#23/21 Navy Midshipmen (7-1, 5-1 AAC) at #16 Notre Dame FIghting Irish (7-2)
Saturday 16 November 2019
1430 ET
Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

NBC (the Notre Dame Broadcasting Network) Mike Tirico, Doug Flutie, Kathryn Tappen, Chris Simms

Navy Radio Network (Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller, Keith Mills, Scott Wykoff):
WBAL 1090 AM / 101.5 FM (Baltimore)
WNAV 1430 AM, 99.9 FM (Annapolis)
WJXL 1010 AM, 92.5 FM (Jacksonville)
WXTG 102.1 FM / 1490 AM (Norfolk, Va.)
W270DA 101.9 FM (Norfolk, Va.)
WQBK 107.9 FM (Williamsburg / Yorktown, Va.)
KWFN 97.3 FM (San Diego, Calif.)
WFED 1500 AM (Washington, DC)
WFED 104.5 FM (Western Fairfax / Loudon, Va.)
WFED 820 AM, 94.3 FM (Frederick, Md.)
WBQH 1050 AM, 93.5 FM (Washington, DC / No. Virginia)
Sirius Ch. 211 / XM Ch. 202 / Internet Ch. 965

• No. 23 / 21 Navy and No. 16 Notre Dame will meet on the gridiron for the 93rd straight year when they square off on Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium (77,622) in South Bend, Ind. in what is the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football. Kickoff is set for 2:30 pm. Navy and Notre Dame have played annually since 1927, making it the third-longest uninterrupted college football rivalry overall after Minnesota vs. Wisconsin (since 1907) and Kansas State vs. Iowa State (since 1917).
• This is the first time that both Navy and Notre Dame are ranked in the top 25 entering their annual game since 1978 when No. 15 Notre Dame knocked off No. 11 Navy, 27-7.
• Navy last beat a ranked opponent in 2016 when the Mids stunned No. 6 Houston, 46-40, in Annapolis. Navy last beat a ranked Notre Dame team in 2009 when the Mids upset the 19th-ranked Irish, 23-21, in South Bend. Navy also beat a ranked Notre Dame team in 1957, 1944 and 1936.
• Navy is coming off a 56-10 pounding of UConn (Nov. 1) that saw the Mids score 14 points in every quarter, while piling up 573 yards of total offense and holding the Huskies to 313 yards of total offense.
• Navy has won five consecutive games and is looking to win six straight within the same season for the first time since 1979 when the Mids started the year 6-0. Navy won eight straight games over two seasons in 2014-15 (last four games of 2014, first four games of 2015) and won seven-straight in 1978. Navy last started 8-1 in 2015.
• Notre Dame improved to 7-2 last Saturday with a 38-7 domination of Duke as quarterback Ian Book threw for 181 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 139 yards. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame defense completely shut down the Duke offense, giving up just 10 first downs and 197 yards of total offense.
• Notre Dame has won 16 consecutive games at home, which is the third-longest home winning streak for the Irish since Notre Dame Stadium opened in 1930.
• Navy is off to a 7-1 start for the second time in the Ken Niumatalolo era and for just the sixth time since 1960.
• Under Niumatalolo, Navy is 29-21 (.580) with more than one week to prepare for an opponent.
• This marks the fourth time in the last five years that Navy has cracked the top 25 (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), which also coincides with Navy joining the American Athletic Conference. Prior to joining the American, Navy hadn’t been ranked in the Associated Press top 25 since the final poll of the 2004 season when the Mids were ranked 24th after a 10-2 season.
• Ken Niumatalolo has led Navy to four top 25 wins during his tenure, which is tied with George Welsh for the second most
in school history. Eddie Erdelatz beat 10 top 25 teams from 1950-58.
• Ken Niumatalolo’s three wins against Notre Dame is tied with Wayne Hardin for the most in school history. Hardin coached
both of Navy’s Heisman Trophy winners (Joe Bellino-1960 and Roger Staubach-1963).

GAME CONTROL
• In 480 minutes of football (eight games), Navy has trailed for just 39:01.
• The Mids trailed for 24:05 at Memphis, 6:56 vs. Air Force and 7:20 at Tulsa.
• Navy has not trailed in the last 225:09 (last 15 quarters and nine seconds, last trailed in the first quarter of the Tulsa game).

I detest ND and earnestly desire a Navy shelling.

If Navy can dominate ND then it will substantially boost the entire perception of this already surging conference. Crazy thing is I think they have a good chance of pulling it off.

(11-16-2019 10:08 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote:  I detest ND and earnestly desire a Navy shelling.

Before 2007 the nature of some of the losses over 43 years stuck in my craw. I strongly disliked the leprechaun mascots because I thought they were real sidelin a-holes when I was a mid, in the Lou Holtz days.
I detest ND Subway fans, but really want to get to a Navy game at South Bend. The wife and I started planning it a couple years ago, but deferred til Navy retirement/empty nest.

I love that a Navy win over a ranked ND team is not some sort of outlandish impossibility.

Would this be the all-time greatest regular season victory for the conference if Navy wins today?

I'm not talking bowl games only regular season games.

