Navy Midshipmen vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Match Player Stats On Nov 18, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Nov 18, 2017

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Quarterback Brandon Wimbush and wide receiver Kevin Stepherson connected for two second-half touchdown passes to boost No. 8 Notre Dame to a 24-17 victory against Navy on Saturday.

Notre Dame (9-2) struggled in spots but ultimately emerged in its bid to rebound from last week's lopsided road loss to Miami in a de facto College Football Playoff elimination game.

Navy controlled the clock behind an effective triple-option attack, finishing the game with a 42:42 to 17:18 advantage in time of possession. The Midshipmen attempted six fourth-down conversions along the way, and were successful on four.

Navy (6-4) took a 17-10 lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Zach Abey to Craig Scott with 7:01 left in the third quarter, but the Midshipmen, battling the Fighting Irish through a steady, blowing rain, enjoyed the edge for a mere 1:28.

That's how long it took for Wimbush to cap a five-play, 78-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown to Stepherson. The Fighting Irish took a 24-17 lead on a 29-yard scoring pass from Wimbush to Stepherson with 11:49 left in the fourth quarter.

The Midshipmen were driving later in the quarter, but Troy Pride intercepted an Abey pass at the 7:18 mark, and Notre Dame took over at its own 14-yard line. Navy got the ball back after an ensuing Notre Dame punt, but was unable to convert a fourth-and-5 from the Fighting Irish 25, as Darryl Bonner's halfback pass for Tyler Carmona fell incomplete.

Wimbush was 9-for-18 passing for 164 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 41 yards and a touchdown. Stepherson had five receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Adams rushed 18 times for 106 yards.

Abey rushed 29 times for 87 yards and a touchdown, while passing for 41 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Anthony Gargiulo added 87 rushing yards and a touchdown reception.

Notre Dame grabbed a 3-0 lead on Justin Yoon's 29-yard field goal with 4:31 remaining in the first quarter. The Midshipmen answered at the 12:21 mark of the second quarter, as Owen White connected on a 39-yard field goal, the first attempt of the sophomore's career.

A special teams takeaway turned the tide for the Midshipmen midway through the second quarter, when Taylor Heflin recovered Fighting Irish punt returner Chris Finke's fumble at the Notre Dame 39-yard line. Navy followed with an 11-play drive in 5:02, punctuated by Abey's 1-yard touchdown run with 1:08 before halftime.

The lead was short-lived, however. Wimbush scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with eight seconds left in the second quarter, sending the game to a 10-10 tie at halftime.

Notre Dame wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown left the game in the first quarter after getting flipped and falling on his neck after jumping for a pass.

NOTES: Navy S Sean Williams sat out the first half after his ejection for an illegal hit during a Nov. 11 home win against Southern Methodist. ... The Fighting Irish wore special Knute Rockne tribute uniforms, honoring the program legend who played for Notre Dame before coaching the Fighting Irish from 1918-1930. The uniforms used an older model "ND" logo, and each jersey featured "ROCKNE" on the back rather than individual player names.