Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/400621
GAME PREVIEW: NAVY tages. For context, the defensive line Navy started against VMI would be outweighed by Notre Dame's starting offensive line by an average of nearly 40 pounds. Sophomore linebacker Daniel Gonzales is Navy's leading tackler, posting 53 stops through seven games. The three-headed rushing attack of senior Cam McDaniel and sophomores Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant combined for 153 carries, 645 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per attempt and six touchdowns through seven games. Despite the three rotating throughout the season, Folston grabbed a hold of the primary rushing duties in Notre Dame's 50-43 victory over North Carolina, running for 98 yards on 18 carries — 11 more chances than McDaniel and Bryant had combined. A year ago, Folston sunk Navy with 18 rushes for 140 yards and the game-winning score. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. NAVY PASS DEFENSE Navy's defensive backfield has had myriad short- comings for a number of years now. College football analyst Phil Steele has ranked the Midshipmen's pass defense 100th or worse every year since 2010. Thus, even though Navy lost only two contributors in the secondary, those who returned this season are not necessarily starting from a positive situation. The Midshipmen gave up 229.0 passing yards per game and 12 touchdowns through the season's first seven contests. Opponents gained 10.55 yards per completion and 7.09 yards per attempt. Irish senior quarterback Everett Golson will likely exceed those numbers, having thrown for more than 229 yards in a game in five of Notre Dame's first six contests, with the lone exception being a 226-yard performance against Michigan. Sophomore speedster Will Fuller will likely find his way behind the Navy secondary as he did against Rice to open the season with a 75-yard touchdown. If he doesn't, junior Chris Brown — supposedly even faster than Fuller — will have his chances to do so. In addition to those two, Golson connected with eight other receivers through seven games, led by Fuller's 35 catches for 504 yards and seven touchdowns. Advantage: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS Navy lost both its punt returner and its kick re- turner this season. The kick returner, Marcus Thomas, was No. 1 in program history in both career kick returns and career kick return yardage. Navy has yet to replace the playmaker, averaging only 18.7 yards per kick return and 6.0 yards per punt return through seven games. Notre Dame senior kicker/punter Kyle Brindza will not give the Midshipmen many, if any, opportunities to improve those averages. Advantage: Notre Dame COACHING Niumatalolo, a Paul Johnson disciple, runs an ef- ficient triple-option attack for which few opponents can properly prepare. He has continued the pro- gram's upward trajectory from the Johnson tenure, despite not beating Notre Dame in three seasons after winning three times in four years before this drought. Head coach Brian Kelly has his Irish dreaming big this season, and will almost certainly have them properly focused when facing the Midshipmen, even if there is no true way to practice for Navy's cut block methods. Notre Dame specifically bans cut blocks in practice due to their propensity for injuring the blocked. Advantage: Even INTANGIBLES Notre Dame has much to lose in this contest, while Navy can only gain. Most years, the Midshipmen's blocks would cause the Irish much consternation, but with a bye week to prepare, Notre Dame should be a bit better suited this year. Advantage: Even