Notre Dame Beat Navy 35-13, but Playoff Resume Still Faces Questions

No. 6 Notre Dame beat Navy 35-13 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Saturday, but the final score hides how close this game was. Notre Dame trailed 13-7 late in the second quarter against a Navy team that came in at 2-5. The Irish then scored the last 28 points of the game and shut Navy out for the entire second half.

The win moves Notre Dame to 7-1 and keeps its College Football Playoff case alive in the last game before the first playoff rankings of the season. Navy falls to 2-6. Notre Dame hosts No. 1 Miami in South Bend on November 7, and that game, not this one, will decide how the committee sees the Irish.

How the game turned

Navy scored on each of its first three possessions. Two of those drives stalled in the red zone and ended in field goals, which kept Notre Dame close. Quarterback CJ Carr threw a touchdown pass to Micah Gilbert for Notre Dame's first score, but Navy answered and led 13-7 with under two minutes left in the first half.

Running back Nolan James Jr. broke the game open. He ran 52 yards for a touchdown just before halftime to put Notre Dame ahead 14-13, and he finished with 107 rushing yards on nine carries. Notre Dame opened the second half with an 11-play, 78-yard drive that Jonaz Walton finished with a 3-yard touchdown run. James scored again on a 23-yard run, and Carr closed the scoring with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Bettis Jr.

Head coach Marcus Freeman told ABC at halftime that the message was simple: "Don't panic." His team did not. Navy never scored again.

Why it matters

This was Notre Dame's final game before the College Football Playoff selection committee releases its first rankings in a few days, and the performance gave the committee two versions of the same team. The first half was sluggish. Notre Dame had two weeks to prepare for Navy's option offense after a bye week and still gave up points on three straight drives. The second half was a shutout, and the Irish pulled away the way a playoff team should.

The resume debate is already loud. USA Today argued this week that if you strip away the Notre Dame name, its playoff case looks thin. Wake Forest, a one-loss team ranked No. 15, entered the weekend with a strength of record one spot ahead of Notre Dame and a similar strength of schedule. Notre Dame's best win so far came against Wisconsin, now 5-3. Its one loss was its hardest test, a 28-24 defeat at BYU two weeks ago.

The context

Saturday was the 99th meeting between Notre Dame and Navy, a series that dates to 1927 and is the most-played rivalry in Notre Dame history. Notre Dame now leads it 84-13-1 and has won nine straight meetings. The Irish were favored by as many as 31.5 points, which is why a one-point halftime lead read as a problem rather than a contest.

One defensive streak survived the slow start. Notre Dame has now allowed zero points on the first series of the second half in 12 straight games. The Irish also improved to 10-3 under Freeman in games played in NFL stadiums.

Key numbers

• Final score: Notre Dame 35, Navy 13, by quarters 7-7-14-7 against 3-10-0-0
• Nolan James Jr.: 107 rushing yards on 9 carries, with touchdown runs of 52 and 23 yards
• Navy led 13-7 late in the second quarter and scored on its first three possessions
• Notre Dame record: 7-1. Navy record: 2-6
• Series: Notre Dame leads 84-13-1 in 99 meetings since 1927

What happens next

The first College Football Playoff rankings arrive this week, and Notre Dame's position in them will show how much the committee values the brand, the 7-1 record, and the weak spots on the schedule. Then comes the real test. No. 1 Miami visits South Bend on November 7. Miami beat Wake Forest by 13 points earlier this season. A win over Miami would answer every resume question at once. A loss would leave Notre Dame hoping the committee remembers the second half against Navy and forgets the first.