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ALMOST! Notre Dame 27, Navy 21
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Navy's Ricky Dobbs (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Notre Dame 27, Navy 21
The Fighting Irish (6-4) helped ease the hot seat flames under Charlie Weis back down to simmer Saturday as they outlasted Navy (6-4) 27-21 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. During some anxious moments in the waning minutes of the game, however, they were nearly set to a roiling boil.
10-7 at the break
The first half was a virtual dead heat, with Notre Dame going into the locker room with a slim 10-7 advantage. Their sole touchdown came on a blocked Navy punt; on the play the Irish hit the line of Navy upbacks on a full sprint, burst through, and blocked Kyle Delahooke's attempted kick. Notre Dame’s Toryan Smith picked up the loose ball and ran it in 14 yards for a score.
Navy responded when junior slotback Cory Finnerty broke loose to the outside and scored from 22 yards out to knot the game at 7-7 with 2:39 in the second quarter. Following a turnover by each team within the final two minutes, Notre Dame kicker Brandon Walker drilled a short 28 yard field goal as time ran out on the half.
Notre Dame grinds it out
The Notre Dame offense came out of the tunnel committed to the run and wasted no time establishing it once they got the ball. During their initial second half drive they ripped off 10-yard gains seemingly at will before Armando Allen scored to put the Irish in front 17-7. On the drive Navy showed a three man front, leaving plenty of room for Notre Dame's over-sized guards to get into the Mids' linebackers between the tackles and do their damage. Later in the third, the Irish manufactured another run-dominated drive and another score to put the lead at 24-7. Brandon Walker drilled his second field goal of the game to open the fourth and blow open the game at 27-7.
The two-minute (near) miracle
With the game in hand, backup quarterback Evan Sharpley replaced starter Jimmy Clausen and the Irish again routinely drove down the field, this time to the Navy four yard line, poised to ice the game. The skies now unleashing a torrential downpour, Notre Dame running back Jonas Gray lost his grip on the wet ball and Navy recovered with 5:19 left in the game. It seemed of little consequence when Navy could only push the ball out to the 10 before punting it away.
Then the blowout got interesting, quickly. After a stalled Notre Dame drive, Navy would get the ball back with only 2:30 left in the game. That was nearly enough time. It took sophomore QB Chris Dobbs, replacing the ineffective Jarod Bryant, less than a minute to direct a 57-yard scoring drive culminated by a 24-yard TD run by Shun White.
Harmon's threepeat
Matt Harmon then executed three perfect onside kicks. The first was batted out of bounds by Notre Dame in desperation, incurring a penalty and forcing a second kick. The second was recovered by Navy's Corey Johnson at the Notre Dame 41. Ricky Dobbs promptly hit senior Tyree Barnes for 40 yards to the Notre Dame 1. Dobbs then ran it in from one yard out to draw the game to 27-21.
Then Harmon miraculously did it again: A textbook perfect onside kick recovered for the second time by OLB Corey Johnson at the Notre Dame 41.
This year there would be no final magic. Dobbs nearly hit Shun White at the Notre Dame five but the wet elements, swirling winds and a pass just out of reach combined to ensure that Navy would draw no closer and the Irish would narrowly come away with their sixth win of the season.
Game Notes:
- Like the first game played in 1927 at Baltimore's old Venable/Memorial Stadium, military and political dignitaries were on hand. Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates walked to midfield for the opening coin toss.
- The weather was decidedly Irish as sunny skies, torrential downpours and clouds were all in the mix during the game, not unlike a typical November afternoon in Dublin.
- There was a festive bowl-like atmosphere both inside the stadium and out. Many an overlapping allegiance could be found amongst the 70,932 fans. The Navy helped keep Notre Dame afloat financially during World War II by making it a major training center: the rivalry, despite its one-sided history, has persisted as Notre Dame continues to repay the debt owed the Mids by continuing to schedule the annual matchup.
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