Game Preview: Navy
Senior linebacker DJ Sargenti and the Midshipmen — who fell to the Irish 56-14 in 2011 and 50-10 in
2012 — will try to prevent Notre Dame from tallying 50 points against the same opponent in three straight
meetings for the first time in school history.
photo courtesy navy
Christian Lombard was lost for the
season because of back surgery Oct. 23,
and the defensive line has been slowed
by injuries since August. Junior end
Stephon Tuitt has battled through offseason hernia surgery, sophomore end
Sheldon Day missed several weeks
with an ankle problem and senior nose
guard and anchor Louis Nix III didn't
make the trip to Air Force while battling tendinitis in his knee plus a sore
shoulder.
Holding him out against Navy, especially with the cut blocks service
academies employ, might be needed.
Health will be essential for the final
late push.
"We're going to be careful with
him," Kelly said of Nix. "We need Big
Lou. Option football is not his cup of
tea."
50-50
In the 15 seasons from 1998-2012,
Notre Dame reached the 50-point
mark in scoring only four times. Two
of them occurred in back-to-back
meetings with the Naval Academy in
2011 (56-14) and 2012 (50-10).
Notre Dame has never tallied at
