Notre Dame LBs Pass Triple-Option Test, Focused on Ending 2024 Strong
Notre Dame is in the middle of its second bye week, and the Fighitng Irish have significant momentum as the program heads into the season's final month.
Defensively, Al Golden has been solid all year as he’s held seven opponents under 16 points and Notre Dame sits No. 5 in the country, giving up just 12.1 points per game.
In fact, it’s not shocking to see the Irish hold opponents out of the end zone each week, but Notre Dame still made a big statement over the weekend. Navy entered the game averaging well over 40 points per game and the Irish held to 14, including going 1-of-3 in the red zone.
Navy also had six turnovers on the day, which was a point of emphasis for Notre Dame all week.
“That’s always a key to the game,” Notre Dame captain Jack Kiser stated. “The defense has to wreak havoc on the ball, get the ball and create opportunities for our offense. If you look at all phases of the game, I think we were able to do that from special teams, defense and then our offense taking advantage of it.”
Navy quarterback Blake Horvath entered the game as one of the more dynamic players in the country. The Ohio native is dangerous with his legs, but he’s also a threat with his arm, which adds a challenging layer for defenses.
The Irish held Horvath to 7-of-13 passing for 88 yards, but the did give up 129 rushing yards and one touchdown. 60 yards came on one run, but overall, Kiser and Notre Dame were pleased with how they defended the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder and that can provide momentum in November as they’ll face Army quarterback Bryson Daily, who is even more of a handful.
“Anytime you play a triple-option team like Navy that runs it so well, it’s going to be a difficult task,” Kiser explained. “When you add in the dynamic player he is and his abilities, it makes it really tough. We just said everyone has to do their job. Everyone has to be where they need to be to stop someone like that. He hurt us early and so we had to calm down and make sure we were doing everything right.”
Overall, Notre Dame probably gave up a little more on the ground than they wanted as Navy rushed for 222 yards at 5.2 yards per carry. That said, Navy is always going to get its yards and the six turnovers more made up for giving up a gap here and there.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign for Notre Dame is its young linebackers weren’t overwhelmed in their first experience against the triple-option. It was far from perfect, but Kiser was pleased with their performance.
“Film never lies,” Kiser stated. “When we turn that on, we’ll see how everyone did. For being in a young room, it felt like everyone was assignment sound and everyone knew what was going on. They were able to slow the game down and realize what their responsibilities were, which was the most important part. You can’t let the smoke and mirrors confuse you.
“Gut reaction, I think we did a really good job with that, especially with such a young room. It’s very encouraging to see that, especially against a tough task like Navy.”
Notre Dame will now look to finish November on a strong note as they appear firmly in the mix for the College Football Playoff and don’t lack any motivation.
The program has embraced the embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois in a positive way, and it doesn’t sound like they will forget it any time soon.
“You have to know every single day that you have to work,” said Kiser. “You have to put in the work. Otherwise, you leave the outcome to chance. Every day we come in knowing what can happen if we don’t live up to our potential or our standard.
“We just use that as a motivation. You’re either getting better or getting worse. Every day, we just have to put in the work and make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
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