Notre Dame has been a fixture on Navy schedules since 1927. To put that into perspective, that is the year Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic. Work on Mount Rushmore began. Ford introduced the Model A.
The game is a living fossil, a relic from a time when Navy and Notre Dame competed on equal footing in college football. That it has endured for so long is a small miracle in an era where Oklahoma-Nebraska and Pitt-Penn State have stopped being annual contests. Still, the game is beneficial for both parties. Notre Dame could schedule a random buy game like every other powerhouse if they wanted to, but playing Navy lets them play a game they should win while leaning into their brand as the upholders of college football's traditions. For Navy, there are obvious financial and recruiting benefits, and the game is a highlight of the season. It's their annual opportunity to see how they stack up against college football royalty. This year even has the added big-event feel that comes from playing in Dublin.
Nevertheless, this year's game doesn't feel the same. It's not that the game has lost its luster or anything like that. Indeed, this edition of the Fighting Irish should be as strong as any in recent memory. It's that this year, the anticipation surrounding the game for Navy fans isn't about how the Mids will look against a powerhouse rival. It wouldn't matter who Navy's opponent was this week. We've been waiting eight months for our first look at the new Navy football team.
There are glaciers with less consistency than Navy football has had over the last 20 years, but the program had finally reached a point where something had to change. In 2018, the Mids limped to a 3-10 record. A new defensive staff was brought in, and the Mids rebounded to win 11 games the following year. But the success didn't last; from 2020-2022, Navy was 11-23. This time, the offense had fallen apart, and as the keeper of the offense, head coach Ken Niumatalolo was let go. Now, the question on everyone's mind is what changes have been made under Brian Newberry.
Defensively, at least, there shouldn't be much of a mystery. Nine starters return to a unit that finished third in the country against the run. With the architect of that defense having been promoted to head coach and naming his most trusted lieutenant, P.J. Volker, as his defensive coordinator, the overall scheme won't change much beyond the usual year-to-year tweaks. Navy's biggest liability last year was giving up long pass plays, thanks partly to having a young secondary. This year, that secondary is a year older and wiser. While the pass rush of striker John Marshall will be missed, there is enough talent and experience across the board that his production doesn't have to come from any one person. On paper, this could be the best Navy defense since the George Welsh years.
The real mystery is what Navy will look like on offense. With the rule change to prohibit cut blocking on the perimeter, the viability of option offenses has been called into question. Army has gone so far as to install a whole new scheme. Navy, though, has delivered mixed signals. On the one hand, there has been talk of change. On the other hand, Newberry hired Grant Chesnut to be his offensive coordinator. Chesnut is as pure-bred an option coach as there is, having played for Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern before fellow Johnson disciple Brian Bohannon hired him to run his offense at Kennesaw State. That, plus the retention of option stalwarts Ivin Jasper, Ashley Ingram, and Mick Yokitis on his coaching staff, is a pretty clear signal that the option will still rule the day at Navy. Indeed, Chet Gladchuk stated during the coaching search that running the option was a priority for him.
But if that's the case, then there is still the question of how to make the option work with the new rules. The problem has been framed as "getting the ball outside," but that isn't exactly the issue. Getting the ball outside is a choice. There are several ways to do that. The problem is reading your way outside. If the option calls for a pitch read, how can you make the pitch effective and keep the play from getting strung out?
There have been hints here and there since the spring. Chesnut has talked about throwing the ball more often and in ways that the Mids haven't done in the past. He has mentioned using different formations to throw off the defense and gain leverage. There are tight ends. "B-backs" are now "T-backs." Chesnut also stated that it would take a trained eye to notice most of the changes, so not everything will be so drastic. It will be interesting to see how these statements are reconciled on the field.
Regardless of what the offense looks like, there are serious questions at quarterback. It's difficult to install a new offense when neither of the two quarterbacks on the roster with starting experience could participate in the spring. The quarterback who finished spring practice on top of the depth chart, Teddy Gleaton, missed fall camp while attending summer school. That leaves sophomore Blake Horvath as the only quarterback to fully participate in practice since the spring. Fortunately, Horvath has reportedly picked up the offense well, although the coaches have stated that he needs to improve his decision-making. Still, asking a sophomore to make his first collegiate start in a new offense against Notre Dame in Ireland is hard. Chesnut stated that both Horvath and a healed Tai Lavatai are likely to play on Saturday.
Fortunately, whoever lines up under center will have an experienced supporting cast. Four of the five offensive linemen are returning starters from last year. Daba Fofana, the team's leading rusher last year with 769 yards, is back at fullback. The wide receivers have turned heads in practice, led by Jayden Umbarger. If one of the quarterbacks steps up, he should have a lot to work with. One would have hoped, though, that someone would have won the job in camp.
The new-look Navy offense will take on a Notre Dame defense that is talented, but not without their own set of questions. Up front, the Irish will have to contend with the loss of Isaiah Foskey, who set the school record for sacks. Both defensive tackles are returning starters, including 6'5", 305-pound senior Rylie Mills, who was #10 on The Athletic's "Freak" list. The defense's strength is at linebacker, where all three players are fifth-year seniors. JD Bertrand starts in the middle and has 183 tackles over the last two seasons.
