Week 8: Navy def. Notre Dame, 35-17

• killer_ewok

  

  With all those guys out.....we may be on upset alert now. Ugh.
• Cleveland Buck

  

  Navy isn't as good as they were last year. Notre Dame has nothing to worry about this time.
• Con_Alma

  Cleveland Buck;524998 wrote:Navy isn't as good as they were last year. Notre Dame has nothing to worry about this time.

  
  Navy is nowhere near what they were last you. You are so very right about that. Notre Dame should be heavily favored.
• sjmvsfscs08

  Notre Dame does have to worry. Forcing turnovers is what has won Navy games this season. Notre Dame, with all of the inexperienced players in, can't turn the ball over or they won't get it back with Navy running the clock. If you watched the video of last year's game, you can just see them drive the field and turn it over on two occasions.
  
  Navy doesn't have the horses to beat Notre Dame, only Notre Dame's mental errors will beat the Irish. Alle, Eifert, and Wood need to hold onto the ball, and Crist needs to develop some chemistry with Jones in the slot, and Goodman/Kamara wide out. I would bet any amount of money Shaq Evans is kicking himself right now. So much playing time to be had for a stud like him, even if he is a lazy ass.
  
  I'm not too worried about Slaughter being hurt, the front seven for Notre Dame will destroy Navy's offense. The Irish rush defense held the last three opponents to 79.5 yards rushing/game and 2.6/carry. That's statistical talk for Ian Williams is a monster.
• Con_Alma

  I thought it was interesting that this is the 84th-consecutive year they are meeting and that it's the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football!
  
  Some other pre-game notes.
  
  Navy enters Saturday's game ranked No. 7 in the country in turnover margin (+1.2), ninth in rushing offense (259.0), ninth in pass defense (160.2), and 22nd in scoring defense (18.2).
  
  Notre Dame enters Saturday's contest ranked 18th in passing offense (286.6). Wide receiver Michael Floyd ranks 19th in receiving yards per game (89.1) and 21st in receptions per game (6.3). Kicker David Ruffer is tied for 13th in field goals per game (1.7) and linebacker Manti Te'o is 10th in tackles per game (11.3).
  
  Navy's 65 wins over the last eight years are tied with Alabama for the 18th most in the country.
  
  Quarterback Ricky Dobbs needs just three rushing touchdowns to tie Chris McCoy for the school record for career rushing touchdowns. McCoy, who rushed for 43 touchdowns as a quarterback from 1995-97, stands 10th on the NCAA career list for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He needs four touchdowns to tie McCoy for the school record for career touchdowns. McCoy scored 44 touchdowns (43 rushing, one receiving) in his career.
  
  Navy's senior class is trying to join the Class of 1937 and the Class of 1964 as the only classes to beat Notre Dame three times in their career. Gonna need a miracle to do so.
  
  Navy has not defeated Notre Dame at a neutral site since 1960 when the Mids knocked off the Irish, 14-7, in Philadelphia.
  
  Since 2003, Navy has won 17 games against BCS opponents, which is tied with Utah for the most by a non-BCS team during that timespan.
• sjmvsfscs08

  Con_Alma;525040 wrote:Since 2003, Navy has won 17 games against BCS opponents, which is tied with Utah for the most by a non-BCS team during that timespan.

  
  Which means there is an argument one could form for saying Navy should hop into the Big East. I think they'd fit in well, if not them then C-USA or the MAC. I think Navy would win the MAC most seasons.
• Con_Alma

  sjmvsfscs08;525044 wrote:Which means there is an argument one could form for saying Navy should hop into the Big East. I think they'd fit in well, if not them then C-USA or the MAC. I think Navy would win the MAC most seasons.

  
  I hope that never happens nor do I expect it to.
  
  The other Varsity sports at the Academy compete in the Patriot League with American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, and Lehigh. There are also Associate Members of Fordham, Georgetown and MIT...dependeing on the sport.
  
  Much like Notre Dame, Navy has no need to be in a conference and has the ability to schedule based on the strength of the upcoming football classes.
  
  I don't think the MAC would appreciate very much having a football program that is limited only by it's number of students the amount that can be on scholarship while they only have 85 available.
• karen lotz

  

  Goldenboy26;523106 wrote:green jerseys for navy
  
  http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/10/adidas_introduces_new_techfit.html
  
  Go Irish!

