Con_Alma;523470 wrote:How about three years ago?
Althoug the the Midshipmen will come in heavy underdogs this year, having won two out of the last three against the Irish isn't just luck.
I don't mean to be rude, but come on.
Navy beat a TERRIBLE 3-9 Irish team that was essentially freshmen for their first win, and it took them 3OT's to do it.
Last season's game was just ridiculous. I sat in awe watching Jon Tenuta's defense get worked (it was the worst game of the season from an "outcoaching" standpoint, so bad Navy's coach even mentioned it in the post-game interview) and seeing Michael Floyd and Jimmy Clausen's fluke mistakes hand this game to the Midshipmen. Notre Dame had a 32-20 advantage in first downs (my favorite indicator of the better team) and Clausen passed for 450, but redzone turnovers and ball control from Navy ruined Notre Dame. Not having Armando Allen and relying on Hughes and Riddick didn't help, but any time your defensive scheme is so bad (and in this game, predictable) and your offense has three uncharacteristic turnovers you're playing with fire.
Do I think Navy is bad? No. Hell I even root for them every game except this one and Army (my grandfather is a 1940 graduate from the Academy, and my father was in the Army for Vietnam), but they in now way have the talent to match up with Notre Dame, even with their gimmicky blocking schemes. There is not a person on that roster who can guard Michael Floyd. Last season was his first game back off an injury and it showed, this year he's hitting his stride and should have a big game.
If I'm Diaco (whom I am very excited about as a defensive coordinator), I think Ian Williams will dominate the line of scrimmage, and Manti Te'o is one of the best scraping linebackers in America to help on outside runs. Notre Dame's corners will be put in tight man coverage the entire game, it's obvious they are man corners and not meant to be in zone coverage (which sadly Tenuta couldn't realize). Harrison will be loaded into the box because there won't be a passing threat at all.
Offensively I hope Allen is back, but Wood is coming of age quickly. Theo Riddick is out, but Floyd, Jones, Goodman, and Eifert will be too much for the Midshipmen.
At the end of the day it wasn't luck per se, but it was a shitty 2007 team and luck in 2009. If Notre Dame loses this game they will have to give it away yet again. But if I'm a Notre Dame player, I'm pissed about last season and want revenge (like a Buckeye this week against those fucking Boilermakers).