Written by Kayla Castleman
Jacksonville, FL- The Navy-Notre Dame match-up is the longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football. It has been played annually since 1927. In 2007, Navy snapped a 43-game winning streak by the Irish, which was the longest winning streak between two reoccurring opponents in the history of Divison I FBS football. This was a 46-44 triple-overtime victory for the Midshipmen. Navy has come a long way since then, also defeating the Irish in 2009 and 2010 mainly due to a change in their offense. The series is currently more competitive, although Notre Dame still leads with a record of 76-12-1 between the two prestigious schools. Navy faced Notre Dame in their 90th meeting early Saturday afternoon at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, FL. Although, this game was neck and neck, Navy pulled out the “W” over Notre Dame in a tight 28-27 fight.
The Fighting Irish got off to a rapid start scoring 3:30 into the 1st quarter. Quarterback Deshone Kizer sails a 26-yard dart to senior wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. to give Notre Dame the 7-0 lead. Exactly 5 minutes later, Navy answered with a 16-yard TD run by SB Darryl Bonner. Navy brought a huge stop on D, holding the Fighting Irish to a field goal. The scoreboard read 10-7 in ND’s favor at the end of the first.
Navy jumps on the board first to begin the 2nd quarter with 7:43 remaining. Quarterback Will Worth led his offense down the field on an 8 play, 80-yard drive. With 30 seconds left on the clock, Notre Dame QB Kizer connects with teammate Durham Smythe on a short route for the touchdown. This put the Irish up on top 17-14 at the half.
Navy strikes again to kick off the 3rd, on a 37-yard touchdown run by Calvin Cass Jr. Back to back 75-yard drives for both opponents, this time for ND with 5:51 left in the quarter. This was a speedy generated game with a colossal amount of run plays on both sides. The 3rd quarter finishes with a 24-21 score.
Will Worth pounded out his second rushing TD of the game in the beginning of the 4th. Lastly, Notre Dame is forced to settle for 3 to end a 10 play, 68-yard, 9:00 drive. With these last two scores, the Midshipmen win by a 1 point margin, 28-27.
Both teams went head to head, play with explosive offense, and aren’t afraid to hit you in the mouth. These are two gritty football teams and it shows. Navy always play this series with a massive chip on the shoulder, but especially this year when they were dropped to 80th in the NCAA rankings before the season took off. They relentlessly keep proving that they are an under-rated program who deserves the respect of a “high-class college football team”. They are first in the West in the AAC with a 4-1 conference record and now 5-3 overall. This program truly is a brotherhood and they preach unity on and off the field.
“Really proud of our guys, they deserve this win. They executed, played tough football, and I’m really happy for them. This was a huge win, we just beat our rival Notre Dame who is a great football team. We are on cloud 9 and are going to marinate on this for a bit. Will is a huge part of our offense and we couldn’t of done it without him,” Said Navy Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo post-game.
Navy is scheduled to play Tulsa at home on Saturday, November 12 at Noon ET. Notre Dame’s next opponent is Army on Saturday, November 12 at 3:30 ET in San Antonio, Texas.
The Fighting Irish got off to a rapid start scoring 3:30 into the 1st quarter. Quarterback Deshone Kizer sails a 26-yard dart to senior wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. to give Notre Dame the 7-0 lead. Exactly 5 minutes later, Navy answered with a 16-yard TD run by SB Darryl Bonner. Navy brought a huge stop on D, holding the Fighting Irish to a field goal. The scoreboard read 10-7 in ND’s favor at the end of the first.
Navy jumps on the board first to begin the 2nd quarter with 7:43 remaining. Quarterback Will Worth led his offense down the field on an 8 play, 80-yard drive. With 30 seconds left on the clock, Notre Dame QB Kizer connects with teammate Durham Smythe on a short route for the touchdown. This put the Irish up on top 17-14 at the half.
Navy strikes again to kick off the 3rd, on a 37-yard touchdown run by Calvin Cass Jr. Back to back 75-yard drives for both opponents, this time for ND with 5:51 left in the quarter. This was a speedy generated game with a colossal amount of run plays on both sides. The 3rd quarter finishes with a 24-21 score.
Will Worth pounded out his second rushing TD of the game in the beginning of the 4th. Lastly, Notre Dame is forced to settle for 3 to end a 10 play, 68-yard, 9:00 drive. With these last two scores, the Midshipmen win by a 1 point margin, 28-27.
Both teams went head to head, play with explosive offense, and aren’t afraid to hit you in the mouth. These are two gritty football teams and it shows. Navy always play this series with a massive chip on the shoulder, but especially this year when they were dropped to 80th in the NCAA rankings before the season took off. They relentlessly keep proving that they are an under-rated program who deserves the respect of a “high-class college football team”. They are first in the West in the AAC with a 4-1 conference record and now 5-3 overall. This program truly is a brotherhood and they preach unity on and off the field.
“Really proud of our guys, they deserve this win. They executed, played tough football, and I’m really happy for them. This was a huge win, we just beat our rival Notre Dame who is a great football team. We are on cloud 9 and are going to marinate on this for a bit. Will is a huge part of our offense and we couldn’t of done it without him,” Said Navy Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo post-game.
Navy is scheduled to play Tulsa at home on Saturday, November 12 at Noon ET. Notre Dame’s next opponent is Army on Saturday, November 12 at 3:30 ET in San Antonio, Texas.