  
  Irish won't be in green this weekend, unless Kelly is trying to be sneaky. He was asked about it in his press conference today and said the sources are wrong.
• sjmvsfscs08

  I believe the sources are wrong. Notre Dame is the away team, and in the preseason they wanted to do it for Army.
• rock_knutne

  Official: Riddick is out and the ankle is worse than expected. Kelly said they feared he may have needed surgery. No timetable for his return:
  
  http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/10/notre-dame-wr-theo-riddick-out-for-navy-game.html
• Hamp89

  rock_knutne;525788 wrote:Official: Riddick is out and the ankle is worse than expected. Kelly said they feared he may have needed surgery. No timetable for his return:
  
  http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/10/notre-dame-wr-theo-riddick-out-for-navy-game.html

  
  This sucks .
• killer_ewok

  

  It figures. Damn.
• Hamp89

  They all basically have 3 weeks until they are desperately needed again. Come on quick recoveries!
• grodt

  

  We need these next three games to get rolling because Utah is going to be a battle. First up, Navy. Time to extract our revenge on the Midshipmen.
  
  Go Irish!
• rock_knutne

  With all the injuries on offense, the defense will get no time off! They need to step it up big time in these next two games.......Navy's option aside, Tulsa likes to throw the football.
• sjmvsfscs08

  sleeper;523154 wrote:I'll give the advantage to ND, Navy is terrible, just like 99% of ND's schedule.

  
  If Navy is so terrible, why did Ohio State need a two-point conversation interception to beat them last season?
• Con_Alma

  Navy hasn't looked very sharp at all since the Air Force game. Their offense isn't crisp at all and Ricky Dobbs can't seem to increase the speed of the triple. Even the last two games they have been "stale" offensively. Gee Gee Greene and Alex Teich have been the only spark lately.
  
  I think SMU was a better team...certainly more physical. Some how the Midshipmen seem to overcome some long odds. This game is going to be very difficult on the Mids. They are going to have to shorten the game ...especially the first half and fight to keep it within reach until half time.
• rock_knutne

  sjmvsfscs08;526606 wrote:If Navy is so terrible, why did Ohio State need a two-point conversation interception to beat them last season?

  
  Bet your ass that OSU doesn't schedule Navy again for a looooooong time.
• Con_Alma

  It was just announced that Navy Quarterback Ricky Dobbs is a finalist for the 2010 Lowe's Senior Class award.
  
  CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
  
  http://www.seniorCLASSaward.com
  
  
  2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Football Finalists
  
  Sam Acho, Defensive End, Texas

  Sean Bedford, Center, Georgia Tech

  Anthony Castonzo, Offensive Tackle, Boston College

  Jake Coffman, Defensive End, Northern Illinois

  Ricky Dobbs, Quarterback, Navy

  Ras-I Dowling, Cornerback, Virginia

  Kendall Hunter, Running Back, Oklahoma State

  Christian Ponder, Quarterback, Florida State

  Ryan Pugh, Center, Auburn

  Stefen Wisniewski, Offensive Guard, Penn State

• CinciX12

  

  Playing QB for Navy has to be about the most damn pointless job of anyone in the country. It might even transcend sports and be the most unnecessary person, in any field of work in the world.
• Con_Alma

  Pointless? How so?
  
  From a football perspective it's the most important position in a triple option offense.
  
  From a life perspective there's a reason the Naval Academy requires all *students to participate in sports. The competitive nature of athletics lends to the personality type that's being developed to be a United States Naval Officer.
• killer_ewok

  

  I have to agree with Con here.
• Con_Alma

  CinciX12;527270 wrote:Playing QB for Navy has to be about the most damn pointless job of anyone in the country. It might even transcend sports and be the most unnecessary person, in any field of work in the world.

  
  Unnecessary?
  
  Can you expand on that so I might better understand?
• CinciX12

  

  You can teach a person to be QB at Navy in a few sentences.
  
  Okay, on this play you are going to take the snap and run right, realize that you are going to get hit quickly because the line isn't very good and pitch the ball to the RB. Oh yeah, occassionaly you are going to hand the ball off to the FB.
  
  But that opinion is probably just based off of if i have to watch a team run the ball more than 30% of their offenseve plays I fall asleep.
• Con_Alma

  It takes a significant amount of time to teach a QB how to read the triple option and the unblocked lineman play-side.
  
  Ever watch Georgia Tech?
  
  How is the Naval Academy so successful running wise with the awful lineman you speak of?
  
  P.S. The quarter-back pitches it to a Slot back. The full-back who doesn't receive a pitch in the triple option.