Notre Dame exploded for 28 second half points in 19 minutes to bury Navy by 49-10 on Saturday night. CJ Carr was an efficient 13 of 16 for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremiyah Love ran for two scores while Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams added one each. Notre Dame committed no turnovers or penalties in this game, and did not allow a sack. Defensively, the hosts held the Midshipmen to 228 total yards. Navy had come into South Bend averaging 466 yards and 35 points per game. The Irish offense produced 249 yards on the ground and 253 through the air for a total of 502.

The Irish built a 21-10 lead in a competitive first half. Carr’s 52-yard bomb to Malachi Fields set up Love’s short touchdown run for a 7-0 lead. Later in the opening period, James Rendell’s shanked punt set up Navy near midfield. Quarterback Braxton Woodson led the Midshipmen on an impressive eight-play ground assault to tie the score.

Notre Dame recaptured the lead on runs by Price and passes by Carr to Fields. Price ran it in to make it 14-7. The Irish appeared to take control with under two minutes left in the half. Carr passed to Will Pauling, who broke a tackle and streaked to the Navy five-yard line. On the next play, Carr hit Jordan Faison in the flat and he waltzed into the end zone.

The Irish hoped to get the ball back before the half expired but it was not to be. Woodson broke loose on a scramble and gained 41 yards. He continued to mix runs with short passes as the Middies moved into the red zone. Notre Dame finally dug in and forced a short field goal attempt with 15 seconds left. Nathan Kirkwood’s kick provided the 21-10 halftime margin.

Once again, Coach Marcus Freeman’s team made effective adjustments and dominated the second half. Unsurprisingly, it was Love who ignited his team. In the opening series of the third period, Love took an inside handoff and appeared to be stopped. He rolled over a defender without hitting the turf, then gained his footing and raced 48 yards to paydirt. This opened the floodgates as Notre Dame scored on its next three possessions while the defense suffocated Navy.

On the ensuing series, the Irish stuffed the Middies on fourth down in their own territory. Carr immediately hit KK Smith for a 34-yard touchdown. In just over three minutes, Notre Dame had scored twice to extend its lead to 35-10. Another unproductive offensive series by Navy set up a Carr touchdown pass to Ty Washington to make it 42-10. The Middies finally recorded a couple of first downs but the drive ultimately fizzled.

Kenny Minchey relieved Carr and did not miss a beat. He ran and passed for first downs before Williams burst through the line on a fourth down play. His 54-yard scoring run came a few minutes into the fourth quarter. Navy could not sustain a drive against the Irish reserves and punted the ball away. Minchey and Notre Dame chewed up the last seven minutes of the game before kneeling in victory formation.

The Irish displayed better focus and poise after an uninspired performance against Boston College last week. This is a good sign, along with the offensive balance and another shutdown second half by the defense. Finally, freshman kicker Eric Schmidt appeared confident as he drilled all seven extra points.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Which team will be more successful on third or fourth down? Notre Dame was better on all counts. Navy failed on its only fourth down attempt. Meanwhile, the Irish converted both of theirs including the long scoring run by Williams.
• Will Carr be patient and take the easy completions over riskier throws? Carr forced a couple of deep balls into coverage but was excellent for the most part. He still has a little Brett Favre in him.
• Can Notre Dame’s defense create negative plays? Not many, but the Irish had a couple of sacks and key stops at opportune moments.
• Which team will win the turnover margin? There were no fumbles or interceptions by either side. However, Navy’s failed fourth down try set up the Carr to Smith TD pass.
• Can the Irish special teams rebound from last week’s miserable outing? Schmidt looked competent although I was hoping to see a field goal attempt. Rendell’s gaffe was the only blight on a perfectly good evening.
• Will Mike Denbrock utilize an effective power running game to wear down Navy? Notre Dame ran the ball 38 times and threw 19 passes. The ground game produced 6.6 yards per carry with two long scoring runs.
• Which offense will be more efficient in the red zone? Navy scored a touchdown and a field goal on its two red zone possessions. The Irish scored touchdowns on all four of theirs.
• Can Navy make meaningful plays through the air against the Irish defense? Eli Heidenreich made a nice catch for 17 yards but Navy had only three completions for 22 total yards.

While it is true that Navy played without injured quarterback Blake Horvath, it hardly made a difference in the outcome. Woodson was quite capable but Notre Dame did its job well. The regular season reaches a climax next week as the Irish travel to Pittsburgh. The Panthers were off this week and will be fired up to spoil Notre Dame’s playoff dream. Can the Irish match or exceed this week’s performance level? Will key players such as Christian Gray and Jaden Greathouse return from injury with so much at stake? I cannot wait to find out.

This is a reprint of John’s original recap article lost in a site technical issue