Had the game ended at the half, Notre Dame would have definitely beaten Navy with ease.
Few teams, if any, have had the season quite like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have had thus far.
Though Notre Dame was able to improve to 7-3 on the season by beating rival Navy over in Baltimore, it was only a three-point victory. The Irish led the Midshipmen 35-13 at the half. Then, inexplicably, the bottom fell out for the Golden Domers, as Navy outscored the Fighting Irish 19-0 in the final two frames. If you did the math, that would mean a 35-32 road victory for Notre Dame.
As you can see, this is why Marcus Freeman’s team has lost to Marshall and Stanford this season, as well as being a Hail Mary away from falling at home to Cal…
Notre Dame survives its late scare by Navy in Baltimore to improve to 7-3
Real serious question here: Is Notre Dame good? The Golden Domers were the No. 20 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. They have impressive wins over ACC championship hopefuls North Carolina and Clemson. Those are the only losses by the Tar Heels and Tigers this season. The Irish also have quality wins over BYU and Syracuse with Boston College and USC left.
With this being Freeman’s first year at the helm, it has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride up in South Bend. You never really know what Irish team is going to show up each and every week. They will play up to the level of their competition, but they will also play with their food and can lose in the process. In short, the Irish are exactly who we thought they were, which is an 8-4 team.
Yes, there was going to be some regression with Brian Kelly leaving for LSU, but the ebb and flow nature of Freeman’s team has been nothing short of extreme. It is probably indicative of a team playing with a ton of emotion. That should not be the least bit surprising for a first-time head coach who favors the defensive side of the ball. In time, this will change. What a ride this has been!
Being able to conduct bowl practices was the only goal that truly mattered for this young team.
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