Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 13, 2021 25 'UNCOMFORTABLE' WEEK OF PRACTICE PREPARED IRISH DEFENSE FOR NAVY The Notre Dame defense didn't just wake up last week ready to flip a switch and stymie Navy's triple-option of- fense. It wasn't that easy. It took what might qualify as one of the toughest weeks of practice many of these Fighting Irish players from that side of the ball have endured in their entire foot- ball careers. It took a dedication to play- ing a unique scheme Notre Dame hadn't utilized all season and won't put into play in any of the three remaining regular sea- son games plus the postseason. It took being humbled by the scout team. No, seriously. "There was tension between the defense and scout team," junior line- backer Jack Kiser said. "The scout team was taking pride if they ripped one on us. They were hooting and hollering. The defense was like, 'We got to go. This can't happen.'" But it did happen. Junior linebacker JD Bertrand said the scout team scored a cou- ple touchdowns on the No. 1 Notre Dame defense. And that was fine. Those scores didn't count. Nobody but members of the team and coaching staff saw them. Better the ball crosses the goal line in that type of environment than when the lights are on in Notre Dame Stadium, right? Navy didn't score a touchdown. Notre Dame held an opponent out of the end zone for the first time all season. The performance was a product of the scout team preparing the top defensive unit for the unique challenge of going against Navy's offense. Even defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman treated this week a little differ- ently. He spent more time coaching the scout team than he normally does because he wanted to make certain the scout team was operating the type of looks he ex- pected to see from the Midshipmen. " T h a t g rea te r e m p h a s i s rea l ly helped," Bertrand said. Kiser said he loved the competitive rift with the scout team. It pushed ev- eryone to play better. But he also said it was "uncomfortable" at times. Notre Dame defensive starters aren't sup- posed to get shown up by guys the aver- age fan couldn't pick out of the lineup or address by name. Bertrand spent time with the scout team in 2019. He knows it can be a thankless job. He goes out of his way every Thursday to tell show apprecia- tion for those players. They might get a few more pats on the back this week. And not just from Bertrand. Kiser said the heightened head-to- head nature of last week's practices don't have to be saved solely for Navy week. He said there's no reason the energy level can't be like that all the time. If it led to Notre Dame's best defensive game of the season, why not play with that energy and passion week in and week out? "When we have energy and we're out there playing hard, we can be the best defense in the country," Kiser said. "But it's those times when guys get a little quiet and down on ourselves, that's when we have to pick each other up and keep that energy going." Kiser said effort and enthusiasm should never have to be questioned. That wasn't an issue against Navy or in the five days leading up to the game. If it's not an issue moving forward? Maybe Kiser is onto something. Notre Dame has some steps to take to prove him totally correct. The Georgia Bulldogs might have something to say about that best defense in the country title. But one of the best defenses in the country? Perhaps. It played that way against Navy. NAVY GAME NOTES BY PATRICK ENGEL AND TYLER HORKA Notre Dame's defense held the Midshipmen to just 3.2 yards per play, recorded a safety and did not sur- render a touchdown to them for the first time in 23 years. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER MISCELLANEOUS NOTES • With its 34-6 win versus Navy, Notre Dame has now won 39 consecutive games against unranked opponents — the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. • The last time an Irish held an opponent to 200 or fewer total yards came at Pittsburgh in 2020 (162 yards). • With four receptions for 28 yards, sophomore Michael Mayer now ranks sixth in program history in total receptions for a tight end in a single season (45). He also now ranks sixth in career receiving yards for a tight end (943), leapfrogging Dean Masztak's 924. Two of Mayer's four receptions were good for a first down against the Midshipmen. Twenty-six of his team-leading 45 catches have resulted in a first down for the Irish. • Junior linebacker JD Bertrand has recorded at least six tackles in all nine games this season, after notching nine versus the Midshipmen to bring his team-leading season total to 80. • Graduate student kicker Jonathan Doerer moved into a tie for fourth place in career field goals made after converting one in the first quarter against Navy. He is now tied with Nicholas Setta (2000-03) with 46.