More Than a Winning Streak: Looking Back at Notre Dame’s 2001 Victory Over Navy
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For decades, Notre Dame’s annual meeting with Navy was defined by one extraordinary statistic.
Entering their November 17, 2001 matchup at Notre Dame Stadium, the Fighting Irish had defeated the Midshipmen 37 consecutive times. It was the longest winning streak by one opponent over another in major college football history, transforming every meeting into another opportunity for Navy to end the drought—and another test of whether Notre Dame could keep it alive.
But reducing the series to a streak has always missed the larger story.
Notre Dame and Navy do not continue to play simply because of wins, losses or scheduling convenience. Their relationship is rooted in history, gratitude and mutual respect. During World War II, when declining enrollment placed Notre Dame in a precarious financial position, the United States Navy established training programs on campus. The influx of naval trainees helped keep the university operating during one of the most challenging periods in its history.
That connection created a bond that has endured for generations.
The 2001 game added another chapter to the rivalry. Notre Dame eventually earned a 34–16 victory, but the afternoon was far more competitive than the final score suggested.
Navy Refuses to Go Quietly
Notre Dame entered the game with a 3–5 record and little room for error. If the Irish hoped to qualify for a bowl game, they needed to defeat Navy and then win their final two contests against Stanford and Purdue.
Navy arrived in South Bend winless but hardly resigned to becoming another footnote in the streak.
The Midshipmen had come painfully close to defeating Notre Dame several times in the preceding years. In 1997, Navy receiver Pat McGrew was knocked out of bounds at the Notre Dame 1-yard line as time expired, preserving a 21–17 Irish victory. Two years later, Notre Dame benefited from a controversial spot on fourth down before completing the drive that produced a 28–24 win.
Those narrow escapes demonstrated that the streak was not as comfortable as its length suggested.
Navy once again showed no signs of being intimidated in 2001. The Midshipmen matched Notre Dame throughout the opening quarter, and the teams entered the second period tied at 10.
Notre Dame head coach Bob Davie acknowledged the difference in size and athleticism between the teams, but he also made clear that the Irish respected the way Navy competed.
The Midshipmen’s effort was led by senior quarterback Brian Madden, a determined runner who repeatedly challenged the Notre Dame defense. Madden finished with 70 rushing yards on 22 attempts while completing five passes for additional yardage.
His most significant sequence came late in the second quarter. Madden connected with Gene Heese for a 43-yard gain after a breakdown in the Notre Dame secondary. On the following play, Madden raced 38 yards for a touchdown.
Navy’s final possession of the half covered 90 yards and ended with a field goal. Instead of pulling away early, Notre Dame carried only a 17–13 lead into halftime.
For a team seeking its first victory of the season—and hoping to end nearly four decades of frustration against the Irish—the possibility of an upset felt very real.
The Irish Respond
Notre Dame emerged from halftime with a renewed focus.
Running back Terrance Howard helped create some breathing room when he scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on an eight-yard run, extending the Irish lead to 24–13.
Navy, however, responded with another promising drive.
The Midshipmen moved the ball to the Notre Dame 4-yard line and began the fourth quarter with first-and-goal. A touchdown would have brought Navy within four points and placed even more pressure on the Irish.
Instead, the Notre Dame defense delivered its most important stand of the afternoon.
The Irish stopped Madden on three consecutive rushing attempts, forcing Navy to settle for a field goal. The stand kept Notre Dame ahead 24–16 and prevented the Midshipmen from fully reclaiming the momentum.
Notre Dame defensive end Anthony Weaver later credited Madden and Navy’s difficult offensive scheme, but the Irish defense made the necessary adjustments after halftime. Linebacker Tyreo Harrison led Notre Dame with nine tackles, while Weaver contributed seven.
The Irish offense then supplied the decisive blow.
Quarterback Carlyle Holiday connected with tight end Gary Godsey for a 26-yard gain. On the next play, Julius Jones found an opening and raced 44 yards for a touchdown.
The run gave Notre Dame a 31–16 advantage and finally placed the game beyond Navy’s reach.
Jones finished with 117 yards on 24 carries, recording the fifth 100-yard rushing performance of his Notre Dame career. Davie had been waiting for Jones to break a long run throughout the season, and it arrived at exactly the right moment.
Nicholas Setta added a 32-yard field goal to complete the scoring and give Notre Dame a 34–16 victory.
Setta’s two field goals also extended his streak to 11 consecutive games with at least one made field goal, tying a Notre Dame record established by John Carney in 1986.
Extending the Streak
The victory marked Notre Dame’s 38th consecutive win over Navy.
It also kept the Irish mathematically alive in their pursuit of a bowl appearance. Notre Dame improved to 4–5 and needed victories over Stanford and Purdue to finish with a winning record.
Those wins never came. The Irish lost both games, finished the season 5–6 and parted ways with Davie shortly afterward.
That disappointing conclusion makes the Navy victory easy to overlook when revisiting the 2001 season. It did not lead to a bowl game, rescue the season or signal the beginning of a championship run.
But its place in the Notre Dame–Navy series gives it significance beyond the team’s final record.
After the game, Navy’s interim head coach Rick Lantz expressed confidence that the Midshipmen would eventually defeat Notre Dame. He understood what ending the streak would mean to the players who finally accomplished it.
His prediction proved correct, although it took another six years.
In 2007, Navy defeated Notre Dame 46–44 in triple overtime, ending the Irish winning streak at 43 games. The Midshipmen’s celebration reflected decades of persistence and the enormity of finally overcoming an opponent that had stood in their way for generations.
Yet even that victory did not diminish the relationship between the schools.
More Than a Winning Streak
College football rivalries are usually sustained by animosity.
They grow through disputed calls, championship consequences, recruiting battles and generations of accumulated resentment. Notre Dame has several rivalries that fit that description.
The relationship with Navy is different.
The two programs compete fiercely, but the series is built upon admiration rather than hostility. Notre Dame recognizes the role the Navy played in supporting the university during World War II. Navy, in turn, receives an annual opportunity to compete on one of college football’s largest stages.
The imbalance that once defined the series never erased that respect.
That was evident in Davie’s comments following the 2001 game. He acknowledged that Notre Dame had more highly recruited players, but immediately praised the effort and preparation of the Midshipmen. His words reflected the way generations of Notre Dame coaches, players and supporters have viewed Navy.
The Midshipmen may have been undersized, but they were never taken lightly.
Navy’s players entered every meeting believing they could be the group that finally ended the streak. Even at 0–8 in 2001, they came to Notre Dame Stadium ready to challenge the Irish. For more than three quarters, they did exactly that.
Notre Dame eventually prevailed because of its defensive stand near the goal line, Jones’ long touchdown run and a stronger second-half performance. Those plays extended a historic streak for another season.
But the number was never the most important part of the story.
The 38 consecutive victories represented Notre Dame’s dominance on the field. The continuation of the series represented something greater: loyalty, gratitude and a promise that survived changing coaches, changing conferences and changing eras of college football.
That is why Notre Dame continues to play Navy.
And that is why the rivalry has always been about more than a winning streak.
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