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✦ on paper 2013. The Irish have a wealth of talent at running back, but no player has emerged week in and week out to pick up the necessary yards (especially on third down) or wear down an opposing defense. Two-thirds of the way through the season, Notre Dame is ranked 96th in the land with 135.8 rushing yards per game, well behind its 2012 average of 189.4 yards per contest. On top of that, no Irish player has eclipsed the 500-yard mark to this point. Barring a monster final month, no running back will eclipse 1,000 yards this season. There is good news, however, for Irish fans. As much as Notre Dame has struggled on the ground, the Navy rushing defense has, too. Its national ranking of 90th (187.9 yards allowed per game) is a major reason why the Midshipmen stumbled in recent weeks before a lastsecond win at Pittsburgh last Saturday. The formula to beat Navy is to run the ball well and to stop the run. Notre Dame has done that with ease the past two years in blowout victories and will need to do so again in 2013 to win comfortably. In 2011, the Irish produced seven rushing touchdowns. In 2012, they scored on the ground five times and finished with 293 rushing yards. Advantage: Notre Dame By andrew owens Navy Running Game Vs. Notre Dame Run Defense As always, Navy depends on its triple-option attack to move the chains and put points on the scoreboard. Through seven games, the Midshipmen rank 10th in the country with an average of 292.1 rushing yards per game. The offense runs through sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who took the reins a year ago and finished with 649 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. (He saw limited action in the season opener against Notre Dame.) He's set to shatter those marks this season, having rushed for 546 yards and 11 touchdowns through seven contests. Notre Dame had no answer for Navy's offensive scheme in 2010 in its first season under Brian Kelly, when the Midshipmen blew out the Irish 35-17 to claim their third win in four years in the series. Since that meeting, the Irish have stymied the Navy offense in 56-14 and 50‑10 blowouts in 2011 and 2012, respectively. This year presents another test for defensive coordinator Bob Diaco in the second matchup against the triple option in as many weeks (the Irish surrendered 290 yards on the ground to Air Force last week). To date, seven Navy players have surpassed the 100-yard rushing total in a game, including fullback Chris Swain. The sophomore has reached the end zone three times and is ranked second on the team in rushing yards (284). At 5-11 and 232 pounds, he is the program's first big fullback since Kyle Eckel in the mid-2000s. Advantage: Navy Navy Passing Game Vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense With Navy's stellar rushing numbers comes a typically putrid passing attack. Through seven contests, Navy ranked 122nd nationally with 103.9 yards through the air per game. Reynolds, however, is a better passer than the Midshipmen typically employ. In 2012, he became the first Navy signal-caller to throw three touchdowns in a game since 1997, while also becoming the program's first quarterback since 1979 to win his first four career starts. In 2013, his passing statistics have tapered off a bit, but head coach Ken Niumatalolo occasionally puts him in the shotgun if the team is in a passing situation. Through the first seven games, Reynolds has completed 39 of 74 Sophomore Chris Swain, a 5-11, 232-pound fullback, is second on the team with 284 rushing yards and had three touchdowns on the ground through seven games. photo courtesy navy throws (52.7 percent) for 667 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Notre Dame's pass defense has had a rough 2013, but the strongest aerial attacks on the schedule are behind the Irish. Advantage: Notre Dame Notre Dame Running Game Vs. Navy Run Defense Notre Dame's inability to consistently run the football is arguably the team's most disappointing storyline in ✦ Page 3 Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Navy Pass Defense Senior quarterback Tommy Rees bounced back nicely from a strained neck he suffered against USC Oct. 19. In last week's 45-10 demolition of Air Force, he completed 17 of 22 passes for 284 yards with a career-high five touchdowns and no interceptions. With Rees leading the offense, Notre Dame should have no issue racking up points against the Midshipmen. A pair of weapons have emerged in the passing game after some wondered preseason how the offense would fare in the absence of decorated tight end Tyler Eifert. His replacement, junior Troy Niklas, caught five touchdown passes in the first seven games, just one short of the school record for tight ends (Ken MacAfee, 1977). Senior wide receiver TJ Jones leads the team in receiving (44 catches for 631 yards and six TD) and has scored in five straight games. Notre Dame also received unexpected contributions at Air Force when five different players caught a touchdown pass from Rees, including three players who made their first career scoring grabs. Navy's pass defense has been better than usual (21st