Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Author
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman stated he sometimes exhibits his gamers clips of their embarrassing Sept. 7 residence loss to Northern Illinois — a motivational tactic that seems to be working.
The Irish have now received six straight video games, the longest streak below Freeman, together with Saturday’s 51-14 drubbing of Navy in MetLife Stadium.
“We will not lose the ache,” Freeman stated following one other crucial win that helped restore their hopes for a spot within the 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff. “That is what I wish to be sure that our guys perceive. I do not wish to lose the ache from that recreation as a result of at instances we’re motivated by worry. We do not need this to repeat itself. We have to make use of that.
“We’ll be glad about it if we put it to use and we study from the teachings it is taught us. When you may have success generally, you overlook about that ache of what NIU left in all of our hearts and our guts. There’s moments I wish to mirror on that and I do not need them to lose it.”
If it is attainable for a workforce’s turning level to come back simply two weeks into the season, that may have been it for the Irish. Because the loss to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame has been below stress to win out and look good doing it, as the one path to the playoff as an impartial is thru one in all seven at-large bids. The remainder of the spots are reserved for the 5 highest-ranked convention champions — a bid Navy hoped to get however was fumbled away on Saturday.
What started as a extremely anticipated matchup between two ranked applications desperately in want of a press release win to spice up their respective resumes rapidly spiraled right into a snoozer.
Beforehand undefeated Navy, which had been one of many season’s feel-good tales together with undefeated rival Military, got here crashing again to actuality with a collection of first-half blunders that had been too expensive to beat towards a extra gifted workforce on a sunny Saturday within the residence of the New York Jets and New York Giants.
Navy gifted the Irish with 5 fumbles — one thing the Midshipmen hadn’t achieved as soon as all season — and 6 whole turnovers, their most since 2002. Notre Dame scored 27 factors off turnovers, and most of them — save for Navy quarterback Blake Horvath’s first crimson zone interception of his profession — had been unforced errors, with ball safety an even bigger concern than a standout defensive play.
The strengths that had propelled Navy to its first 6-0 begin since 1979 – profitable the turnover battle and perfection within the crimson zone – had been a number of the Midshipmen’s greatest weaknesses towards Notre Dame. Navy was 1-of-3 within the crimson zone towards Notre Dame, which additionally held the nation’s No. 4 scoring offense (44.8 factors per recreation) scoreless for 2 quarters. In the meantime, it was probably the most factors Navy’s protection had allowed all season.
“It’s a must to put within the work, in any other case you permit the end result to likelihood,” Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser stated. “Each day we are available in figuring out what can occur if we do not attempt to dwell as much as our potential or dwell as much as the usual. We use that as motivation.”
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard was 3-of-3 for 105 yards and a landing on passes with a minimum of 20 air yards, an space of the passing recreation that had been sorely missing coming into the day. His three such cross completions are his most with the Irish, in line with ESPN Analysis.
Leonard, who transferred from Duke this previous offseason, stated he is nonetheless figuring the offense out below first-year offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and persevering with to construct a cohesiveness with the gamers round him.
“Do I really feel 100% assured but? No, however some issues are beginning to change into second nature in our checks,” he stated. “It has been a piece in progress, clearly, however I feel we’re getting higher each week.”
Leonard accounted for 3 touchdowns (two passing, one speeding), and no interceptions towards Navy. Within the loss to NIU, Leonard threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. Freeman reiterated that a part of the issue towards NIU was the workforce wasn’t mentally ready to deal with success, however after six straight wins, that mindset will proceed to be examined — together with his personal.
“You higher perceive that for those who do not put together the fitting means, you may lose to anyone you play,” he stated, “and I do not wish to ever overlook that.”
