Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from close win over Navy in Week 12

The oldest intersectional rivalry in FBS football offered another close thriller. Here are three takeaways from the duel between Notre Dame football and Navy.

For the 91st straight year, Navy and Notre Dame met on the football field. Playing every year since 1927, these two teams boast the nation’s oldest continually operating intersectional rivalry. There have been some legendary showings between the two teams, but more often than not the rivalry has gone in favor of the Fighting Irish.

Both teams had high hopes entering the season. But Navy dropped three straight league games to fall out of American Athletic Conference contention. Then, for Notre Dame, a blowout loss at Miami in Week 11 ended Fighting Irish dreams of a spot in the College Football Playoff.

With both schools bowl eligible before facing one another, that meant that there was little more than pride to play for between these two longtime rivals. Rivalries, though, often need little more than pride on the line. That was the case in South Bend, as the Midshipmen and Fighting Irish traded punches all day long before Notre Dame prevailed 24-17 in the tense contest.

With the win, the Fighting Irish took home the Rip Miller Trophy. What else did we learn from the rivalry game in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus? Keep reading for three lessons from Notre Dame’s victory over the Midshipmen in midday Saturday action in Week 12.