EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Navy football team, riding high with an undefeated record, was anticipated to challenge Notre Dame on Saturday. However, the No. 24 Midshipmen instead provided the No. 12 Irish with a comfortable matchup at MetLife Stadium, succumbing to a lopsided 51-14 defeat. Navy, which had recorded only two turnovers in its first six games, was plagued by six turnovers against Notre Dame, who capitalized on each misstep. The Irish’s impressive performance bolstered their case for College Football Playoff contention, marking their sixth straight victory since a loss to Northern Illinois earlier in the season.
Notre Dame’s defense and special teams stepped up significantly, alleviating pressure on an offense that has had its inconsistencies. The Irish defense was instrumental, forcing four turnovers—three recovered fumbles and one interception—while special teams contributed two additional fumble recoveries due to Navy’s muffed returns on both punts from James Rendell. This marked the first time since 1977 that Notre Dame had recovered five fumbles in a game, and the Irish managed the match without committing a single turnover themselves.
Head coach Marcus Freeman emphasized the importance of proper ball protection while highlighting the aggressive nature of his defense. “You hear me say it all the time,” Freeman stated. “I want to be aggressive and violent on defense, but probably more of the emphasis was on offense, because of the turnovers and fumbles they were creating on defense.”
Navy had entered the game ranked 15th in FBS for turnovers gained, with 14 total, but it suffered a series of setbacks against Notre Dame. The Midshipmen had not lost a fumble all season until their first series when fullback Alex Tecza dropped the ball. Additionally, Navy’s failure to score on a red-zone trip in the second quarter marked the first time this season they did not capitalize on a red-zone opportunity, ending a streak of 23 touchdowns and one field goal on prior entries.
The Irish surged to a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter, contrasting with their recent trend of starting slow. Quarterback Riley Leonard led the balanced offensive attack with 178 passing yards and 83 rushing yards, completing 13 of 21 passes, which included touchdown throws to wide receivers Kris Mitchell and Beaux Collins. Leonard also punched in a one-yard touchdown run to open the scoring for Notre Dame.
Running back Jeremiyah Love shone with 102 rushing yards on 12 carries, notching two touchdown runs, enhancing his stellar sophomore season. Two returning starters, wide receiver Jordan Faison and offensive guard Billy Schrauth, made significant contributions, with Faison catching four passes for 52 yards. Schrauth returned to the lineup, transitioning from right to left guard due to previous injuries on the offensive line.
Despite a lack of prior evidence suggesting Notre Dame would recover multiple fumbles, the Irish excelled in creating turnovers. They were efficient in capitalizing on every opportunity, with linebacker Jaylen Sneed returning a recovery in the end zone for a touchdown. The game showcased strong performances from all phases of the team, as defense, special teams, and offense complemented each other.
At the game’s conclusion, Notre Dame surfaced from its fall break more assured than expected, with Kiser summing up the day’s efforts: “That’s always a key to the game: defense has to wreak havoc on the ball, get the ball and create opportunities for our offense. We were able to do that across all phases of the game.”