After jumping out to a commanding 27-0 halftime lead over the Navy Midshipmen, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish weren’t quite as smooth following intermission before coming away with a 44-22 victory. The win keeps the Irish undefeated at 8-0, which will help cement their spot among the top four teams when the first rankings for college football playoff spots comes out on Tuesday.
What had been a nearly flawless performance during the first half became a bit raggedy afterward, especially on the defensive side. That unit had allowed just 72 yards in the opening 30 minutes before giving up nearly four times as much real estate after the break.