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Which plays stood out to you in today’s win over Navy?
It’s not always the scoring plays that make a game and that was once again the case as Notre Dame went on to defeat Navy, 34-6 in South Bend. Here is a look at which plays made a difference today and beyond for the Irish.
This game holding your interest?
In the third quarter, Notre Dame got a lesson in why Navy is among the best in the country at time of possession. More than half of the frame went by before the Irish touched the football. And what did it all amount to? Not much as the Irish have a 17-6 lead going into the fourth.
With Tai Lavatai unlikely to return because of an injury suffered in the second quarter, Xavier Arline assumed quarterback duties for the Midshipmen. With him under center and what little passing game it had before now nonexistent, the offense ran, ran and ran some more. It worked as five first downs were picked up, only two of which came on third down. This long drive eventually stalled at the Irish’s 4-yard line, and Bijan Nichols kicked a 21-yard field goal to get something out of it.
Whether the long wait to see the field again affected the Irish’s offense may never be known. A case could be made for it because the unit went three-and-out. The Midshipmen took the ball back, and this time, the Irish’s defense showed, forcing a three-and-out of their own. When the offense came back out, it got just across midfield before the clock ran out on the quarter, so maybe, the Irish are on the cusp of putting this game away.
That’s more like it.
We might have more of a clear picture of how this game between Notre Dame and Navy will go. The Irish came in as the favorite, though they didn’t start like it. However, the talent discrepancy between them and the Midshipmen finally began to show itself. That means the Irish have a 17-3 halftime lead.
After stopping the Midshipmen on their first possession of the second quarter, the Irish showed more signs of life on offense. There was a Kyren Williams run here, a Michael Mayer gain there, and they set up a 38-yard pass from Jack Coan to Kevin Austin, which put the Irish at the Navy 11-yard line. An illegal block from Braden Lenzy set things back and might have cost the Irish a touchdown as they only got as far as the 6 after that. Jonathan Doerer tied the game on a 24-yard field goal.
The Irish then forced another three-and-out, which paved the way for a run-heavy drive mainly led by Tyler Buchner. Williams, Buchner and Logan Diggs pushed through on the ground before reaching the red zone. An 11-yard pass from Buchner to Austin was the first sign that this drive would end more successfully than the last one because that placed the ball at the 1. After that, Williams only needed one play to score the game’s first touchdown after that.
The Midshipmen once again failed to pick up a first down on the next possession, but they may have lost more than a chance to chip away at the deficit. Tai Lavatai suffered an injury on the field and was helped back to the locker room. Xavier Arline took over at quarterback for one play, but we’ll see if he’ll be needed for more in the second half. A 65-yard punt from Riley Riethman down the ball at the Irish’s 5.
All the Midshipmen had to do with time running out in the half was hold the Irish to their own side of the field, and they could go into the break down by only a score. It almost worked, but on third down, Coan found Austin for a 70-yard touchdown on his longest pass of the season. Slowly but surely, things have come up Irish.
