Notre Dame football passes easy Navy test by pouncing on mistakes

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — An undefeated Navy soccer staff was supposed to supply a take a look at for Notre Dame on Saturday.

As a substitute, the No. 24 Midshipmen supplied the No. 12 Irish with ample alternatives to deal with the matchup in MetLife Stadium with ease. Navy, who entered Saturday with simply two turnovers by way of its first six video games of the season, dedicated six turnovers, and Notre Dame took benefit of them in a 51-14 victory in East Rutherford, N.J.

Navy clearly wasn’t prepared for the highlight. Notre Dame continued to indicate that its Faculty Soccer Playoff hopes ought to be taken significantly after a sixth consecutive victory following a loss to Northern Illinois that made the Irish a punchline.

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Notre Dame’s protection and particular groups made certain an Irish offense that hasn’t at all times been constant this season didn’t really feel an excessive amount of strain to attain on each possession. The Irish offense did loads of scoring in any case.

Notre Dame’s protection accounted for 4 turnovers — three fumble recoveries and one interception. The particular groups accounted for 2 extra fumble recoveries on muffed return makes an attempt by Navy on the one two punts of the sport for James Rendell. The Irish recovered 5 fumbles in a sport for the primary time since 1977.

In the meantime, Notre Dame by no means dedicated a turnover of its personal, which made victory a surety. It’s laborious to lose a sport with a 6-0 turnover benefit. That’s why Irish head coach Marcus Freeman steered a query about Notre Dame’s potential to get well so many fumbles towards its potential to guard the soccer.

“You hear me say it on a regular basis,” Freeman stated. “I do not wish to play ‘match’ ball. I wish to be aggressive and violent on protection, however most likely extra of the emphasis was on offense, due to the turnovers and fumbles they [Navy] have been creating on protection. And that is most likely what I am most pleased with, is that we put an enormous emphasis on our scout staff that each time there is a ball service, attempt to knock it out. And to have zero balls on the bottom versus that protection is large.”

Navy entered Saturday tied for fifteenth within the FBS in turnovers gained with 14 on 10 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries.

Taking part in Notre Dame led Navy into a lot of damaging firsts on the season. The Midshipmen hadn’t misplaced a fumble all season till fullback Alex Tecza did so on Navy’s first drive.

When Navy failed to attain on a red-zone journey within the second quarter, it turned the primary time in 25 tries this season during which Navy didn’t rating within the purple zone. The Midshipmen had beforehand registered 23 touchdowns and one area purpose on 24 red-zone entries.

Navy hadn’t even trailed by greater than seven factors at any level this season. The Irish have been up 14-0 lower than 10 minutes into the primary quarter. It was a special script for Notre Dame after trailing 7-0 in every of the previous three video games.

“Our potential to reply and reload, Coach Freeman talks about it on a regular basis,” stated Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. “That’s certainly one of his largest issues. Reload, reload, reload. One thing dangerous occurs, reload. One thing good occurs, reload. It doesn’t matter what occurred on the final play, you may’t let it have an effect on the subsequent. That’s simply our MO now. We reside by that.”

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Leonard led a balanced Notre Dame offensive assault with 178 passing yards and 83 dashing yards. He accomplished 13 of his 21 passes (61.9%) with landing connections of six yards to broad receiver Kris Mitchell within the first quarter and 37 yards to broad receiver Beaux Collins within the third quarter. Leonard, who rushed 10 occasions together with one sack, gave Notre Dame its first landing on a one-yard sneak up the center.

Operating again Jeremiyah Love continued his breakout sophomore season with 12 carries for 102 yards with landing runs of 64 and two yards within the second quarter. He’s scored a dashing landing in all eight video games this season and surpassed 100 yards for a second time.

A pair of beforehand injured starters — broad receiver Jordan Faison and offensive guard Billy Schrauth — gave Notre Dame’s offense their largest contributions since early season accidents. Faison, who’s handled an ankle damage because the season opener, caught 4 passes for 52 yards. He solely managed 4 catches for 29 yards whereas taking part in in 4 of ND’s first seven video games. Schrauth performed for the primary time since struggling an ankle damage within the third sport of the season in opposition to Purdue. However fairly than reclaim his beginning proper guard spot, the Irish began him at left guard instead of a struggling Sam Pendleton.

“It is nice to have him again,” Freeman stated of Schrauth. “He is a heck of a participant. We felt like this was what was greatest for this sport, primarily based off a few of the earlier proof that we had.”

There was little proof to counsel that Notre Dame would get well 5 fumbles in opposition to Navy. The Irish did not get well the primary 5 fumbles opponents had this season and solely recovered three all season heading into Saturday. However time after time when Navy put the ball on the bottom, Notre Dame made certain to corral it.

Shuler recovered the primary fumble that Tecza dropped on a pitch from quarterback Blake Horvath. Shuler returned it 28 yards after defensive finish Junior Tuihalamaka prevented Tecza from recovering it. Tuihalamaka recovered the subsequent fumble from Horvath on Navy’s second drive of the sport.

Punt returner Isaiah Bryant was answerable for the third Navy fumble when he did not catch a punt cleanly. Linebacker Jack Kiser got here away with that free ball. Horvath fumbled once more on his personal when dropping again to move close to his personal purpose line and linebacker Jaylen Sneed recovered it ultimately zone for a landing. The fifth misplaced fumble fell by the hands of Eli Heidenreich for failing to cleanly catch one other punter. Irish security Rod Heard II recovered that one.

Freshman cornerback Leonard Moore accounted for Notre Dame’s lone interception, which was additionally the primary of his profession. He caught intercepted a Horvath path ultimately zone to forestall a Navy rating early within the fourth quarter.

Navy put up 310 yards of offensive, 217 of which was accounted for by Horvath’s dashing (129 yards) and passing (88 yards). However its offense additionally accounted for 4 of the six misplaced turnovers.

On the finish of its fall break, Notre Dame handed a take a look at that was a lot simpler than anticipated.

“That’s at all times a key to the sport: protection has to wreak havoc on the ball, get the ball and create alternatives for our offense,” stated Kiser, who tied with Sneed for a team-high 9 tackles. “However you have a look at all phases of the sport, we have been in a position to do this. From particular groups to protection, clearly, after which our offense took benefit of it when it mattered.”

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