This weekend, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2) take on the Navy Midshipmen (7-1) in their first matchup under the lights in South Bend. The Irish and the Midshipmen are gearing up for their 98th matchup in their series and Notre Dame is looking to extend their win streak on the season to six in a row. Navy is looking to rebound after their 31-17 loss on the road to North Texas. Recently, this matchup has favored the Irish; they won 42-3 in 2023 in Dublin, Ireland and won 51-14 last season inside of MetLife Stadium.
This is their first matchup in South Bend since 2021; Navy hasn't beaten Notre Dame in South Bend since 2009 when they beat the Irish 23-21. This rivalry has many different implications, but the history and respect both teams have for each other is apparent. Today, defensive line coach Al Washington and a handful of offensive and defensive players spoke with the media about their matchup with this historic rival.
You can watch the full press conference here:
Here are some of the main comments from today's post-practice press conference:
Al Washington On The Success Of The Front Four Pass Rush
"I think it's the player's consistency and their work ethic," Washington explained. "They give tremendous effort. Rushing is a technical element, but the other part is the desire. I would tell you right now, I didn't know that stat, but our focus is on finishing. We're right there in terms of putting it over the top, so that's been our focus. But what's allowed it has been their work ethic and their consistency and the effort in the moment."
Eli Raridon On The Mindset Against Navy
"We definitely have a big emphasis on making every possession count," Raridon stated. "They do a really good job of holding the ball and limiting the possessions we have. One of our keys to victory is making every possession count and not wasting them. It's really important to make every snap count this week."
Josh Burnham On His Message To The Younger Players
"I think it starts at the start of the season," Burnham said about giving advice to the younger players. "I don't think our mindset really changes. We just have to take care of one game at a time. You can't look at everything, especially with the rankings coming out. We can't have guys, especially the younger guys, focusing on all of that. We have to come into work every day, and if we do that, the rest will take care of itself."
Adon Shuler On What He Likes About Playing Against Navy
"It's downhill and a physical game," Shuler explained. "We have to be on our keys and I feel like that's where I was last year; being on my keys and making sure I knew where I was going and finding the ball."
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