had their fair share of struggles in both the rushing and passing games. However, their 19.67 points per game allowed ranks second in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
The total scoring defense number is so low due to Navy’s elite red zone presence. Opponents have only scored on 12 of 19 red zone trips (63.2%), with eight touchdowns. This number ranks second in the AAC, behind Army, and fourth nationally.
Another point of success for this Navy defense has been their ability to score themselves. This unit’s three defensive touchdowns rank second in the AAC and tied for fifth in the country. Notably, all three scores were pick-sixes.
This leads to Navy’s passing defense. The Midshipmen secondary is allowing 224.7 passing yards per game, which is below average, however, they have turned opponents over. Their 10 interceptions this season are tied-first in the AAC and tied-ninth among FBS teams. Pass rushers are also finding success this season, averaging 2.5 sacks per game which ranks fourth in the AAC. Let’s highlight some key members of the Navy secondary:
One player the Irish offense will need to watch out for is senior free safety Rayuan Lane III. The senior is a third-year starter and was named All-AAC Third Team last season. He finished last year with 66 tackles while leading the team in interceptions (four) and passes defended (eight). In last season’s meeting with the Irish, Lane posted five tackles, two passes defended, and a forced fumble. This year, he has totaled 36 tackles, three forced fumbles (leads AAC and tied for third nationally), three passes defended, and two interceptions including an 86-yard pick-six against Memphis. In general, Lane has been elite in all defensive phases as he is the third-highest-graded safety in all of college football according to PFF. The safety is capable of taking reps at slot corner as well.
Another true safety to keep an eye on is senior Mbiti Williams Jr. The athletic senior can line up in either safety position as a versatile defensive back. Last year, Williams finished with 63 tackles, five passes defended, an interception, and a forced fumble. This season, Williams has recorded 22 tackles, two passes defended, and a forced fumble. Overall, Williams is a reliable tackler and run-stopper but he has struggled in coverage. He has allowed nine receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns while targeted this year. This could be a key point of attack for the Irish passing offense on Saturday.
Like Williams, junior Jaxson Campbell is another versatile defensive back. The former wide receiver is listed as a “striker” on Navy’s official roster. Campbell can typically be found playing slot corner or outside linebacker. He is experiencing a breakout season this year as he enters Saturday with 39 tackles, three passes defended, two and a half sacks, and an interception. The junior has five or more tackles in five of six games and two ten-tackle games. His best performance came against Air Force when he recorded seven tackles, two sacks, and a pass defended in the rivalry win. Like Lane, Campbell is a very good player in all defensive aspects, he just has not had the same overall production as the senior.
Navy’s best true cornerback is senior Dashaun Peele. Last year, he was named an All-AAC honorable mention after finishing with 34 tackles, five passes defended, four interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Peele is on pace for another good year as he has totaled 19 tackles, three passes defended, three interceptions, including two pick-sixes last week, and two sacks. His three interceptions have all come in the past two games and he now leads the AAC in this category. Peele has been great in coverage all season and is finally being rewarded for his efforts.
Navy’s run defense has allowed 162.8 yards per game this season, another below-average number. Despite the lack of team production, there are still several key pieces that are capable of playing great football.
Firstly, senior defensive end Justin Reed is an integral edge rusher for this defense. He finished last season with 49 tackles, seven and a half tackles for loss, and four and a half sacks. Reed enters Saturday with 24 tackles, four sacks (leads AAC), and a forced fumble this year. His best performance this season came against UAB when he racked up seven tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The senior edge rusher has struggled with tackling this season (six missed tackles) but he has produced against the pass.
Another edge rushing threat is junior Luke Pirris. Navy lists Pirris as a “raider,” which is essentially a defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid. Last season, Pirris totaled 62 tackles, 10 tackles for loss (led team), four and a half sacks, three passes defended, and three fumble recoveries. This year, he has notched 29 tackles, one and a half sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Overall, Pirris has been solid in both pass and rush defense, however, like Reed, he has struggled with tackling. He had two missed tackles last week, bringing his season total to five.
The heart of this defensive line is junior tackle Landon Robinson. The 6-foot, 285-pound lineman was named to Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” last summer. Robinson can squat 650 and bench 435 pounds in addition to his 33-inch vertical jump. Last season, he finished with 28 tackles and four sacks. The junior has already notched 29 tackles this year, including two sacks. He has recorded five or more tackles in four of his six contests. Robinson is a great tackler and run-stopper who has struggled in pass rush this season.
One of the unquestioned leaders of this Navy defense is co-captain and inside linebacker Colin Ramos. Receiving captainship at any military academy is a huge badge of honor that Ramos should carry with him for life. The honor is well-earned after totaling 110 tackles (led team), eight tackles for loss, four passes defended, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery last season. These numbers earned Ramos First Team All-AAC recognition. In last season’s meeting with the Irish, Ramos finished the game with five solo tackles. He is having another good year this season as he enters Saturday’s matchup with 68 tackles (leads team), two passes defended, and a sack. Ramos’ 11.3 tackles per game leads the AAC and is tied for fifth among all FBS defenders. He has recorded four games with 10 or more tackles, including a 20-tackle outing against Memphis. Ramos is, clearly, a great tackler who specializes against the run. He has struggled against the pass this season in coverage and as a rusher.
The final key player to highlight on this Midshipmen defense is another interior linebacker, senior Kyle Jacob. After recording seven tackles in the season-opener against the Irish last season, Jacob unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury during practice the following week. The senior backer appears to come back strong as he has totaled 45 tackles (second-most on the team), an interception, and a fumble recovery. He has recorded five tackles in each game, including two games with 10 or more. Jacob, like Ramos, is a good tackler who makes more of an impact in the run game rather than pass.
As basic as it may sound, the key for the Irish offense should be to simply move the ball and score points. Notre Dame should look to establish the run early and often to limit any possible Riley Leonard throwing mistakes. Navy’s defense has been a brick wall in the red zone but the Irish should have enough firepower to get points on the board. Notre Dame’s offense has faced bigger tests this season and has, for the most part, dominated those tests. There is no reason Saturday should be any different.
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