The University of Notre Dame football team (7-1) forced six turnovers enroute to a 51-14 demolition of No. 24 Navy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Saturday afternoon. The Irish forced two Midshipmen fumbles on their first two offensive series, went ahead 14-0 and never looked back as Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman earned a school-record-matching 10th win over a ranked team in his first three years leading the program.
Senior quarterback Riley Leonard continued his recent run of efficient play, completing 13-of-21 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns while adding 83 rushing yards and another score on the ground. Sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love rushed for 102 yards and two scores, one a spectacular 64-yard jaunt for Notre Dame’s third score of the game.
Navy had trouble holding on to the ball all afternoon and the Irish defense took advantage, holding the nation’s fourth scoring offense (44.8 points per game entering Saturday) to just two touchdowns. Senior linebacker Jack Kiser and sophomore linebacker Jaylen Sneed led the way with nine tackles each (the nine stops a career-best for Sneed) while Adon Shuler and Junior Tuihalamaka also hit career-bests with seven stops each.
“We challenged them all week to match the takeaways that Navy has shown all year,” Freeman told ESPN after the game. “They are a good offense and a good team but our guys played well and played hard. They had a consistent game. Consistency is the sign of a great team.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mitchell Evans keyed Notre Dame’s first drive with a 13-yard first down catch to move the chains. Navy forced the Irish into a third-and-six situation, but the Irish offense picked up the blitz and Leonard found Jaden Greathouse wide open over the middle for a 42-yard completion down to the Navy 12-yard line.
On third-and-two, Jeremiyah Love dove for a first down just short of the goal line and Leonard snuck in on a quick snap for his 11th rushing touchdown of the season.
Navy picked up two first downs on its first drive and pitched to their running back on a first down run, but the ball was dropped at the 30-yard line. Adon Shuler, who scored on an interception return last weekend, scooped up the ball and returned it all the way to the Navy seven-yard line.
The fumble was just Navy’s second turnover of the season and first since the Mid’s first game of the year against Bucknell.
Two short runs put the Irish on the doorstep and Leonard looked as though he scored on another sneak but the touchdown was called back for a false start. Now facing third and six, Leonard calmly found a wide open Kris Mitchell in the end zone to put the Irish up 14-0.
The Midshipmen pulled out a trick play on their next drive to temporarily get into Notre Dame territory. A double reverse pass was caught at the Notre Dame 43-yard line, but Navy would commit a personal foul penalty on an illegal chop block to fall back into their own territory.
On the next snap, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath dropped the ball which was recovered by Tuihalamaka at the Navy 44-yard line.
Two Leonard scrambles for 25 yards drove the Irish down to the 21-yard line. Navy did step up to force a field goal attempt from Zac Yoakam from 36 yards out that ended up just outside the left upright. The score remained 14-0 at the first quarter break.
Navy struck quickly after the break to cut the lead to one touchdown. Horvath kept on a wide option keeper and knifed through the Irish defense for a 47-yard touchdown run.
The Irish answered just as quickly, on the third play of the drive, Love took a deep handoff up the middle just as Navy blitzed their safety. Right guard Rocco Spindler picked up the blitzing defender, Love cut into the open space and outraced the rest of the defense for a career-high 64-yard touchdown run.
Notre Dame stepped up to force the first punt of the game for Navy, but the Midshipmen matched and forced the Irish to punt as well. However, the Navy returner muffed the catch and Notre Dame won the battle for the ball at the Navy 40.
Leonard connected with Jordan Faison for 23 yards on the first play, but it was called back for holding. Notre Dame chipped away at the first-and-20 scenario, getting to fourth and seven when Leonard found Faison again, this time for a first down at the 20-yard line.
Two runs moved the ball to third and one at the 11-yard line and Love took it the rest of the way, fighting for first down, then running untouched over the right side for his second touchdown of the day.
Navy answered with another big play when Horvath took off on a quarterback keeper for 60 yards on the first snap of their drive, but from there the Irish defense answered the call. Two negative plays pushed Navy to third-and-15, then Xavier Watts broke up a third down pass to force a 40-yard field goal that was missed.
The missed field goal marked the first time in 2024 Navy entered the red zone and came away without points.
Notre Dame was not done scoring in the first half. Leonard found Faison for 26 yards, scrambled for 15 then connected with Evans for a first down at the 19-yard line as time was running out in the first half.
Navy’s defense stiffened, however, and the Irish were forced into another Yoakam field goal attempt, this one from 32 yards that was good and Notre Dame entered the locker room with a 31-7 lead.
Navy received the ball to start the half and drove for a touchdown, bolstered by a questionable hands-to-the-face personal foul penalty. The Midshipmen ran an end around on fourth and one at the goal line to cut the Irish lead to 31-14.
The Irish immediately answered again. Leonard picked up a big third down on a 24-yard scramble, then found Beaux Collins wide open behind the Navy defense for a 37-yard touchdown and his second passing score of the game.
Navy fumbled its return of the kickoff to bury themselves in their own territory and paid for the mistake when Horvath dropped another ball. Pressured by Tuihalamaka from his left, Horvath stepped up to throw at his own goal line but the ball slipped out of his hands. Jaylen Sneed recovered the ball for Notre Dame’s fourth fumble recovery of the game and his first career defensive touchdown. The Irish missed the PAT and the lead was 30 points at 44-14.
On Navy’s next drive it looked like the Irish might have forced yet another fumble. Freshman Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa blitzed and hit the quarterback, forcing a fumble that was eventually recovered and returned by Notre Dame. The officials called roughing the passer on the clean hit, however, and Navy was allowed to continue their drive.
The Midshipmen would drive all the way into the red zone again. On fourth-and-goal from the 17, Horvath tried the back of the end zone but freshman cornerback Leonard Moore was there for the leaping interception – the first of his career.
Notre Dame started to play its backups at this point, with Steve Angeli entering at quarterback. Navy forced a punt, but yet again, muffed the catch and Notre Dame recovered its fifth fumble of the game. Freshman running back Kedren Young would cap the drive with his first career touchdown from four yards out.