Irish Begin 30-Day Voyage vs. Navy

Third-ranked Notre Dame (7-0) embarks on the first leg of the marathon second half of the season on Saturday as the Fighting Irish battle Navy in San Diego, California. In pursuit of a berth in the college football playoff, Brian Kelly’s team has only one remaining game on campus with upcoming trips to Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. The Midshipmen have struggled this season as compared to recent history under Coach Ken Niumatalolo, standing at 2-5 after a second half collapse against Houston last week. The game will be broadcast nationally by CBS, starting at 8:00 pm Eastern time.

Navy’s uncharacteristic record is the product of poor defensive performances, particularly in the second…