Tag: Army

Marcus Freeman named one of five finalists for Dodd Trophy

He deserves this for sure.

Notre Dame easily could have folded after its shocking loss to Northern Illinois in its home opener. Instead, [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] got the Irish back on track, and they haven’t lost since. That put the Irish in the College Football Playoff, and Freeman’s reward was a contract extension that locked him up for the next six years.

Now, Freeman has another reward coming his way. He has been named one of five finalists for the Dodd Award, which is given to the coach whose team best excels on the field, in the community and in the classroom. This is his first time making the final cut alongside all the other finalists, consisting of Army’s Jeff Monken, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, Oregon’s Dan Lanning and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer.

Brian Kelly is the lone Irish coach to win this award, doing so in 2018. Given the current environment, it’s very likely Irish fans would be much happier seeing Freeman win it.

Here’s Freeman news conference this past week in case you missed it:

Obviously, the real goal is a national championship, but this is a nice one to have at the moment.

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Blake Horvath, Navy run through Army in rivalry game

Navy got the best of Army thanks to Blake Horvath and a sturdy defense

The talk all season was about Army QB Bryson Daily. On Saturday, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath was the best quarterback on the field.

Horvath rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns and threw for two more as the Midshipmen downed the Cadets, 31-13.

Credit also goes to the Navy defense, which stopped Daily and the Army ground game. Army came in averaging better than 300 rushing yards per game and was limited to 113 on 30 carries.

Daily had thrown one interception coming into the rivalry game and was picked off twice in front of President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Navy had 275 rushing yards and outgained Army 378-178.

The Middies worked a fake punt to perfection, too.

Army is 11-2 and lost also to Notre Dame. Navy is 9-3.

Both  teams will play in a bowl game.

 

 

Oregon offensive line a finalist for the Joe Moore Award

After another stellar season, not counting the first two weeks, the Oregon offensive line is a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.

No one, perhaps not even the Ducks themselves, would believe this is possible after the first two weeks of the college football season.

But after a huge improvement and steady play for the remaining weeks of the season, the Ducks offensive line is in the finals for the Joe Moore Award, which is given out for the nation’s best offensive line.

Texas and Army are the other finalists.

It is the second year in a row and third time since 2019 that Oregon has been selected as a finalist for the award.

Oregon leads the nation in fewest total sacks allowed Oregon Ducks offensive stats ranked nationally after regular season since 2022 with 22, eight less than second-place Army (30). The Ducks led the nation in fewest sacks allowed in both 2022 and 2023.

Individually, left tackle Josh Conerly was named to the all-Big Ten first team by both the conference’s coaches and the media, and he leads the Ducks with an 80.3 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus while allowing just six total pressures in 404 opportunities.

Right tackle Ajani Cornelius was voted to the all-Big Ten second team by the media and the third team by the coaches, and guard Marcus Marper II was a third-team selection by the coaches.

The winner of the 2024 Joe Moore Award will be announced in a most unconventional way as representatives from the award committee will conduct a surprise visit to the winning university’s campus, likely in mid to late December.

Notre Dame vs. Army: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Another win in the bag.

It’s a story Notre Dame has become all too familiar with this year, and that’s a good thing. Like so many other opponents before it, Army entered the fourth quarter realizing it had no chance against the mighty Irish. So it really was a matter of playing out the final 15 minutes of what ultimately was a 49-14 Irish victory.

Even with [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] calling off the dogs, [autotag]Aneyas Williams[/autotag] ran for a 58-yard touchdown on the Irish’s first offensive play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter. They simply could help themselves from adding onto their already insurmountable lead.

The Knights followed that with a drive mainly consisting of runs that took over 10 minutes, almost the rest of the game. The only question at that point was whether they could get their points total for the game in double figures. This they did when Bryson Daily completed his second touchdown run of the game from the 1-yard line.

The Irish are one step closer to assuring their place in the College Football Playoff. As long as they take care of business against USC, they’re home free and possibly home for the first round.

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Notre Dame vs. Army: Third-Quarter Analysis

All academic from here.

Notre Dame has gone up big against another opponent with little if any chance for a comeback. This time, the victim is Army, which finds itself trailing the Irish, 42-7, after three quarters.

The Irish immediately set the tone for the quarter when [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] ran for a 68-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. That likely broke any real hope the Knights had of keeping their perfect season alive.

On their first two possessions of the quarter, the Knights picked up a first down only to turn the ball over on downs right after. Only once did they run a pass play, which is typical for a service academy program.

After that second turnover on downs, [autotag]Steve Angeli[/autotag] replaced [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] at quarterback and conducted a pass-heavy drive. But it was a 10-yard touchdown run by [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag], his second score of the game, that ended Angeli’s first drive.

It wasn’t all good news for the Irish though. [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] now has been unsuccessful on two field-goal attempts after a 30-yard kick was blocked. That issue might be magnified later on, but for now, the Irish can enjoy playing these final 15 minutes.

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Notre Dame vs. Army: Second-Quarter Analysis

The Irish have the lead halfway through.

Notre Dame’s defense did itself no favors at the beginning of the second quarter against Army. If one had told that unit the Irish would be up, xx-7, at halftime, they have might considered themselves lucky.

