Notre Dame was staring down a serious upset late in the first half, but the No. 5 Fighting Irish completely flipped the script, storming back for a dominant 35-13 victory over the Navy Midshipmen. You guys saw this, right? It was a real nail-biter for a minute there, and then, BOOM, the Irish just put their foot down.
Halftime Heroics and a Mindset Shift
Seriously, in that first half, it looked like Navy’s old-school running attack was gonna cause some major headaches. They were actually up 13-7 late in the second quarter, making everyone wonder if the Irish were playing with some hesitation. But then, with just 55 seconds left before halftime, Nolan James exploded for an unbelievable 52-yard touchdown run. That wasn’t just a touchdown, folks. That score gave Notre Dame a 14-13 lead heading into the locker room, and it clearly pumped a ton of confidence back into the offense. Talk about a momentum swing right when they needed it most.
Irish Offense Fires on All Cylinders After the Break
Whatever head coach Marcus Freeman said at halftime, it worked. The hesitation was GONE. Notre Dame absolutely lit up the third quarter, scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns, and from that point on, Navy never even sniffed threatening them again. Nolan James wasn’t done either, adding a second touchdown run in the second half. And C.J. Carr? He absolutely rose to the occasion, man. Our quarterback finished with some rock-solid numbers, completing 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and tossing two touchdown passes. James finished the game with 9 carries for 107 yards, averaging an insane 11.9 yards per attempt. Jerome Bettis Jr. was Carr’s main target, snagging 6 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. C.J. Carr summed it up perfectly himself, saying, “We continue to try to come in with the mindset of one play at a time and try to be at our best when our best is needed.” They certainly delivered when it mattered most.
Next Saturday, the Fighting Irish are hosting undefeated and top-ranked Miami. This isn’t just any game, people. This could be the regular season game of the year. Get ready, because it’s going to be absolutely wild!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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