Notre Dame vs. Navy: Box score, stats, game summary and more ft. Riley Leonard
An expected defensive battle failed to materialize as Notre Dame used big plays to roll to a 31-7 halftime edge en route to a 44-14 victory over Navy in a battle of top 25 teams.
No. 12 Notre Dame is trying to stay involved in the College Football Playoff hunt with a massive victory at the previously unbeaten and No. 24 Navy Midshipmen. With Navy and Army both ranked coming into Saturday, service academy football has suddenly become nationally relevant for the first time in a long while.
Notre Dame (7-1) took a Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, but has since righted the ship, besting six straight opponents. Duke transfer Riley Leonard has been efficient at the QB position. Leonard had thrown for 1,182 yards and six touchdowns coming into today, while Notre Dame's defense had allowed just 11.9 points per game.
Navy (6-1, 4-0) had jumped to its impressive start on its run-based attack, averaging 274.8 rushing yards per game coming into Saturday. QB Blake Horvath has already rushed for 621 yards and 10 touchdowns and topped 100 yards again in this game. Heading into Saturday, Navy had scored 44.8 points per game even with its throwback style of offense. Notre Dame, though, had all the answers.
Notre Dame vs. Navy Box Score
Notre Dame Passing Stats
Notre Dame Rushing and Receiving Stats
Notre Dame Kicking Stats
Navy Passing Stats
Navy Rushing and Receiving Stats
Navy Kicking Stats
Navy struggled with turnovers and with stopping the Fighting Irish offense. The Irish took the opening possession of the game 75 yards, culminating on a 1 yard TD run from Leonard. After a Navy fumble, Notre Dame had to move seven yards for their second score. While Navy pulled with 14-7 on a 47 yard run from Horvath, Notre Dame then responded by scoring the last 17 points of the quarter.
Navy opened second half scoring by taking the opening possession 75 yards for a score to pull within 31-14 on a 1 yard Eli Heidenreich run. But Notre Dame answered again and pulled away for an easy victory.
The Irish are now 7-1 and a have a week off ahead of a home game with struggling Florida State. The season-ending game at USC is perhaps the biggest challenge ahead on Notre Dame's schedule.
Navy falls to 6-1 and will travel to Rice next week. Navy remains at the top of the AAC standings and could end up facing Army for the conference crown to end the regular season.
- ND- Riley Leonard 1 yard TD run, (Yoakam XPT), 7-0, 10:28 remaining in 1st quarter
- ND- Kris Mitchell 6 yard TD pass from Riley Leonard (Yoakam XPT), 14-0, 5:44 remaining in 1st quarter
- Navy- Blake Horvath 47 yard TD run, (Kirkwood XPT), 14-7, 13:33 remaining in 2nd quarter
- ND- Jeremiah Love 64 yard TD run (Yoakam XPT), 21-7, 12:28 remaining in 2nd quarter
- ND- Jeremiah Love 2 yard TD run (Yoakam XPT), 28-7, 5:05 remaining in 2nd quarter
- ND- Zac Yoakam 32 yard field goal, 31-7, 0:26 remaining in 2nd quarter
- Navy- Eli Heidenreich 1 yard TD run (Kirkwood XPT), 31-14, 8:44 remaining in 3rd quarter
- ND- Beaux Collins 37 yard TD pass from Riley Leonard (Yoakam XPT), 38-14, 5:35 remaining in 3rd quarter
- ND- Jaylen Sneed 0 yard fumble recovery (XPT no good), 44-14, 4:18 remaining in 3rd quarter
- ND- Kedren Young 3 yard TD run (Yoakam XPT), 51-14, 7:08 remaining in 4th quarter