Last Minute Navy Musings

Many of the players from the beating Navy put on the Irish in 2010 when the Midshipmen ran for 367 yards (6.1 yards per carry) may be gone but the coaching staff remember and have taken care of business in 2011 and 12 limiting Navy to under 200 rushing yards and under 4 yards a carry.

Defensive depth will be center stage with both Louis Nix and Ishaq Williams out on Saturday.

Navy Quarterback Kennan Reynolds may be considered a legitimate duel threat quarterback and a good passer but at an average of just over five competitions a game the Navy offense has not allowed him to prove it.

The Midshipmen win when they abandon the pass.  Navy is 18-1 when they pass five times or less and have a losing record when they throw the ball 10 times or more since 2003.

The main option in Navy’s triple option is their quarterback.  Reynolds leads Navy in; carries with 147 carries for 36% of the teams 407 total carries (71 more carries than the teams second leading ball carrier), rushing yards with 546 yards for 27% of the teams 2024 total rushing yards and rushing touchdowns with 11 rushing scores for 48% of Navy’s rushing touchdowns.

Collectively Navy has a total of four receiving touchdowns; the Irish have three different players with four or more receiving touchdowns.

Navy as 45 receptions total as a team, Notre Dames T.J. Jones has 44 alone.

Size might matter; Navy has six players on its roster listed at 300lbs or more while Notre Dame has fifteen, The Irish have nine players listed at 6’6” or taller while the Midshipmen have one.

The Irish may have been practicing to defend the option for two weeks but remember Navy has been practicing how to run it for years.

Navy linebacker Cody Peterson is number two in the country in solo tackles with 7.1 per game (72 total solo tackles on the season).

Navy dominates the first quarter.  The offense has outscored their opponents  38-9 while their defense has not given up a first quarter touchdown this season.