The University of Notre Dame football team (7-1) shut down Navy (2-6) in the second half for a 35-13 victory on a sunny and cool Halloween afternoon at Gillette Stadium located in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Midshipmen held a 13-7 lead for 50 seconds in the first half before the Irish scored before halftime as part of a run of four touchdowns in four possessions.
Navy was able to compile 189 total yards in the first half, but Notre Dame’s defense flipped that script in the second half by holding the Midshipmen to 56 total yards and 0-4 on third down in the second half.
Luke Talich had one of those third down stops and led the Irish defense with 10 tackles in the game. Jaiden Ausberry piled up eight stops.
Offensively, it was a breakout game for sophomore wide receiver Jerome Bettis Jr. with six catches for 78 yards and his first career touchdown reception. Nolan James Jr. led the rushing attack for his second career 100-yard rushing game (107 yards on just nine carries). He added two long touchdown runs and has scored at least one touchdown in all eight Notre Dame games this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Navy earned three points on its first drive, running into the red zone before the Irish defense stepped up for a stop. Boubacar Traore made two key plays to end the drive. He stopped the Navy quarterback on a cut back run then dropped into coverage to break up a pass intended for the Midshipmen signal caller on a trick play at the pylon.
Notre Dame answered with its own scoring drive. Carr began the game 5-7 for 60 yards on the first possession, connecting with Jordan Faison for 36 yards. Nolan James Jr. rushed for 15 yards on the drive, but two of those runs were for first downs which included a fourth-and-one conversion.
On first-and-10 from the Navy 11, Carr hit Micah Gilbert on a slant pattern for a touchdown. The Irish had the lead 7-3 with 1:47 remaining in the first quarter.
Navy came back to earn another field goal as the Irish were able to buckle down in the red zone again. The Midshipmen got momentum when they converted a fourth-and-three from their own 42. The drive also was aided by a pass interference penalty on the Irish. The drive stalled at the nine-yard line, however, when Jayden Sanders broke up a third-down slant pass to force a 28-yard field goal.
Notre Dame was unable to move the ball on their next possession and gave the ball right back to Navy with just over seven minutes remaining in the half. The Midshipmen knew what they needed to do, work the clock and score before halftime. The home team did just that, driving 63 yards in 5:38 to take a 13-7 lead with 1:52 left.
That lead lasted just 50 seconds. Carr hit Gilbert and Faison for first downs to the Notre Dame 48-yard line. Nolan James Jr. then burst through a huge hole on the left side of the line and a downfield block from Faison to run 52 yards untouched for a score with :50 seconds remaining.
Notre Dame received the second half kickoff and put together another efficient drive. Carr connected with Ian Premer for nine yards, Jaden Greathouse for a first down then found Jerome Bettis Jr. on three consecutive passes. Bettis Jr. snagged them all for seven, nine then 14 yards down to the Navy five-yard line. Jonaz Walton carried three times from there, with the third tote a touchdown run behind house-clearing blocks from Sullivan Absher and Guerby Lambert.
The Irish had pushed the lead to 21-13 with 9:15 left in the third quarter.
Notre Dame’s defense was able to earn their first three-and-out of the game on Navy’s first possession of the second half. A first-down holding call pushed the Midshipmen behind the sticks, then two Jaiden Ausberry stops were sandwiched around a Madden Faraimo tackle and Navy punted the ball away on fourth-and-three.
Faraimo was playing in place of injured middle linebacker and captain Drayk Bowen, who was shaken up in the first first half and would not return to the game.
James Jr. then took over the Irish offense. He started the drive with five yards, then earned a first down after a nine-yard Greathouse catch. Two plays later he cut back for 12 yards to get the ball to the Navy 43. Carr then found Bettis Jr. for five yards and an unnecessary roughness call on Navy put the ball at the 23-yard line. On the next snap, James Jr. strolled through a gigantic hole on the left side and found the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the game.
Navy earned one first down on its next drive before Notre Dame’s defense stepped up again. On third-and-short, Luke Talich, Jayden Sanders and Adon Shuler stuffed a wide run to the left short of the marker. It was fourth-and-two at the Navy 43.
Navy called a quarterback counter to the right and the Irish were ready. Talich and Shuler were joined by Rodney Dunham this time, who all stoned the play for a loss and the Irish offense was back in business.
It would not take long to extend the lead. On the final play of the third quarter Walton found 12 yards up the middle. After the break, Carr found a streaking Bettis Jr. wide open down the left sidelines for a 31-yard score – the first touchdown of the Irish legacy’s career.
The defense wasn’t done yet. Navy looked like they were going to pick up another first down on a throw-back screen on third and long, but Jaylen Sneed performed a great open field tackle to force another Midshipmen punt. At that point, Navy, which had piled up 189 yards in the first half, had just 41 total yards in the second half.
Notre Dame was called for holding on the punt, which affected the field position for the next Irish possession. Matt Jefferey caught a first down pass and Walton rushed for a first down to get the ball out to the 35. Carr then threw a laser to Jack Laren for a 21-yard gain across midfield.
The drive stalled after an Elijah Burress catch that looked like a 30-yard gain was reviewed and found his heel had hit out-of-bounds. The Irish faced fourth-and-five and decided to go for it. Carr found Walton out of the backfield for a 14-yard conversion to the Navy 25.
Notre Dame would drive no further than that, however. Navy held the Irish to a fourth-and-five attempt at the 23-yard line. Carr overthrew Jefferey on the play and Navy took over with 5:58 remaining. That drive would end quickly as well as the Irish defense was suffocating the Midshipmen attack throughout the second half.
The Irish would extinguish the rest of the game clock on their next possession. Aneyas Williams had a 28-yard run and Bettis a 12-yard catch from Noah Grubbs to move into the red zone before time ran out at the Navy 19-yard line.