HOW IT HAPPENED
Navy started the game without their starting quarterback Blake Horvath who was on the sideline in street clothes after suffering an injury last week against North Texas. The Midshipmen won the toss and took possession of the ball. They earned one first down before an Adon Shuler stop on third down forced a punt just over the Navy 40.
A well-positioned punt pinned Notre Dame at its own six-yard line.
Two Jeremiyah Love rushes earned little, but CJ Carr found him on third and long for 27 yards to get Notre Dame out of the hole. On the next snap, Carr play-faked to Love and threw long for Malachi Fields who had beaten his man off the line and snagged the pass clean for a 52-yard pass to the Navy 15.
Love then gained 11 yards up the middle before powering in from a yard out one play later to give the home team a 7-0 lead.
Backup Navy quarterback Braxton Woodson provided a couple first downs on designed runs and moved the ball over midfield. It was there that the Irish defense made their stand. DeVonta Smith started a streak of key plays with an open field tackle of Woodson. The quarterback then tried the other side where Tae Johnson drilled him for a loss. Navy then attempted their first pass of the game, broken up by Smith and the Midshipmen punted again.
Notre Dame quickly went three-and-out and a short punt put Navy in perfect position to even the game. Runs of 15, six and 13 yards moved the ball into the Irish red zone. A well-called reverse for 11 yards positioned the ball at the three yard line and Woodson powered in two plays later. Four minutes into the second quarter the game was even at 7-7.
As the weather turned worse in a driving rain the Irish offense would not let the conditions affect their efficiency. Fields caught a slant on the first play and fought for nine more yards after the catch to get the ball to midfield. Fields then got 13 on a catch followed by a Jadarian Price six-yard run. Carr found Fields yet again for 12 yards before Price rushed for seven before Notre Dame faced a fourth down deep into Navy territory.
Carr looked to Jordan Faison for his first catch of the game and he delivered, completing the catch and breaking two tackles to earn a first down at the two-yard line. On the next play Price scored behind key blocks from Sullivan Absher, Joe Otting and Anthonie Knapp to put the Irish up 14-7.
Notre Dame’s defense stepped up to force its first three-and-out of the game on Navy’s next possession. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa put the Midshipmen behind the sticks with a tackle-for-loss on the first play, then Leonard Moore stuffed the pitch man for just two yards. Navy attempted its second pass of the game which was overthrown and the punt team came onto the field.
Notre Dame took over and on third-and-seven and Love spun through the middle and fought for 16 yards. Carr then looked deep to Fields again who almost made the catch while being interfered with at the goal line. The defensive pass interference penalty moved the ball to the Navy 34.
Will Pauling stepped up on third-and-10 with a huge play, breaking two tackles and earning 19 yards after his reception to move the ball to the Navy five-yard line. Carr then found Faison on the next play for the score as the Irish wideout broke inside, then outside, easily beating the defense to the endzone. The Irish were up 21-7 with 1:42 left in the first half.
