As Notre Dame and Navy prepare to meet for the 99th time on Saturday, let’s take a brief look back at the last 98 meetings between the schools.
Notre Dame and Navy first met on the football field in 1927 with the Irish emerging victorious from Baltimore, 19-6.
This game is also notable for being one of the first times former Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne had the Irish wear green.
George Trevor of the New York Sun described Rockne’s mid game uniform switch from blue to green against the Midshipmen after the Irish were down six.
“Instantaneously the Notre Dame regulars yanked off their blue outer sweaters and like a horde of green Gila monsters darted onto the field,” said Trevor. “From that moment on Notre Dame held the initiative, imposed its collective will upon the Navy.”
Navy won its first two games of the series in 1933 and 1934 when the rivalry returned to Baltimore and Cleveland.
A 3-0 win in 1936 gave the Midshipmen a 3-1 record in that four-year stretch, the first of such a stretch for Navy in the series.
The 1940s saw Notre Dame dominate the series, losing just once in 1944 before carrying another dominant stretch into the 50s.
While the 1940s marked the 20-year anniversary of the historic rivalry, they also saw the two institutions form a much closer bond.
Due to World War II, the Notre Dame student population was decimated by the draft.
What ensued was a time of financial distress for the university, but Navy was there to help.
The Midshipmen sent officers to train at Notre Dame as well as money to help with operational costs of the facilities.
Former President of Notre Dame, Rev. Theodore Hesburgh C.S.C reflected on the help which Navy gave during the war.
“Navy came in and kept us afloat until the war was over,” said Hesburgh.
In eight games from 1956 to 1963, the Midshipmen had their most impressive stretch of the rivalry, winning five of the eight matchups against the Fighting Irish.
However, Notre Dame would not lose another game to Navy until a triple overtime thriller against Charlie Weis’s Irish in 2007.
“Streak doesn’t mean anything to me,” said Weis. “I mean, this is we lost to Navy. That’s who we lost to. Next year we will play Navy again.”
Navy would follow that up with wins in 2009, 2010 and 2016 against the Irish led by Brian Kelly.
Overall, however, the Irish have dominated the rivalry on the football field.
The entire series sits at a total of 84 wins, 13 losses and 1 tie for the Irish, who are entering Saturday looking to get their ninth win in a row.
That streak dates back to 2017 and began when Kelly still led the Irish, but now Marcus Freeman serves as Notre Dame’s head coach.
Freeman reflected on what it’s like being a part of one of college football’s most storied rivalries.
“I think as you go back to the history, and you go back to why this rivalry was even created, it’s an honor to be a part of it,” said Freeman. “You’re humbled; you’re grateful. And I think everybody has that mindset and approach to this opportunity we have ahead of us.
“If you have a grateful mindset, a grateful approach, and you prepare in a way that you respect what this opportunity presents. So I think that’s most important, man, is that our mindset’s in the right place, and we understand the tradition, the history of this rivalry and we prepare in a way that gives us a chance to have success.”
Now the Irish and Midshipmen will once again take the field to renew their rivalry and add another storied chapter to one of college football’s most unique rivalries.
Want the latest scoop on Notre Dame Football and Recruiting? Become an ISD Premium Subscriber and never miss the inside information. Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish YETI Hopper M20 Soft Cooler Backpack
