Notre Dame Routs Navy in Ireland: Fighting Irish Defense, George Atkinson Stand Out
By Kyle Kensing
No. 24 AP/No. 25 Fansided Notre Dame ensured there would be no letdown at the culmination of its Ireland tour, routing Navy from the onset with a well-prepared defense and the breakout performance of George Atkinson.
The Fighting Irish defense looked about as well game-planned for the triple option offense as any side can be en route to its 50-10 win. Notre Dame was beating the Midshipmen at the point of attack seemingly every pitch. Linebacker Manti Te’o looked every bit like the best player at his position in all of college football. An observation to consider is that this UND defense was almost impenetrable, and that was without Aaron Lynch. It’s downright scary to imagine how aggressive the Irish could have been with the big end blitzing off the edge.
Complementing the defensive effort was an impressive run game. Theo Riddick handled the bulk of the carries (19) in suspended Cierre Wood’s absence, but Atkinson was the most electrifying ball carrier. Every time he touched the ball was a first down, on average. The Fighting Irish ground game is going to be a cumbersome force. Wood might be sweating after taking in the performance of his running back cohorts. Carries can be distributed among several options on the Irish roster, and today’s performance didn’t even utilize Everett Golson’s wheels.
Golson played out of the shotgun, but was primarily a passer or rush facilitator. He threw some impressive balls when given the opportunity, utilizing Notre Dame’s many tight ends effectively. He threw a red zone interception, liking inducing cold sweats among Notre Dame fans all-too accustomed to seeing Tommy Rees give the ball away near the end zone, but otherwise Golson had a solid outing.
Though over-matched, Navy still has positives on which to build to a good season. The option was ineffective because of Notre Dame’s impeccable preparation, but the only other opponent who will get several weeks to game plan for it is Army in the season finale. Otherwise, Navy is going to catch a lot of teams off-guard on short prep time.
The added caveat of Trey Miller’s passing ability is going to pose problems for opposing defenses. He was excellent in that regard, completing a very un-Navy-like 14 passes for 197 yards. Air Force excelled in the past few seasons running a variation of the option — albeit different than Navy’s — but quarterback Tim Jefferson’s ability to pass effectively gave the Falcons an added dimension. Watching Miller with his arm evolve into a dual skilled triple option quarterback should prove exciting.
Keegan Wetzel was also a bright for Navy. The outside linebacker sniffed out several Fighting Irish plays and laid down the hammer with ferocity.
Gauging the atmosphere on television is difficult, but Aviva Stadium seemed energetic. It’s a shame Ireland wasn’t exposed to a more competitive game, but I hope it leads to more international contests. Waking up at 5:45 PT for Week 1 kickoff is a pleasure, and it can’t hurt in expanding the sport’s reach. David Feherty offered a light-hearted alternative as sideline reporter. Irish police’s approach to handling an overzealous fan on the field was wholly un-American. His goal line rush would have never culminated in a jig stateside; he’d have been tasered around the 15-yard line. U-S-A! U-S-A!