Navy lost its chance for an undefeated season.
The No. 24 Midshipmen fumbled three times in the first half and five times overall in a 51-14 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish converted three of those fumbles into touchdowns while Navy trailed for more than 55 minutes.
Notre Dame took a 14-0 lead in less than ten minutes. The Irish opened the game with a nine-play TD drive, then Navy fumbled an option throw on their opening possession. The ball was returned to the Navy 7-yard line by Adon Shuler, and four plays later Riley Leonard found Kris Mitchell for a 6-yard TD pass.
Navy’s third fumble of the game put any chance of an upset out of reach. Isaiah Bryant fumbled a Notre Dame punt with 10 minutes left in the second quarter before Notre Dame crawled 40 yards in nine plays as RB Jeremiyah Love capped the drive with a 2-yard run to erase Notre Dame’s lead to expand to 28-7.
Navy’s three-pronged offense has been explosive this season. It’s also not built for big comebacks. And there was no way the Navy was going to overcome a three-TD deficit. Especially since Notre Dame’s offense was able to make big plays with ease.
Love had a 64-yard TD run. Jaden Greathouse had a 42-yard catch. Beaux Collins caught a 37-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter and Jordan Faison also had a 26-yard catch. Leonard even had a 24-yard run himself.
The win was a powerful statement from a Notre Dame team that is well positioned to win and advance to the College Football Playoff after an embarrassing Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois. 23 Army is the only ranked team left on Notre Dame’s schedule and the Irish’s only real road game the rest of the season is the regular season finale at unranked USC. If Notre Dame wins its final four games, the Irish are a lock for the playoff and could even host a first-round game.
Navy, meanwhile, still has a shot at the College Football Playoff, as the Midshipmen remain undefeated in the AAC. The final spot in the College Football Playoff field will likely come down to the Mountain West champion and the AAC champion. If Navy is 11-1 or even 10-2 after the AAC title game, the Midshipmen could get in.
