Notre Dame @ Navy preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 7, 2009 ) Navy 23, Notre Dame 21

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They’ll play for the 84th time in a series that began in 1927. Notre Dame won 43 consecutive games from 1964 through 2006 but has lost to the Midshipmen twice in the last three years. Navy won last year’s contest 23-21.

Saturday’s game matches Notre Dame’s dynamic passing attack against Navy’s relentless triple option.

Under first-year head coach Brian Kelly, the Irish have improved to 4-3 with consecutive victories over Boston College, Pittsburgh and Western Michigan.

Quarterback Dayne Crist threw three touchdowns against Western Michigan and has 14 scoring passes this season. Junior wide receiver Michael Floyd, who caught all three touchdown passes against the Broncos, has 44 receptions. The Irish are ranked 18th nationally in passing offense.

Sophomore tailback Cierre Wood is coming off a 94-yard performance that included a 39-yard touchdown run.

The Irish defense has been getting better. It limited the Broncos to a field goal and 102 total yards in the second half. For the season, the Irish surrender 256 passing yards and 130 rushing yards per game. Sophomore linebacker Manti T’eo leads the unit with 79 tackles.

That unit will have its hands full with Navy’s triple option. The Middies (4-2) rank ninth nationally at 259 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs, an All-American candidate, has rushed for 379 yards and passed for 657.

The Middies came back to defeat SMU last Saturday 28-21 after trailing 14-0 at halftime. Navy’s two losses have come on the road, to Maryland and Air Force.

Coach Ken Niumatalolo, now in his third season at Annapolis, led the Middies to a 10-win season last year and their seventh straight Commander-in-Chief’s trophy.