Notre Dame Football: 3 takeaways from close win over Navy in Week 12
By Zach Bigalke
2. Notre Dame front seven came up big against Navy running game
Navy’s triple-option offense is one of the most dangerous rushing attacks in the country. The Midshipmen came into Saturday’s contest against Notre Dame ranked first in the nation at an average of 370 rushing yards per game. That average is going to drop after a disappointing stumble in Week 12.
Notre Dame ultimately gave up 277 rushing yards to visiting Navy on Saturday afternoon. Even more telling, the Midshipmen needed 72 attempts to get to that mark. They averaged fewer than four yards per carry as a team, and no player managed a single carry of 20 or more yards out of the 72 times they carried the ball.
It was an impressive effort on Saturday by a Notre Dame team that has been stout against the run all season long. The Midshipmen never could break through to the second level, as the Fighting Irish won the battle in the trenches.
They did a great job containing what is usually the most dominant rushing offense in the nation. Next week they will need to do the same against the most dominant individual rusher in the country, when they face Stanford and its standout tailback Bryce Love.