Both head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive coordinator Al Golden have long histories against Navy, including last year's game. The Irish use a hybrid DE/linebacker position ("Vyper") and a hybrid LB/S position ("Rover"), which gives them the ability to line up in a variety of fronts against the option. In recent years, they've used multiple fronts in the same game. Last year, they alternated between eight-man and five-man fronts, with a six-man front thrown in here and there. In an eight-man front, the deep safety followed the pitch man. When the Irish used two safeties, the DBs played man-to-man on the receivers and slotbacks.
Golden might have more experience against the option than any active coordinator in the country, having played against Navy while coaching Temple and facing Georgia Tech as the head coach of Miami. While it's good to have experience, it also means you have a track record to study. One thing that Golden has always liked to do against the option is to slant the defensive line; both defensive tackles release in the same direction at the snap. The purpose of this is to mess with the fullback's reads. When the fullback reads one defensive tackle releasing outside, he'll cut back inside, where the other defensive tackle meets him.
Navy's answer to this in the past has been to run midline, since that makes the DT a predictable read. Golden seemed to anticipate this last year; he wanted to bait the Mids into running midline. His plan was to have both defensive tackles step outside at the snap. The inside linebackers, expecting the quarterback to read the DTs and hand the ball to the fullback, stepped into the A gap to stop them. The problem is that the DTs playing outside at the snap just made it easier for Navy's interior linemen to get a clean release to block the linebackers. Navy ran the midline just as Golden wanted, but they had no trouble doing so.
Notre Dame adjusted by lining up in an odd front, but they still used the same basic idea. The defensive end stepped upfield to make the quarterback hand the ball to the fullback while an inside linebacker would step into the A gap. Against this, Navy just ran a fullback trap. The DE was very easy to block for the pulling guard since he was basically running himself out of the play anyway. This freed up the guard and center for a double team on the nose guard, while the tackle had a clean release to get to the linebacker. Meanwhile, because the DBs were playing one-on-one with the receivers and slots, Navy lined them up as far away as they could to open up the middle of the field. One slot went in motion, which got that safety's momentum carrying him away from the play.
The defense eventually figured out what was going on, though. After running wild in the first half, Fofana was limited to eight carries for 21 yards in the second half. Once the Irish fixed their glitch, it became much more of a standard option game for the Mids. And with the pitch game getting constantly strung out, the offense struggled to move the ball.
While it’s difficult to say what Notre Dame’s game plan will be on Saturday, the Mids will likely face multiple fronts and see their option game forced outside. It won’t take long for the new offense to be tested.
On the other side of the ball, the Irish also have a new offensive coordinator, although, it’s unclear if they’ll look much different than last year. Tommy Rees left to become the offensive coordinator at Alabama, and tight ends coach Gerad Parker was promoted to replace him. However, the biggest addition to the Notre Dame offense is quarterback Sam Hartman.
Hartman is entering his sixth season of college football, and that experience has enhanced his already considerable talent. A transfer from Wake Forest, Hartman earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2021 after leading the Deacs to an 11-3 record. He threw for 4,228 yards and 39 touchdowns while running for 11 more. Last season, he completed 63 percent of his passes and threw for 38 more TDs. His arrival in South Bend has led to speculation that Notre Dame may open up their offense this season.
I’m skeptical. As talented as Hartman is, a lot of pressure comes with being hailed as a quarterback savior at a place like Notre Dame. Hartman has the talent and maturity to handle it, but does he have to? Notre Dame was one of the best rushing offenses in the country last year, averaging 210.5 ypg over the last ten games of the season. They ran for 287 yards at UNC, 263 against Clemson, and 265 against South Carolina. Notre Dame established a winning identity for themselves on offense last year. How much do they really want to change that? That’s especially true considering the return of running back Audric Estimé, who ran for 920 yards last year.
Meanwhile, the receivers are less proven. The Irish lost all-everything tight end Michael Mayer to the NFL. Jayden Thomas is the team’s leading returning receiver, with only 361 yards last season. Slot receiver Chris Tyree has blazing speed but is a converted running back who has only occasionally lined up in the slot. There are a lot of unproven commodities in the passing game, while the running game should be just as strong as last season. It could be that the Notre Dame formula won’t be to throw more often but to be more effective when they do.
Of course, that’s how things may play out over the course of the season, but the Navy game has often been an exception for Notre Dame. In the past, Notre Dame has treated Navy as a “get right” game. Struggling to run the ball? Pound the rock 40 times against Navy. Need to get your quarterback on track? Air it out against Navy. That is especially true after last year when the Mids limited the Irish to less than two yards per carry and sacked Drew Pyne five times. I expect Notre Dame to throw the ball, counting on Hartman’s poise (and two all-American candidates at tackle) to stand up against the Navy pass rush. We’ll see if an older and wiser Navy secondary can rise to the challenge.
It’s a new era for Navy football, but the challenge of facing Notre Dame remains the same. Coach Newberry has emphasized strong starts, and the team has been more physical in camp to prepare. Here’s hoping the hard work pays off.
