Notre Dame Hands Navy First Loss of the Season

© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

On a windy afternoon in MetLife Stadium, No. 12 Notre Dame (7-1) secured a 51-14 victory over No. 24 Navy (6-1, 4-0 American Athletic Conference). Turnovers by the Midshipmen were the main storyline of this contest.

The Midshipmen had no turnovers in their five preceding games, but caught the turnover bug in this contest, fumbling the ball away 5 times and throwing an interception. On the other hand, Notre Dame did not turn the ball over once.

Game Summary

When they held onto the ball, the Midshipmen were efficient, averaging 5.4 yards per play. Notre Dame was even more proficient offensively, averaging 7.2 yards per play. Additionally, the Fighting Irish were effective on third down, converting on 8-of-13 attempts. By contrast, Navy converted on only 4-of-11 third down plays.

Time of possession was fairly even. Notre Dame possessed the ball for 30 minutes and 29 seconds, while Navy had the ball for 29 minutes and 31 seconds. The teams' rushing yardage outputs were also quite close, with the Fighting Irish tallying 265 yards on the ground and Navy gaining 222.

For Notre Dame, standout sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love rushed for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 12 carries.

N.D. quarterback Riley Leonard rushed for 83 yards and 1 touchdown. He also completed 13-of-21 passes for 178 yards and 2 TDs. Leonard spread the ball around, distributing passes to eight different receivers. Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Faison had 4 receptions for 52 yards.

For the Midshipmen, dual-threat QB Blake Horvath supplied the bulk of the offensive production, running for 129 yards and 1 TD on 8 carries. He also completed 7-of-13 passes for 88 yards.

© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Fighting Irish led 31-7 at halftime, and although Navy cut the lead to 31-14 early in the third quarter, Notre Dame responded with two quick touchdowns. The outcome of the game was effectively decided before the commencement of the fourth quarter.

Backup QBs replaced Leonard and Horvath in the waning moments of the game.

Next Up for Notre Dame, Navy

On Nov. 2, the Midshipmen take on the Rice Owls (2-5, 1-5) in Houston. The Fighting Irish are idle next week. On Nov. 9, they host the struggling Florida State Seminoles (1-6, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference).