South Bend, Ind. — A steady downpour and plunging temperatures couldn’t dampen the atmosphere at Notre Dame Stadium, where a sellout crowd watched the Fighting Irish roll past Navy, 49–10, in the 99th meeting between the storied rivals.
First Half: Irish Air Attack vs. Navy Ground Game
Despite the slick conditions, Notre Dame refused to play it safe. Freshman quarterback C.J. Carr dissected the Navy defense through the air, completing 10 of 12 passes for 164 yards before halftime. His top target, Malachai Fields, proved nearly unstoppable, grabbing four receptions for 97 yards.
The Irish struck first when Jeremiyah Love powered into the end zone from a yard out. Jadarian Price followed with a 2-yard score in the second quarter, and Carr capped the first half with a 5-yard touchdown toss to Jordan Faison, giving Notre Dame a 21–10 lead at the break.
Navy, missing injured starting quarterback Blake Horvath, leaned heavily on backup Braxton Woodson and its signature triple-option attack. Woodson carried the offense, rushing for 108 of Navy’s 154 first-half yards. The Midshipmen managed just 19 yards through the air on six pass attempts but stayed within reach thanks to their ground game.
At halftime, Notre Dame held the edge through the air (164–19), while Navy’s running attack led 154–58.
Second Half: Total Control by the Irish
Whatever adjustments head coach Marcus Freeman made at halftime worked to perfection. The Irish defense suffocated Navy’s attack, holding the Midshipmen to only 55 total yards and four first downs after intermission.
Notre Dame’s offense, meanwhile, found another gear. The Irish rolled up 279 yards in the second half, mixing precision passing with explosive runs. Jeremiyah Love broke loose for a 48-yard touchdown — his second of the game — before KK Smith caught a 34-yard strike from Carr. Carr added a 4-yard scoring pass to Ty Washington, and Aneyas Williams delivered the final blow with a 54-yard touchdown burst up the middle.
When the rain finally stopped, Notre Dame had scored 28 unanswered points to close out a commanding win.
Top Performers
Notre Dame:
C.J. Carr: 13-of-16 passing, 218 yards, 3 TDs
Jeremiyah Love: 94 rushing yards, 2 TDs
Malachai Fields: 4 receptions, 97 yards
Navy:
Braxton Woodson: 20 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD
Up Next:
Notre Dame (now 7–2) hits the road next week to face Pittsburgh, which is coming off a bye week and sits at 7–2 overall (5–1 in conference). Kickoff is set for noon ET.
