Fireworks painted the night sky red as the first university band performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The pyrotechnics shot out the roof of college football’s cathedral, simulating the rocket’s red glare. This pregame rendition of the national anthem carried a bit more weight this time around, as Notre Dame hosted Navy in the first night game in series history. In the 98th edition of a storied rivalry, the Irish sought their seventh-straight victory after a 0-2 start. The Midshipmen were trying to bounce back from their first loss of the season last weekend against North Texas. Like last season, the game had massive College Football Playoff implications, with both teams fighting for their postseason lives.
Already outmatched in the talent department, a late scratch to quarterback Blake Horvath made Navy’s task feel even taller. Braxton Woodson stepped in for Horvath to spearhead the triple-option attack. He faced a swarming Irish defense that had spent all week preparing for the unique challenge.
“All week as a defense, we talked about how they were going to show us a lot of window dressing,” sophomore linebacker Jaiden Ausberry said. “Once the ball is snapped, it’s football. You got to play fast, play violent, and that’s what we talked about all week.”
Ausberry was the catalyst of a dominant defensive display, with a team-high eight total tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. His play reflected the tone Notre Dame set all game- an aggressive one.
Navy won the toss and elected to receive. They only managed one first down before punting it away, but pinned the Irish at their own 6-yard line. After a pair of Jeremiyah Love rushes went nowhere, it looked like Notre Dame would give the ball right back. That was until the junior running back leaked out of the backfield and took a pass from freshman quarterback CJ Carr 27 yards for a first down. A play later, Carr connected with senior receiver Malachi Fields on a gorgeous downfield pass, and the Irish were in business. Love did the rest from there. The Heisman candidate needed three attempts to gain the remaining 15 yards, punching in his 15th score of the season from the 1-yard line. Most notably for a Notre Dame team plagued by kicking woes, freshman kicker Erik Schmidt tacked on the extra point.
When a triple-option offense meets a run-first one, the clock moves fast. Another unsuccessful Navy drive and an Irish three-and-out rounded out the first 15 minutes. The second quarter, however, was more eventful.
Senior punter James Rendell mishit a 27-yard punt that started the Midshipmen near midfield. They proceeded to matriculate down the field in an eight-play, 53-yard touchdown drive that tied the game at seven. That was the closest they would get.
Fields picked up where he left off, catching passes on the first three plays of Notre Dame’s next series. His play showcased a blossoming partnership with Carr, one built on mutual trust and hard work behind the scenes.
“I think it’s the pride he takes in getting it right,” Fields said about Carr. “If we miss it in practice, we are staying after and repping it … We see it all week, so we know what it’s going to be like on Saturday.”
As good as Fields has been, Jordan Faison continued to serve as Carr’s most reliable target. After Fields gothis teaminto scoring position, the junior pass-catcher converted a fourth-and-one to keep the drive alive. Junior running back Jadarian Price found the end zone on the next play, regaining a touchdown advantage for the Irish.
Notre Dame forced a Navy three-and-out and got the ball back with ample time to put more points on the board. The Irish made a point of dominating teams in the middle eight a year ago, a trend that has continued in 2025. They came into the game outscoring opponents 148-17 between the final four minutes of the second quarter and first four minutes of the third. Sensing an opportunity to pull away from the Midshipmen, they further improved that impressive number.
A seven-play, 68-yard drive in a little under three minutes ended in a Faison touchdown reception and a 21-7 Irish lead. They left enough time for Navy to answer, though. A 41-yard scramble by Woodson helped the Midshipmen enter field goal range, where they eventually knocked in a 33-yarder right before halftime.
Halfway through the middle eight, the Irish were ahead 21-10. By the end of it, they had a commanding 35-10 lead in the game. Navy’s kickoff flew out of bounds to begin the half, giving Notre Dame a 10-yard head start. They only needed four plays from there. After an incompletion and a 1-yard run, Carr turned to old reliable on third-and-nine, a curl route by Faison. The next play was a miraculous touchdown run by Love. The whole stadium, including the Navy defenders, thought he was down after a short gain. Seconds later, he was back on his feet, sprinting into the end zone. Replay showed Love rolling on the body of a defender to avoid the ground, before reclaiming his balance and unleashing his breakaway speed.
“I had the best view in the house,” Carr said about the highlight-reel run. “It’s always nice when you can have a guy do something like that. It takes a lot of pressure off you.”
With the quick score, Navy was desperate after just 1:33 minutes of second-half play. Quickly faced with a fourth-and-two on the ensuing drive, they chose to go for it on their own 33-yard line and fell short. The Irish wasted no time with the ball back in their hands. Carr loaded up a shot to sophomore receiver KK Smith for the one-play touchdown. It felt like the killshot.
Notre Dame would continue to pour it on in what remained of the one-sided contest. After another Navy three-and-out, the Irish took over at midfield. Junior tight end Ty Washington got in on the action, capping off a six-play, 49-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown grab.
With under seven minutes left in the third quarter, both sides made quarterback changes. Sophomore sign caller Jackson Gutierrez took over for the Midshipmen. After forcing another punt, the Irish offense took to the field with junior quarterback Kenny Minchey at the helm.
His first drive became the Aneyas Williams show. The sophomore running back got his first touches since the Arkansas game and made good use of them. He took five attempts for 72 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown dash. Navy was stifled yet again on its last attempt at some consolation. Notre Dame only needed a few first downs to kill the rest of the clock and leave their home stadium with a 49-10 victory.
It can be tough to find takeaways in a single game, especially against an uncommon opponent like Navy. But beyond what the scoreboard read, Notre Dame played a near-perfect game of football, correcting the glaring mistakes of weeks past. They finished without a single penalty, capitalized on all of their red zone trips and, biggest of all, kicked every single extra point through the uprights. A win against Navy will not be the defining resume point that changes the nation’s perception of Notre Dame. However, it was another showing from a team finding its best football.
In the fourth quarter, Dean Martin’s “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” rang out from the loudspeakers as snowflakes trickled down from the sky. November football had officially arrived.
“The best teams win in November,” senior cornerback DeVonta Smith said in the post-game press conference. “We believe that we are one of the best teams in the country, and we are going to continue to prove that.”
The Alabama transfer is no stranger to winning when it matters most. He learned how important that is under Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach of all time. Like Saban, Freeman has had great success in the winter months. His team’s win against Navy brought his record in November to 9-2 during his Notre Dame tenure. This is no accident. In all four of his seasons, the Irish got better as the year went on, a product of the mindset Freeman instills in his players.
“Why do you have to struggle?” Freeman asked before promptly answering. “Because you can’t grow if you don’t struggle.”
Freeman has been no stranger to struggle in his young coaching career. Every time, though, he has gotten his team to respond. A 0-2 start made Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff hopes seem bleak. But they also looked that way after a loss to Northern Illinois at home. Look where they ended up then. The Irish have the talent and leadership to get back to that stage. They took one step closer on Saturday. Only time will tell if they make it all the way.