Notre Dame bounced back from its first loss of the season with a convincing 41-24 victory over Navy on Saturday. The Irish started off slow struggling to contain Navy’s triple option, but rebounded in the second half outscoring the Midshipmen 17-3. Notre Dame turned the ball over only once while forcing three Navy turnovers, a critical improvement from last week’s Clemson game. The following players stood out for the Irish in victory:
C.J. Prosise
Irish running back C.J. Prosise had another solid effort versus Navy. With the offensive line stepping up its play Prosise had big holes to run through most of the game. The senior running back rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Prosise also continued to factor into the passing game, catching four passes for 56 yards.
DeShone Kizer
Notre Dame’s first year starting quarterback managed the game well versus Navy. Kizer was protected well and used the time he had in the pocket to throw for 281 yards and a touchdown on 22-30 passing. Kizer also did an excellent job of spreading the ball around as eight different players caught a pass for the Irish. The Ohio native also did a decent job of running the ball on designed quarterback runs picking up a rushing touchdown.
Sheldon Day
The leader of the Notre Dame defense was a disruptive force all day in a winning effort. Day was a nightmare for the Midshipmen to block, routinely blowing up plays. Day was instrumental in limiting the effectiveness of the fullback dive in the second half after Navy had great success with it in the first two quarters. The senior was tied for the team-high with nine tackles including two for loss.
Greer Martini
Sophomore linebacker Greer Martini had perhaps his best game as a member of the Irish in the win over Navy. Martini was very physical on inside run plays for the Irish and did an excellent job of reading the option and taking care of his assignment. Martini was tied with Day with nine tackles in the victory.
