Notre Dame beat Navy 35-13 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, and the big run decided it. The Irish averaged 7 yards per carry while Navy managed about 4, so Navy needed 48 carries to match what Notre Dame did on 29.
Navy led late in the first half and controlled the clock. It did not score again after the 1:52 mark of the second quarter.
How It Happened
Navy struck first when Nolan Bartley hit a 38-yard field goal with 6:43 left in the first quarter. Notre Dame answered at 1:47, as CJ Carr found Micah Gilbert for an 11-yard touchdown.
The second quarter belonged to Navy until the final minute. Bartley added a 26-yard field goal at 8:04, and Jackson Gutierrez punched in a 2-yard run at 1:52 to put the Midshipmen back in front.
The lead did not last. Nolan James Jr. broke a 52-yard touchdown run with 0:55 left, sending the Irish into halftime with a narrow lead and swinging the game for good.
Notre Dame took over in the third quarter. Jonaz Walton scored from 3 yards out at 9:15, and James added a 23-yard touchdown run at 3:09. Carr closed the scoring at 14:55 of the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Bettis Jr.
Navy won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for 32:40. That mattered less than efficiency. Notre Dame outgained Navy 426 to 245, and the Midshipmen threw for only 33 yards, leaving them no way to answer once the Irish pulled ahead.
Navy also hurt itself with 8 penalties for 86 yards, compared with 2 for 25 by Notre Dame. Neither team turned the ball over.
Key Performers
Nolan James Jr., Notre Dame: 2 rushing TD – 52 YDS, 23 YDS
CJ Carr, Notre Dame: 2 passing TD – 11 YDS to Micah Gilbert, 31 YDS to Jerome Bettis Jr.
Notre Dame passing: 20-30, 222 YDS, 0 INT
Notre Dame rushing: 29 ATT, 204 YDS, 7.0 per carry
Nolan Bartley, Navy: 38 and 26 YD field goals, 1 PAT
Navy rushing: 48 ATT, 212 YDS, 4.4 per carry
James was the difference. His two long runs came at the moments that mattered most: one flipped the lead before halftime, the other stretched the Irish lead in the third quarter.
What It Means
No. 5 Notre Dame moves to 7-1 and handled the kind of unranked opponent a top-five team is expected to beat. The Irish were clean, with no turnovers and only 2 penalties, and they found balance between the run and the pass.
Navy falls to 2-6. The Midshipmen were listed as the home team, but Foxborough was a neutral site, and the split tells the story: they are 2-1 at home and 0-4 on the road. Both of their wins have come at home.
Navy's run game held up, out-rushing Notre Dame in total yards. Without a passing threat, though, it could not keep pace once the Irish started hitting big plays.