Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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GAME PREVIEW: NAVY themselves out of a rebuilding mode in special teams this season. Notre Dame ranked 102nd in net punting and 112th in punt returns a year ago. Navy, at 85th and 76th respectively, was not much better. The biggest question mark for the Mids this sea- staff (especially defensive coordinator Bob Diaco) figured out how to stop the option against two military schools last year. Navy won't be changing its approach this year, which means the X's and O's should fall in the same place. son is at placekicker, where half a dozen freshmen competed to replace senior Jon Teague (10 of 15 in 2011). The Irish also lose their starter there, but senior Nick Tausch made 14 straight as a freshman, and he steps back into the top spot this season. Atkinson gives the Irish a bright spot on kick re- Advantage: Notre Dame INTANGIBLES turns, and talented freshmen like Neal could make that unit even more lethal this year. Still, both teams are left with a lot to prove before one can claim to hold an edge in special teams. Senior inside linebacker Matt Warrick racked up a team-high 103 tackles for the Midshipmen last season. PHOTO COURTESY NAVY Wood and Theo Riddick and sophomore George Atkinson III. All three are threats and combine to create a backfield with more big-play potential than any Notre Dame has seen under Brian Kelly or former coach Charlie Weis. Wood rushed for 1,102 yards a year ago. Riddick Advantage: Even and Atkinson are both good fits to thrive in the new receiver/running back combination position that should be heavily featured this season. Veterans Matt Warrick (103 tackles in 2011) and Kelly is in coaching purgatory after a pair of 8-5 seasons at Notre Dame. It's too early to place him on a hot seat, but he has yet to prove he can win consistently at Notre Dame. Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo built up some insurance with 27 wins in his first three seasons, but another 5-7 season like 2011 will call him into question as well. After an embarrassing blowout in 2010, the Irish COACHING Brye French (55 tackles) anchor a strong group of linebackers for Navy, but they'll have trouble making plays behind an undersized defensive line. The Midshipmen's starting defensive ends average 251 pounds, which leaves them 50 pounds lighter than each of the Irish offensive linemen. That size advantage should open up holes for a versatile crew of backs. VS. NAVY FORCE PASS DEFENSE The Irish will have a new quarterback and a new leading receiver this season. Senior tight end Tyler Eifert is expected to pick up the slack for first- round draft pick Michael Floyd (who had 121 yards against Navy in 2011). Eifert made 63 catches a year ago and passed up the chance to join Floyd in the NFL for one more year in South Bend. Beyond him, Notre Dame has a pool of wide receivers that have yet to prove themselves. A trio of freshmen — Davonté Neal, Justin Ferguson and Chris Brown — made a strong impression in training camp and add to the options in the passing game. Navy finished 105th in pass efficiency defense in Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME 2011. They lost safety Kwesi Mitchell (58 tackles and two interceptions), but return three starters for a more experienced group this season. None of them, however, have the combination of size and speed they'll need to stay with Eifert. To put it politely, both teams are hoping to pull www.BLUEANDGOLD.com Advantage: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS Offense WR 88 Casey Bolena LT 68 Ryan Paulson LG 65 Josh Cabral C Pos. No. Name 78 Andrew Barker 54 E.K. Binns RG 61 Jake Zuzek RT 62 Bradyn Heap WR 87 Shawn Lynch SB 33 John Howell QB 1 Trey Miller SB 21 Gee Gee Greene 5-8 185 Sr. 4 FB 34 Noah Copeland 5-10 205 So. 35 Prentice Christian 5-11 214 Sr. 71 Thomas Stone 78 Andrew Barker 83 John O'Boyle 20 Darius Staten 10 John Hendrick Bo Snelson 5-7 180 Sr. PK 90 Nick Sloan or 91 Austin Grebe P Pos. No. Name LS 93 Joe Cardona 92 Billy Coats 11 Pablo Beltran 95 Gavin Jernigan Ht. Wt. Cl. 6-0 180 Fr. 6-0 180 Fr. 6-2 225 So. 6-3 195 Fr. 6-3 217 So. 6-4 220 Sr. 89 Jonathan Gazaile 6-1 217 Sr. 6-4 266 Sr. 6-4 275 Sr. 6-3 297 Sr. 6-3 287 Fr. 6-1 280 Jr. 6-2 270 So. 6-0 318 So. 6-3 295 Jr. 6-3 280 So. 6-4 275 Sr. 6-0 190 Jr. 6-0 196 Sr. 5-8 188 Sr. 5-6 196 Jr. 6-0 199 Jr. 6-1 198 So. Ht. Wt. Cl. 6-2 200 Jr. 70 Graham Vickers 75 Tanner Fleming Pos. No. Name Throw in a five-hour time difference and a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, and Dublin makes a team's focus and discipline as big a factor as any in this matchup. The Irish are used to playing on a grander stage Opening day is typically full of distractions. than Navy. While Aviva Stadium holds only a few more than 50,000 fans, the pomp and circum- stance will make the venue seem bigger. Navy's technically the home team in this game, but the Irish will likely be the crowd favorite on Irish soil. Advantage: Notre Dame Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 35, Navy 17 Jason Sapp: Notre Dame 42, Navy 13 Wes Morgan: Notre Dame 27, Navy 14 Dan Murphy: Notre Dame 31, Navy 16 PREDICTIONS NAVY DEPTH CHART Defense LE 99 Wes Henderson 91 Aaron Davis NG 69 Barry Dabney 72 Travis Bridges 13 Jordan Drake RE 58 Evan Palelei OLB 46 Chris Johnson ILB 50 Brye French ILB 51 MattWarrick OLB 48 Keegan Wetzel BCB 2 ROV 9 53 Cody Peteson 44 Obi Uzoma FS 23 Chris Ferguson or 16 Jerad Fehr 3 FCB 25 Jonathan Wev 10 Shelley White Special Teams Pos. No. Name H 11 Pablo Beltran 33 John Howell PR 87 Shawn Lynch KR 26 Marcus Thomas 5-7 165 Jr. 4 21 Gee Gee Greene 5-8 185 Sr. Bo Snelson Ht. Wt. Cl. 6-2 225 So. 5-8 180 Sr. 6-0 190 Jr. 5-7 180 Sr. PRESEASON 2012 77 24 Kwazel Bertrand 5-10 163 Fr. Tra'ves Bush James Britton Parrish Gaines 59 J. Dowling-Fitzpatrick 6-2 244 Sr. 6-1 212 So. 6-4 220 So. 6-1 216 Sr. Ht. Wt. Cl. 6-2 255 Sr. 6-0 242 So. 6-1 297 Jr. 6-0 318 Jr. 6-3 247 Jr. 40 John Michael Nurthen 6-2 217 Sr. 6-2 229 Sr. 6-3 220 Jr. 6-3 218 Sr. 6-3 231 So. 6-2 196 So. 5-10 192 Sr. 6-2 215 So. 6-2 195 So. 6-0 195 Sr. 5-9 196 Jr. 5-10 190 Fr.