With the Knights near the end zone on third-and-short, [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag] was penalized for hands to the face, which gave Bryson Daily the fresh set of downs he needed to run for a 4-yard touchdown and get his team on the board.

[autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] led an impressive offensive drive that began at the Irish’s 25-yard line and mainly consisted of run plays. The Irish ultimately got to the 1-yard line on fourth-and-goal, but [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] lost a yard on a carry, resulting in a turnover on downs.

Backed up by their own end zone, the Knights went three-and-out for the third time in four drives. James Wagenseller’s punt only went for 32 yards, and Love carried the ball 41 yards over three plays for his second touchdown of the game.

Another Knights three-and-out followed, and Wagenseller’s ensuing punt went to midfield. After Leonard completed a 28-yard pass to [autotag]Kris Mitchell[/autotag], the Irish went with runs the rest of the drive, including one by Leonard that went for 13 yards and set the Irish up at first-and-goal. Leonard failed to score on two straight runs before handing it off to [autotag]Jadarian Price[/autotag] for a 2-yard touchdown.

Daily ran the ball 20 yards on the Knights’ first play from scrimmage, but [autotag]Leonard Moore[/autotag] forced a fumble, which was recovered by [autotag]Jack Kiser[/autotag]. The Irish tried to add onto their lead right before halftime, but after a false start penalty, [autotag]Mitch Jeter[/autotag] missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt as the clock hit zero.

Things are looking good for the Irish, but there’s half the game left.

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Notre Dame vs. Army: First-Quarter Analysis

So far, so good for the Irish.

So far, Notre Dame is off to the start every one of its fans was hoping for in this Shamrock Series game against Army. All you really have to know is that the Irish have a 14-0 lead, but let’s go into specifics anyway because every unit contributed in the first 15 minutes.

The Irish’s defense started out fine by forcing a Black Knights three-and-out. Then, the offense took over, and [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] needed a little over two minutes to lead a drive that consisted of nothing but positive plays and ended with him throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Jordan Faison[/autotag].

The Knights then went three-and-out again, but the ball never left their side of the field because [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag] blocked the ensuing punt, and it was recovered by [autotag]Christian Gray[/autotag] to set the Irish up at first-and-goal. After two runs didn’t go very far, Leonard threw to [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] for a 6-yard touchdown.

The Knights had better success on their next possession, getting into Irish territory and being aided by an offside penalty by [autotag]Jaylen Sneed[/autotag] on fourth-and-1. When the quarter ended, they were in the red zone. We’ll see how much that makes a difference in this game later on.

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Notre Dame kicker, Army veteran highlighted in NBC Sports video

The Irish have a hero on their team.

Notre Dame walk-on kicker [autotag]Eric Goins[/autotag] is 30 years old, but there’s a reason he’s older than most college football players. After four years at The Citadel and seven years serving in the Army, he decided to pursue his MBA at Notre Dame. While doing so, he also decided to become a walk-on for the football team.

Goins has appeared in six games for the Irish this season and even registered a tackle. But his time at Notre Dame is about more than football. It’s about transition from military to civilian life, and he’s living proof of how much support the university offers military veterans who choose to continue their education there.

Still, Goins surely is bound to have some feels when the Irish go up against the Black Knights during the annual Shamrock Series game at Yankee Stadium. Both teams are fighting for their College Football Playoff lives, so this game is about more than just pageantry.

Regardless, Goins, with some additional thoughts from military brat [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag], talks about his experience in this video from NBC Sports:

Best of luck to Goins for the rest of the season and in pursuing his degree. We also thank him greatly for his service to our country.

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Tale of the Tape: Notre Dame offense vs. Army defense

The Irish have their work cut out for them on this side of the ball.

A common criticism by Notre Dame fans this season is that their team’s offense isn’t up to snuff with the best in college football. While the numbers don’t necessarily support that theory, at least when it comes to running and scoring, Irish fans have pushed it all the same.

Fans particularly have criticized [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] for acting more like a running back than the gun-slinging quarterback they so desire. Never mind that Leonard has played very well lately.

If the Irish are to be exposed as a run-first offense, Army might be the opponent to do just that. The Knights are highly ranked in most defensive categories and even tied with Ohio State with the fewest points surrendered in the country.

Granted, the Knights haven’t played a ranked opponent all season, and the Irish will break that streak. Still, it’s something the Irish will need to keep an eye on as they prepare for this game.

Here’s how the Irish’s offense compares to the Knights’ defense nationally:

Notre Dame to play annual game vs. Navy at Gillette Stadium in 2026

Make your travel plans now.

Whenever Notre Dame goes on the road to play Navy, a large venue always is in order. There’s a great deal that goes into the history of this rivalry, so a stadium worthy of it is a must.

Halloween 2026 will be the next time the Midshipmen act as the home team in this game, and a stadium new to both the rivalry and the Irish will enter the fold. During that season, the teams will meet at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots and Revolution in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Irish never have played at Gillette Stadium, and this rivalry never has had a game in the New England region. The Midshipmen made their first appearance at the stadium last year for the Army-Navy Game.

This is the second 2026 Irish road game to be scheduled at an NFL stadium. They will open the season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Irish and Badgers were to meet at the home of the Packers as part of the 2020 Shamrock Series, but COVID-19 squashed those plans. They ultimately met for that game in 2021 at Soldier Field in Chicago, the home of the Bears.

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