Saturday's Notre Dame-Navy game is in rarified air. The Fighting Irish are #12 in the AP Poll, while Navy is #24. This edition is only the second matchup all-AP Top #25 matchup between the two since 1978.
Since Notre Dame began its 43-game winning streak against Navy in 1963, games in this series with this level of national significance are few and far between. The special occasion recalls a review of past nationally important games since the beginning of "The Streak."
1978
Recent success causes fans to forget about Navy's 1978 team, but George Welsh's squad was one of the school's best. The Midshipmen had a torrid start to the season, winning its first seven games and outscoring opponents 179-35. Navy allowed only four touchdowns while shutting out four opponents. The Midshipmen notched blowout wins over Virginia, Duke, and Boston College on the way.
Notre Dame came into their November 5th showdown with #11 Navy at Cleveland Municipal Stadium 6-1 and ranked #15 in the AP Poll. The Fighting Irish ended Navy's undefeated season with ease, winning 27-7. Notre Dame back Vagas Ferguson figured out the stout Navy defense with a then-school record 219 yards. The Fighting Irish had 530 yards and took advantage of five Midshipmen turnovers.
The loss ended Navy's national championship hopes but the Midshipmen still finished 9-2 and earned a spot in the inaugural Holiday Bowl, which they won 23-16 over BYU.
2004
2004 presented one of Navy's best chances to beat Notre Dame during the streak. The Midshipmen started 5-0 with wins over Duke and Vanderbilt. A nationally-televised Thursday night win over Air Force made Navy a candidate for Bowl Championship Series berth coming into their game with a 4-2 Notre Dame squad at Giants Stadium.
Nevertheless, Notre Dame continued its over four-decade winning streak against the Midshipmen with a 27-9 win. The Fighting Irish raced to a 17-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Navy's vaunted triple-option could only muster 216 rush yards and 3.5 yards per carry including an anemic 19 yards on 24 carries from quarterback Aaron Polanco.
Despite the loss, Navy still had a strong season with a 10-2 record and a spot at #24 in the final AP Poll after winning the Emerald Bowl over New Mexico.
2016
I am cheating a bit with this one. However, the 2016 game was not nationally-relevant at the time but became important during conference championship week that season. Navy came into their November 5th matchup with the Irish with a respectable 5-2 record, but losses to Air Force and South Florida seemingly eliminated them from New Year's Six contention.
Navy's 28-27 win over Notre Dame launched a four-game winning streak that propelled Navy to the #19 spot in the College Football Playoff poll before Conference Championship Weekend, two spots behind New Year's Six front-runner Western Michigan.
The win over the Fighting Irish was a substantial resume builder despite Notre Dame's 4-8 record. Navy's case for the New Year's Six was so serious, there were fears that a Navy win in the AAC Championship and a Western Michigan MAC Championship, would "paralyze the bowl system" due to Navy still having to play the Army-Navy Game after the AAC Championship.
Ultimately, calmness prevailed and Navy lost the AAC Championship while Western Michigan won the MAC and the Cotton Bowl bid.
2019
2019’s matchup was the first since 1978 with both teams ranked. Navy was 7-1 and ranked 21st in the AP Poll and 16th in the College Football Playoff Poll. Notre Dame regressed following their 2018 Playoff appearance with a 6-2 record but still held the 16th and 15th spot in the AP and CFP rankings.
Despite a loss to the eventual AAC champion Memphis, Navy could have still positioned itself for the Group of Five New Year’s Six bid if they won the remainder of their games and Memphis lost a second conference game.
Navy disappointed, falling behind 38-0 in a 52-20 loss to the Irish, allowing four first-half Chase Claypool touchdowns. Navy finished strong after the blowout loss, winning their last four including a win over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.
These instances show several of Navy’s greatest teams falling short in their quest to beat Notre Dame. While all enjoyed stellar seasons, a win over the Fighting Irish could have put them in the mix for New Year’s bowls and even the national championship. Saturday, this Navy team can leave this history behind and do something special with a win over Notre Dame.
