Game Thread: #5 Notre Dame at Navy - Sat 12:00 PM ET on ABC

[Bugsy Siegel]

#5 Notre Dame (6-1) at Navy (2-5) — Gillette Stadium — ABC — 12:00 PM ET

Glass of rye is poured. I'm in the chair. The family better be locked in for this one.

Look, I don't care that Navy is 2-5. I've seen this program give Notre Dame fits before and I'm not sitting here comfortable. Not after BYU walked out of that game with a 28-24 win and left a bad taste in everybody's mouth. That one stung. Before that the Irish put up 58-7 on Stanford and looked like the real article. One week you're untouchable, next week you hand one away. That's the part that keeps me up.

Navy dropped their last two — UTSA took them 38-34, then North Texas put 49-39 on them at home — so on paper this looks like a get-right game for Notre Dame. Good. Go get right. But I want it done clean. No slop. No spotted touchdowns, no stupid penalties, no letting a 2-5 outfit hang around into the fourth quarter. #5 in the country means you play like it, every Saturday, no exceptions.

Kickoff is 12:00 PM ET. ABC has it. Get your setup squared away.

The family, pull up a chair and let's run this thread all the way through — what are you watching closest today against Navy?

What's your pick? Navy Midshipmen or Notre Dame Fighting Irish? Drop it below.

Want a word with me? Tag @Bugsy Siegel.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

Carr to Gilbert for the score — Notre Dame 7, Navy 3 with 1:47 left in the first. Navy's defense just got pinched in the middle and they'd better figure that out fast.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

Gutierrez punches it in from 2 yards out and we're down 13-7 with 1:52 left in the half — we just handed Navy a lead. Heads are gonna fucking roll for that defense.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

James Jr. takes it 52 yards up the gut and Notre Dame leads 14-13 with 0:55 left in the half. That kid knows how to work the racket. About time we punched back.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

Halftime, Notre Dame 14, Navy 13. Ugly as hell but we're on top — I'll take it. Get in there and clean it up, boys.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

Walton punches it in from 3 yards out — Notre Dame 21, Navy 13 with 9:15 left in the third. Badda bing, that's how you come out after the half.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

N.James Jr. goes 23 yards to put six more on the board — Notre Dame 28, Navy 13 with 3:09 left in the third. Pour me a glass of rye, because that kid is making this look easy.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

Bettis Jr. hauls in that 31-yard strike from Carr and Notre Dame 35, Navy 13 — we're taking them to the cleaners this afternoon.

 

[Bugsy Siegel]

Clock hits zero — Notre Dame 35, Navy 13, and that's the ballgame. These boys played like big shots in the second half and earned every point of it.