Marcus Freeman didn’t want to leave anything to chance, eyeing a second straight playoff berth. With the 10th-ranked Irish preparing to host the Midshipmen, he made a solid plan as he got a front-row look at Navy’s triple-option offense back in his days as Cincinnati’s DC. Although Notre Dame led the series with 2-0, Freeman didn’t forget that embarrassing 42-32 loss to Navy in 2017. And now, to make sure history doesn’t repeat, Freeman issued an urgent locker room message ahead of the game.

Irish Illustrated shared that message from ND head coach Marcus Freeman. “On defense, we’ve got to play right on their line of scrimmage up front. We’ve got to be more aggressive,” stated Freeman. While Freeman’s 27th-ranked defense in points allowed per game faces a well-coached offense, such advice speaks volumes.

Navy’s offense ranks 20th nationally with 453.4 YPG, while QB Blake Horvath also leads the nation’s QBs, ranking 5th overall with an average of 115.8 yards. Here’s where Freeman also added that stopping the QB’s runs is critical, warning, “If you don’t, they’ll kill you.” Now, the Fighting Irish performance on the field shows they take that advice seriously.

Despite Notre Dame entering the game against Navy with two losses, while Navy has only one loss against North Texas, Freeman’s squad dominates. While Jeremiyah Love makes explosive runs when needed, CJ Carr throws for over 450 yards, including a 50-yard connection to Malachi Fields. ND’s running game adds balance, with Fields exploding toward a 150-plus-yard performance.

Even without Horvath, the Midshipmen try to fight back, with Braxton Woodson stepping in. But the Irish defense consistently forces stops, keeping Navy from sustaining drives. Although Navy is controlling the clock at times, Notre Dame’s execution turns key moments into points, and they are leading with 49-10 in the fourth quarter with 2:18 left. Now, while it seems Notre Dame’s playoff dream is within reach, Navy knows about this challenge before facing it.

Navy HC’s take on Marcus Freeman’s team in pregame scenario

While the Midshipmen were chasing their first win over a top-10 team since beating Houston 46-40 in 2016, Marcus Freeman remembered the day Navy shredded Cincinnati for 569 rushing yards. That’s why before the matchup, Freeman said, “I didn’t have any answer. They just kept running the ball, and we couldn’t stop it. It’s a rough feeling. We can’t let this happen again. We’ve got to dive deeper into it and figure out what they’re looking for, not just how to stop it.”

On the flip side, although Navy HC Brian Newberry said, “We’ve got a phenomenal opportunity in front of us,” he knew the challenge his team could face against Notre Dame because of their dynamic rushing duo, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. While Love has 11 touchdowns, Price adds 521 yards on the ground. “Both have home run capabilities,” said Newberry. “They can go to the house from anywhere on the field. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us, and they’re big and physical up front. We have to do a great job of tackling.”

Navy faced a loss situation against the Irish in 2024. They turned the ball over six times and gave up 466 yards in a 51-14 loss at MetLife Stadium against Notre Dame. Now, again a loss while tying two teams’ overall record, the CFP competition becomes tighter.