It Starts With Navy: Notre Dame Defense to Prioritize Finishing Late in Games

In 2022, the Fighting Irish might’ve finished 12-1 if they could’ve held on to late leads. 

Notre Dame held second-half leads in three of the program’s four losses last year. 

Against Ohio State, Notre Dame 10-7 until Buckeye quarterback C.J. Stroud hit wide receiver Xavier Johnson for a 24-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the third quarter. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame secured a go-ahead touchdown against Marshall and Stanford, only for the defense to allow long scoring drives shortly after that. 

Of course, it also could’ve been even worse in 2022. 

The Fighting Irish nearly blew 19-point second-half advantages against BYU and Navy, which included getting shut out versus the Midshipmen in the third and fourth quarters.

That should provide Notre Dame defenders with extra motivation on Saturday when they open the season against Navy in Dublin. 

“What we’re just going to really emphasize, even in the Navy game, is to be able to finish,” defensive end Nana Osafo-Mensah said. “Navy is never going to lay down no matter what the score is. They’re a very respectable group that’s known for their hard work and, of course, their service to the country.

“That’s a team that you can never let your guard down for one second because you never know what they can do.”

The first game is an excellent opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the season, especially when it’s against the Midshipmen. 

“In general, you would get to measure the heartbeat of the team by how hard they play against Navy,” DJ Brown said.

That’ll be easier said than done against new Navy offensive coordinator Grant Chesnut, who has experience running the triple option with the quarterback under center and in the shotgun.

“You’ve basically got three influences on offense, and so it’s definitely made us simplify,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “We’re going to have to keep it simple and be able to adapt on game day. But that’s game 1. It’s just magnified a little more this year because it’s already a different offense than you’re used to seeing. 

“Now you compound that with not knowing the percentage of each system or each concept, how much it contributes to the whole. So, we’ll see how it unfolds on game day.”

Of course, it could break up the monotony if Navy diverts from its traditional triple option formations more often than in the past. 

”I would say after the first drive, you know what to expect and how the game is going to go,” Brown said. “The one thing I would say is kind of hard to keep track of the downs because they’re running the same plays every play. I would say our focus this year is mainly communicating that it’s third down or fourth down.”

Coach Marcus Freeman and defensive coordinator Al Golden also placed a greater emphasis on developing depth throughout fall camp, which should equate to fresher Notre Dame starters late in games.

Still, even depth pieces must prove they’re ready for meaningful minutes against Navy’s difficult-to-defend offense.

Golden will evaluate Notre Dame’s inexperienced defenders leading up to the game to determine if they can react quickly against the triple-option while remaining disciplined.

“It’s just getting them to the point where they can function without thinking,” Golden said. “I think a lot of those guys that are in the mix have done a great job. And then you have a lot of veterans who have been in it. 

“It’s Wednesday. We've got a long way to go ‘til game day, but it’s exciting, and we’re fired up to play this game.”

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