See how Notre Dame football graded out in runaway win over Navy
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SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame football improved its November record to 11-1 in the Marcus Freeman era with a 49-10 win over unranked Navy on a snowy Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium.
The 10th-ranked Irish won their seventh straight after an 0-2 start. It’s also their eighth-straight win over the Midshipmen (7-2) and 13th in the past 14 meetings.
Here’s how we graded the Irish performance against the Mids.
Offense: A-
CJ Carr found an early comfort with his wideouts, even as rain turned to sleet. The redshirt freshman was 10-of-12 passing for 164 yards by the break and finished with 218 passing yards and three scores. Malachi Fields had 97 receiving yards on four first-half grabs; he also had a drop and forced a 15-yard pass interference call. Notre Dame reached the end zone on six of its first eight series with the exceptions being a 3-and-out and a kneel down to end the half.
Defense: B+
With senior quarterback Blake Horvath (upper body injury) out for Navy, backup Braxton Woodson shook loose for 108 rushing yards on 20 first-half carries. The Irish limited dangerous wingback Eli Heidenreich to two first half touches for 32 yards. A week after Boston College opened the second half with a 21-play march, Navy’s longest series on its first eight tries lasted nine plays (twice).
Special teams: B
A 28-yard James Rendell punt gave Navy a short field for a 53-yard touchdown drive. Freshman kicker Erik Schmidt, in for Noah Burnette (hip), made his first six extra points.
Coaching: A-
With the game tied at 7, the Irish picked up a fourth-and-1 from the Navy 11 on a 9-yard out to Jordan Faison. Notre Dame entered tied for 116th in fourth-down conversions. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash improved to 2-0 against Navy, including a 34-17 win in the same role at Ohio State in 2014.
Overall: A-
On a sloppy-weather night against a stealthy foe, Notre Dame brought enough efficiency and violence to disabuse Navy of an upset notions it might have harbored. On to No. 24 Pittsburgh after Marcus Freeman’s 40th career coaching win.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Grading Notre Dame football after win over Navy in rivalry game
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