Let's go Navy!!!

(11-16-2019 10:18 AM)Indiana Bones Wrote:  If Navy can dominate ND then it will substantially boost the entire perception of this already surging conference. Crazy thing is I think they have a good chance of pulling it off.

My initial answer is that if we win it will look like 2016: we limited ND to only 6 possessions, 2 in the second half. Kelly kicked a 31-yard field goal on 4th and 4, down 4 points, with 7:30 left in the game... and we never let them have the ball again.

They're better this year, but so are we.

On the other hand, we're actually more explosive this year than a grind it out. Only 19th in TOP with only 32:41 per game. The offense produces big plays, even keeping it on the ground:
2019 FBS LEADERS IN RUSHING PLAYS OF 10+ YARDS
Rk Plays Team
1. 90 Navy
2. 84 Clemson
3. 82 Louisiana-Lafayette
4. 81 Oklahoma
5. 79 Tulane
2019 FBS LEADERS IN RUSHING PLAYS OF 20+ YARDS
Rk Plays Team
1. 31 Oklahoma
2. 29 Ohio State
29 Mississippi
29 Oklahoma State
5. 28 Navy
2019 FBS LEADERS IN RUSHING PLAYS OF 30+ YARDS
Rk Plays Team
1. 18 UCF
2. 17 Mississippi
17 Western Michigan
4. 16 Oklahoma State
5. 15 Navy
15 Ohio State

So while I guarantee it is our strategy to keep the ball out of their hands, it may not go that way.

BIG question is how does the improved Defensive scheme perform against the (probably) biggest talent/size gap on the schedule?

Lets go Navy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(11-16-2019 10:26 AM)sherekhan Wrote:  Would this be the all-time greatest regular season victory for the conference if Navy wins today?

I'm not talking bowl games only regular season games.

Let's go Navy!!!

Off the top of my head, Houston over Oklahoma and Louisville in '16 were higher ranked than ND's #16

(11-16-2019 10:47 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(11-16-2019 10:26 AM)sherekhan Wrote:  Would this be the all-time greatest regular season victory for the conference if Navy wins today?

I'm not talking bowl games only regular season games.

Let's go Navy!!!

Off the top of my head, Houston over Oklahoma and Louisville in '16 were higher ranked than ND's #16

I don't know what Ole' Miss was ranked when we (Memphis) beat them in 2015, but I want to say it was in the mid-teens. But THIS today would be HUGE for the conference (and you) just because of the circumstances this year.

(11-16-2019 11:31 AM)geosnooker2000 Wrote:  

(11-16-2019 10:47 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(11-16-2019 10:26 AM)sherekhan Wrote:  Would this be the all-time greatest regular season victory for the conference if Navy wins today?

I'm not talking bowl games only regular season games.

Let's go Navy!!!

Off the top of my head, Houston over Oklahoma and Louisville in '16 were higher ranked than ND's #16

I don't know what Ole' Miss was ranked when we (Memphis) beat them in 2015, but I want to say it was in the mid-teens. But THIS today would be HUGE for the conference (and you) just because of the circumstances this year.

I may be wrong, but I believe Ole Miss was ranked 13 at the time. Still, this is a ranked Notre Dame, not a ranked Ole Miss. A win over ND would definitely be the top in terms of conference perception by the public. No one cares about Ole Miss, while fairly or not, ND is considered near the top of the FBS pecking order.

This will be prominent, but I think Houston's total domination over #3 Oklahoma in 2016 opening weekend @ Oklahoma was more prominent. This one will be runner-up if Navy pulls it off.

Honest question here to Navy fans, how many of those 20 and 30+ yard runs came against ECU?

(11-16-2019 10:26 AM)sherekhan Wrote:  Would this be the all-time greatest regular season victory for the conference if Navy wins today?

I'm not talking bowl games only regular season games.

Let's go Navy!!!

Maybe not ever, but certainly this year.

(11-16-2019 12:24 PM)PirateJP Wrote:  Honest question here to Navy fans, how many of those 20 and 30+ yard runs came against ECU?

Looks likePerry had one for 30 and slotback Brannan had one for 20 and that is all.

Now the UConn game...(but we were already pushing that stat before UConn)

(11-16-2019 12:45 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(11-16-2019 12:24 PM)PirateJP Wrote:  Honest question here to Navy fans, how many of those 20 and 30+ yard runs came against ECU?

Looks likePerry had one for 30 and slotback Brannan had one for 20 and that is all.

Now the UConn game...(but we were already pushing that stat before UConn)

That Tulsa game sure seemed like every run was a 20+

(11-16-2019 12:56 PM)Foreverandever Wrote:  

(11-16-2019 12:45 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(11-16-2019 12:24 PM)PirateJP Wrote:  Honest question here to Navy fans, how many of those 20 and 30+ yard runs came against ECU?

Looks likePerry had one for 30 and slotback Brannan had one for 20 and that is all.

Now the UConn game...(but we were already pushing that stat before UConn)

That Tulsa game sure seemed like every run was a 20+

Malcom 29, 47, 35, 28. Tazh Maloy 22. (Carothers' late TD run was 19)