AAC Football: Most Important Non-Conference Games in 2017

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Nov 5, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) is tackled by Navy Midshipmen linebacker Michah Thomas (44) in the second quarter at EverBank Field. Navy won 28-27. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Injuries forced Navy to improvise right out of the gate at quarterback. Yet once Houston fell to the Midshipmen and down the standings last year, it appeared as though Navy had the inside track to the Access Bowl bid.

Then back-to-back losses to Temple in the AAC Championship Game and Army in Philadelphia shattered that dream. The Midshipmen did, however, end their five-game losing streak against Notre Dame in a 28-27 nailbiter in Jacksonville.

That rivalry, the second most-frequently played on this list (aside from SMU-TCU), will be reprised once again this year when Navy visits South Bend on November 18.

With the Fighting Irish losing starting quarterback DeShone Kizer to the NFL, and nearly half of its total production on both sides of the ball, Navy could win in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus for the first time since 2009. If the Midshipmen can remain healthy, it might even be the late statement needed to push them toward Access Bowl contention once again.

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