Blue and Gold Illustrated

Oct 29, 2018

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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34 OCT. 29, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Navy's defensive linemen are typi- cally tasked with eating up blocks to let the linebackers make the plays, and per James, the group has done its part in 2018. The starting unit outside of Cromartie — senior defensive end Anthony Villalobos, junior defensive tackle Jackson Pittman and senior de- fensive end Jarvis Polu — combined for 40 tackles, but just 3.5 came be- hind the line of scrimmage and they had zero sacks. "Polu is a returning starter and a solid player," James said. "Pittman has been a handful for opposing in- terior linemen. Anthony Villalobos wasn't a starter at the beginning of the season, but has played his way into that role at defensive end." Senior safety Sean Williams, a team captain, is the focal point of the Navy secondary and had two passes de- fended and two forced fumbles to go with his 27 tackles through five games. Cornerbacks Jarid Ryan, a senior, and Cameron Kinley, a sophomore, paced the team in passes defended with three and two, respectively, while Ryan's two interceptions were tops. "Sean Williams is the defensive team captain, and he plays like it," James stated. "The other safety po- sition is more in flux. [Sophomore] Jacob Springer has played well, but he's also been hurt. Meanwhile, [se- nior] Brady Petersen has made the most of his playing opportunities and is challenging for the starting role. "The cornerbacks have seen some shuffling around, but Cameron Kinley and Jarid Ryan have settled into the starting roles. After a disas- trous game against Hawai'i, they rebounded in a big way against Memphis and have been reasonably consistent ever since. "The flip side to that is that they haven't been tested too much since the Memphis game, either." While it does not appear the Midshipmen would have a distinct advantage over the Irish on either side of the ball, Navy typically is among the nation's best in time of possession. Controlling the clock while churning out points can be a nightmare for the opposition, but that has not been the case consistently in 2018. "That execution has been lacking for most of this year," James said. "It'll be tough for Navy to compete if that trend continues. If Navy can control the clock and finish drives, then we could see the game play out like last year's contest. "If Navy's offense continues to struggle, then things can get ugly in a hurry." ✦ GAME PREVIEW: NAVY Senior safety Sean Williams, a team captain, notched 27 tackles, two passes defended and two forced fumbles during the Midshipmen's 2-3 start. PHOTO COURTESY NAVY 2018 NOTRE DAME SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 1 Michigan W, 24-17 Sept. 8 Ball State W, 24-16 Sept. 15 Vanderbilt W, 22-17 Sept. 22 at Wake Forest W, 56-27 Sept. 29 Stanford W, 38-17 Oct. 6 at Virginia Tech W, 45-23 Oct. 13 Pittsburgh W, 19-14 Oct. 27 vs. Navy* (CBS) 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at Northwestern TBA Nov. 10 Florida State (NBC) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 vs. Syracuse^ (NBC) 2:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at USC TBA * at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego; ^ at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y. 2018 NAVY SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Sept. 1 at Hawai'i L, 59-41 Sept. 8 Memphis W, 22-21 Sept. 15 Lehigh W, 51-21 Sept. 22 at SMU L, 31-30 (OT) Oct. 6 at Air Force L, 35-7 Oct. 13 Temple L, 24-17 Oct. 20 Houston (CBSSN) 3:30 p.m. Oct. 27 vs. Notre Dame* (CBS) 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at Cincinnati TBA Nov. 10 at Central Florida TBA Nov. 17 Tulsa (CBSSN) 3:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at Tulane TBA Dec. 8 vs. Army^ (CBS) 3 p.m. * at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego; ^ at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia

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