Notre Dame-Navy: Military Defense Overhaul
Every year during the week of the Notre Dame-Navy game, the overwhelming storyline centers on how the Fighting Irish defense will have to combat the vaunted triple-option of the Midshipmen.
Even last year during a miserable 3-10 season, the Midshipmen were able to cobble together 292 yards rushing during a 44-22 loss to Notre Dame.
This year it once again leads the nation in rushing with a 357.9 average, 34 more than any other team, and only one of two programs with more than 300.
Continuing to run the ball effectively remains the staple and primary identity of the program, but the work of the defense is even more conspicuous with some notable national rankings:
• No. 15 in scoring defense (18.1 points per game).
• No. 17 in three different categories of rushing yards allowed per game (109.4), total yards permitted (310.6) and red-zone defense (including allowing only 12 touchdowns out of 22 chances the opposition penetrated Navy’s 20-yard line).
• No. 19 in pass efficiency defense (115.46 rating).
• No. 24 in the third-down conversions allowed (.325 percentage).
Granted, in the American Athletic Conference the Midshipmen have not faced the most formidable competition, but playing “the right way” and as a collective unit is something a team either has or doesn’t.
“What's impressive is the top offenses that they've played, they've kept them to over 100 yards less than their normal averages,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly noted. “Their rush defense is outstanding. They've been very aggressive.”
Much like Notre Dame’s drop to 4-8 in 2016, 12th-year Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo did a massive overhaul of the infrastructure from last year’s 3-10 outfit by hiring seven new assistants to revamp the program that needed a shakeup.
Headlining the change is new defensive coordinator Brian Newberry from Kennesaw State, with longtime Power Five assistant Brian Norwood co-coordinating the unit while also instructing the cornerbacks. It has helped the Midshipmen bounce back with a 7-1 start this year that has put them back among the nation’s top 25.
“From a transformational standpoint, their defense is so much better at everything that they do from coverage to getting after the quarterback, tackling,” Kelly said.
While the outside perception often has service academy teams as undersized, 6-3, 300-pound nose guard Jackson Pittman and 6-4, 289-pound senior tackle Marcus Edwards anchor (no pun intended) the front, aiding lanes for top linebackers Diego Fagot (6-3, 240) and yet another senior in Nizaire Cromartie (6-2, 237) to clean up in their alignments.
“Two or three 300 pounders that are tough to move up front,” Kelly said. “They're getting some sacks off the edge from some skilled players that are part of a very good scheme on second and third down.
“So part of it is scheme, part of it is they got some good players with some experience. I like their safeties. They can play anywhere in the country, both of them. As a matter of fact, we recruited one of them (sophomore Kevin Brennan) when Mike Elko was here.”
More movement and blitzing from various spots has aided the production.
The triple-option will always draw first notice, but no military unit can thrive without a sound defense … including in football.
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