Preview: Notre Dame expects tough opener against Navy
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Correspondent
Don’t tell Brian Kelly his Notre Dame Fighting Irish manhandled Navy last season because he probably won’t listen.
Sure, he’s well aware his team sank Navy 56-14 in South Bend last season. However, this is a new year, as they say.
Indeed, the Irish team that takes the Aviva Stadium field at 9 a.m. ET Saturday in Dublin, Ireland in the Emerald Isle Classic is much different than the one that went 8-5 a year ago.
Notre Dame’s offense will be lacking several familiar faces.
Go-to receiver Michael Floyd has moved on to the NFL. Leading passer Tommy Rees won’t see any action in the opener as he’s serving a one-game suspension. Top running back Cierre Wood will also miss the opener as he serves a suspension of his own – his is of the two-game variety.
All eyes will be on Rees’ replacement ” ultra-talented sophomore Everett Golson.
What Kelly wants to see out Golson and the quarterback position this season is better decision making, particularly in the red zone. Last season Notre Dame was turnover prone inside the oppositions’ 20-yard line, which proved pivotal in its five losses in 2011.
With that said, the Irish boss fully understands there will be some growing pains with Golson.
Let’s make it clear; he will make mistakes, said Kelly of his first-time starting signal caller. We know that and we are going to have to obviously try to overcome those. But it’s those poor decisions that we have to eradicate.
Hoping to take some of the pressure off of Golson will be a trio of running backs. Theo Riddick, George Atkinson III and Cam McDaniel will get the bulk of the carries against Navy in Wood’s absence. Amir Carlisle would’ve figured into that rotation, but he will be unavailable for the opener as he continues to rehabilitate from a broken ankle suffered in the spring.
The Irish don’t have as big a threat at receiver as Floyd, but once again, they do have one of college football’s best tight ends in Tyler Eifert, an All-American. Don’t be surprised if he emerges as Notre Dame’s go-to target.
I’m excited to see our football team play, Kelly said. We have a first-time starter at quarterback. We’re going to see some young players at the perimeter replacing Michael Floyd, as well as some veteran players.
In last year’s rout over Navy, Notre Dame used a fairly balanced attack, throwing for 260 yards and rushing for another 182.
No doubt the Irish will miss Rees, considering he had one of his better games of the year against the Midshipmen, completing 16-of-22 aerials for 237 yards and a score.
With several new faces at the skill positions, the Irish defense may have to carry the torch at least early on. Don’t worry Notre Dame fans because there’s plenty of star power on that side of the ball led by senior All-American Manti Te’o, who put his NFL dreams on hold to return for his final year.
However, Notre Dame will miss stud defensive end Aaron Lynch, the team’s best playermaker, after he transferred in the off-season to South Florida. Lynch isn’t the only void that will need to be filled. The secondary suffered a big loss in fall camp when starting cornerback Lo Wood tore his Achilles tendon. He’ll miss the entire season. Notre Dame’s defensive backfield was already inexperience and without Wood will be even more so.
Notre Dame’s special teams might not be quite as effective as they were last year, but don’t expect much of a drop off. Ben Turk returns to handle the punting chores, while Nick Tausch resumes place-kicking duties after David Ruffer, who converted 82.5 percent of his field goals, departed.
Expect Navy’s triple-option offense to present its usual challenges to the Irish.
The Midshipmen start Trey Miller under center. He started his first collegiate game against the Irish last year and struggled to say the least. He threw for just 33 yards, completing 5-of-13 passes with one touchdown, and ran for 55 yards on 19 carries.
Not helping matters in the passing game will be the absence of top receiver Brandon Turner, who was left back in the states after he violated team rules.
Without Turner, expect the Midshipmen to rely even more heavily on their running attack, hoping to play keep-away from Notre Dame.
The Irish will face a talented back in Gee Gee Greene, a Doak Walker Award candidate. Greene, who rushed for 501 yards a year ago, helped Navy rank fourth nationally in rushing in 2011 (312.25 yards per game).
Despite being a 16-point favorite, Kelly certainly isn’t taking Navy for granted and knows its unique style presents plenty of challenges, especially for a season opener.
(Navy coach) Ken Niumatalolo is a great coach and does as well as anybody in the country at taking his talent and getting it to execute on both sides of the ball, Kelly said.
My Take
The Irish had their way with the Midshipmen last year, dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Look for a repeat performance as Notre Dame establishes the run early and never looks back.
Notre Dame 30, Navy 10
