Notre Dame-Navy Countdown: 10 To 1
10 Over the last 10 seasons in this series, Navy has won four times, notably a 28-27 victory last year in Jacksonville. The 4-6 mark in that span against the Irish is Navy's second best in the 90-game history, eclipsed only by the 5-5 record from 1954-63. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 76-13-1.
9 Victories Notre Dame would be at this season (9-2) with a win against the Midshipmen. Since 1974 when Notre Dame began playing at least 11 regular season games on a yearly basis, this would be the 18th time in 44 seasons the Irish reached at least nine victories by the 11th game. The others were: 1974, 1977, 1980, 1988-93, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005-06, 2012 and 2015.
8 Notre Dame’s ranking this week in the College Football Playoff, despite the 41-8 shellacking at the hands of now No. 2 Miami last Saturday. The only other loss is by one point to No. 7 Georgia, while three quality wins have occurred versus No. 11 USC (49-14), No. 17 Michigan State (38-18) and No. 19 North Carolina State (35-14). Still remaining is No. 22 Stanford on Nov. 25.
7 The seventh and final home game of this season — the 7th time that has happened at Notre Dame — will honor 26 seniors. Thirteen of the scholarship seniors have a fifth season of eligibility remaining in 2018: Quarterback Montgomery VanGorder, receiver Austin Webster, tight end Nic Weishar, offensive linemen Alex Bars, Jimmy Byrne, Sam Mustipher and Quenton Nelson, defensive linemen Jonathan Bonner, Jay Hayes and Pete Mokwuah, rover Drue Tranquill, cornerback Nick Watkins and punter Tyler Newsome.
Expect at least five but no more than eight to likely return.
6 Possessions Notre Dame had in last year’s 28-27 loss to Navy — the fewest in an FBS game since 2008 when Northern Illinois also had six in a 16-0 loss to the Midshipmen. The Irish scored five times (three touchdowns and two field goals) in those six series, but Navy masterfully shortened the game, holding the ball exactly nine minutes on its go-ahead TD that made it 28-24, and then running out the final 7:28.
The Midshipmen rank No. 1 nationally this year in time of possession with a 35:48 to 24:12 advantage per contest.
5 Notre Dame coaches who have lost to Navy two times: Elmer Layden (1934, 1936), Terry Brennan (1956-57), Joe Kuharich (1960-61), Charlie Weis (2007 and 2009) and Brian Kelly (2010, 2016).
No Irish coach has ever lost three times to the Midshipmen (hint).
4 The Irish are seeking their fourth “revenge” victory in as many attempts this season. Notre Dame already has defeated Michigan State, USC and North Carolina State after falling to them in 2016. Navy and Stanford are the last two remaining for a 5-0 mark in 2017 — plus sweeping all of its “trophy games” on the schedule this season.
3 Different Navy quarterbacks listed as the potential starter against Notre Dame, due to injury situations. Junior Zach Abey is 15th nationally in rushing yardage with 1,202 (Notre Dame’s Josh Adams is 10th at 1,231), but he was sidelined last week because of a shoulder injury. In Abey's place, Malcolm Perry, who also has been a slot back, rushed for 282 yards during last week’s 43-40 win versus SMU — but he suffered a sprained ankle that leaves him in doubt for the Irish.
Garrett Lewis also finished the game at Temple, a 34-26 loss, when Abey was injured, and he threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes versus the Owls.
2 Notre Dame ranks No. 2 in the country in runs of at least 20 yards (37), 30 yards (25), 40 yards (15), 50 yards (11) and 70 yards (four). The Irish also are one of two teams to have at least nine 60-yard runs. This should bode well against a Navy defense that ranks 64th against the run (165.8 yards per game) while allowing 4.71 yards per carry.
Notre Dame also saw this week two of its offensive linemen — left guard Quenton Nelson and left tackle Mike McGlinchey — named among the six semifinalists for the Outland Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s outstanding interior lineman.
1 Navy ranks No. 1 in rushing yardage per game at 369.8, which would break by 21 yards the school record set 10 years ago. Since 2002, the Midshipmen have never finished lower than No. 6 nationally in rushing yards per game. They had 320 yards rushing on 56 carries in last year’s win over the Irish.
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