The #15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish rebounded nicely from last week's 24-22 heartbreaker at Clemson, taking down the Navy Midshipmen 41-24 in South Bend. The Irish are now 5-1 and in good shape heading forward. Here's 5 things we know about them as we move on to the second half of the college football regular season.
1. The Irish Are Resilient
No matter how many injuries this team has suffered through this year, Notre Dame has found a way to persevere and put together performances worthy of an elite squad. Navy is better than most people would think on first glance, so Saturday's 17-point win should be seen as a point of pride for a depleted Irish roster.
2. Prosise Has Been Precise
CJ Prosise rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns against Navy, once again showcasing himself as a Heisman-level talent. While the rest of the offense has been in flux, Prosise has been a rock for ND.
3. Kizer's Doing Fine
DeShone Kizer has done a fine job filling in for the injured Malik Zaire. After almost leading ND to a banner comeback win at Clemson last week, Kizer settled in on Saturday completing just over 73% of his passes for 281 yards, one TD and one INT. He's still learning, but he's acquitted himself well under the spotlight.
4. The Defense Is Still Murky
The Irish defense remains a point of concern. Navy gouged the Irish defense for 318 yards and three touchdowns on 49 carries. While that's mainly due to the fact that Navy passed just six times all day, it's still not a good sign when you're giving up 6.5 yards per carry. The Irish have been able to shoot it out with the best of them, but there's still plenty of work to be done on D.
5. Things Are Looking Up
If Notre Dame can beat a reeling USC squad at home next week, things shape up for a major run back into the College Football Playoff picture. Of the team's remaining games, road trips to Boston College and Stanford will likely be the trickiest. However, this Irish team has shown the heart and the depth to overcome, so a CFP rebirth is not out of the question here.
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