Notre Dame's defense is a vastly different unit than what they were to begin the season. Since their match up with Purdue where they allowed 30 points, they've only allowed one opponent to score over 20 and that was rival USC on October 18. All other opposing offenses since Purdue have struggled to score over 13 points; Navy was the next team to succumb to that reality. The Irish defense held the Midshipmen to 197 total yards through three quarters before the back ups were put in.
They entered this matchup scoring 34.8 points per game, averaging 466.3 yards per game, rushing for 317.3 rushing yards per game and converting 3rd downs at a 53.9% clip. The Irish defense held the Midship to 10 points, 228 total yards, 206 rushing yards and a 27% 3rd down conversion rate. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash had this unit ready to play at a high level; they played aggressive, downhill and violent. Their performance held Navy scoreless in three of the four quarters of play. Here are my key takeaways from the Notre Dame defense in their 49-10 victory over the Navy Midshipmen.
This Is The New Normal
I've been extremely hesitant to say this for a while. I found myself, over the last six games, anxiously dreading the thought of this unit to revert back to the defense they were in the first two games. Thankfully that hasn't happened, in fact, it's been quite the opposite. This defense, over the last six games, has performed like a top defense in the country. They held Arkansas to 13 points, Boise State and NC State to 7 points, USC to 24 points, Boston College to 10 points, and Navy to 10 points. There was a philosophical shift in the identity, performance and culture of this defense. Notre Dame is riding a seven-game winning streak and each win has been by double digits. Since the second half against Purdue, the defense has played a major role in that happening.
Linebackers Continue To Shine
Every week, there seems to be another linebacker from Max Bullough's room that steps into the limelight and shines. In a similar fashion to the running back room, when it's not 'Player A' it's "Player B' and last night, we saw this on full display in the linebacking corps. Redshirt sophomore Jaiden Ausberry had his best game of the season by far. He ended the night leading the team in tackles with eight, had 2.0 tackles for a loss and a strip sack that was unfortunately retained by the offense. Three of the four leading tacklers from last night's efforts were from the linebacking unit with Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Drayk Bowen combining for 10 tackles and 1.0 tackle for a loss against the Midshipmen. We said this group, back in the offseason, had the potential to be one of, if not the best, in the country. That's starting to unfold right before our eyes.
Key Players Continue To Step Up
Injuries are an unfortunate part to the game. Last night, Notre Dame was without defensive tackles Gabriel Rubio and Donovan Hinish, two players who's skillsets align with playing Navy. They were also without starting cornerback Christian Gray who missed his second game in a row recovering from a mild hip injury. In their absence, we watched several players rise to the challenge and do their part in holding Navy to 10 points and 228 total yards of offense. Defensive tackles Jared Dawson, Jason Onye, Elijah Hughes, Sean Sevillano and Armel Mukam stepped up and played a big role in Navy full back Alex Tecza rushing for 20 yards on the night. Nickel corner DeVonta Smith helped fill in for Gray, at times, and was the team's second leading tackler on the night. Good teams survive injuries, great teams thrive with their replacements. Notre Dame is, in fact, a great team.
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