The Navy Midshipmen gave fifth-ranked Notre Dame everything it could handle in the first half, but the Fighting Irish scored 28 unanswered points to defeat Navy 35-13 on Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium. Navy controlled the football for much of the opening half and held a 13-7 lead late in the second quarter before Notre Dame took control of the game.
The Midshipmen rushed for 212 yards against one of the nation's top defenses and scored on their first three possessions. However, Navy struggled offensively in the second half, gaining just 56 total yards while Notre Dame pulled away for its seventh victory of the season.
Navy wasted no time establishing its ground game. On the opening possession, the Midshipmen put together an impressive 14-play, 44-yard drive that consumed 8:17 off the clock. Quarterback Jackson Gutierrez converted a critical fourth-and-three to keep the drive alive before freshman kicker Nolan Bartley connected on a career-long 38-yard field goal, giving Navy an early 3-0 lead.
Notre Dame responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive of its own. Quarterback CJ Carr connected with Micah Gilbert on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 1:47 remaining in the first quarter, putting the Fighting Irish ahead 7-3.
The Midshipmen continued to control the football in the second quarter. Gutierrez appeared to break loose for a 64-yard touchdown run early in the period, but a holding penalty brought the play back.
Despite the setback, Navy continued moving the football on a 16-play, 66-yard drive that consumed 8:43 off the clock. Bartley capped the possession with a 26-yard field goal, cutting Notre Dame's lead to 7-6 with 8:04 remaining in the first half.
Navy's defense then stepped up, forcing Notre Dame into a three-and-out and giving the Midshipmen another opportunity to take the lead.
Starting at their own 37-yard line, Navy marched 63 yards in 11 plays, highlighted by a 17-yard pass from Gutierrez to Luke Hutchison that moved the football to the Notre Dame 3-yard line. Gutierrez finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, putting Navy ahead 13-7 with just 1:52 remaining before halftime.
Unfortunately for the Midshipmen, Notre Dame needed just 50 seconds to regain the lead. Running back Nolan James Jr. broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown run with 55 seconds remaining, giving the Fighting Irish a 14-13 advantage heading into halftime.
The Midshipmen had controlled possession for 23:33 in the first half, limiting Notre Dame's opportunities while consistently moving the ball on the ground.
The second half was a different story.
Notre Dame received the opening kickoff and put together an 11-play, 78-yard scoring drive. Running back Jonaz Walton capped the possession with a 3-yard touchdown run, extending the Fighting Irish lead to 21-13 with 9:15 remaining in the third quarter.
Navy struggled to find the same offensive rhythm it had established in the first half. The Midshipmen went three-and-out on their opening possession of the second half, giving Notre Dame another opportunity to increase its lead.
The Fighting Irish took advantage, marching 69 yards in seven plays. James scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a 23-yard run, pushing Notre Dame's advantage to 28-13 with 3:09 remaining in the third quarter.
Navy attempted to respond on its next possession, but the drive stalled near midfield when Gutierrez was stopped on a fourth-and-two attempt at the Navy 43-yard line.
Notre Dame quickly capitalized on the excellent field position. On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Carr connected with Jerome Bettis Jr. for a 31-yard touchdown pass, increasing the Fighting Irish lead to 35-13.
The Midshipmen were unable to generate another scoring opportunity as Notre Dame controlled the clock throughout much of the final quarter to secure the victory.
Gutierrez led Navy's offense, finishing with 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. It marked his fourth consecutive game rushing for more than 100 yards. He also completed 4 of 7 passes for 25 yards.
Michael Barrow contributed 65 rushing yards on 11 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. Vic Listorti added 23 rushing yards, while Jadyn Jones finished with 16.
Navy finished with 212 rushing yards on 48 carries, an impressive accomplishment against a Notre Dame defense that entered the contest ranked third nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 67.3 yards per game.
However, the Midshipmen struggled through the air, completing just 5 of 9 passes for 33 yards. Navy finished the afternoon with 245 total yards while controlling possession for 32:40.
Penalties also proved costly for Navy. The Midshipmen were flagged eight times for 86 yards compared to just two penalties for 25 yards by Notre Dame.
Defensively, senior safety Giuseppe Sessi and linebacker MarcAnthony Parker led the Midshipmen with eight tackles apiece. Parker also recorded a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Aaron Rose and Nolan McCamy contributed seven tackles each, while Aiden Lyczek added six.
For Notre Dame, James finished with 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. Carr completed 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Bettis led the Fighting Irish receivers with six receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Notre Dame finished with 426 yards of total offense, including 204 rushing yards and 222 yards through the air.
With the defeat, Navy falls to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the American Conference. Notre Dame improves to 7-1 and extends its winning streak against the Midshipmen to nine consecutive games.
Navy returns home next Saturday, November 7, to face American Conference opponent Temple at 3:30 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Notre Dame will host Miami next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Notre Dame Stadium.
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