Notre Dame vs Navy Keys To Victory: Offense Edition

Notre Dame kicks off the 2023 season on Saturday against long-time rival Navy. It's the first opportunity for Notre Dame to show whether or not the program has taken a step forward.

If Notre Dame is going to take that step the Irish offense will need to play at a high level. That's especially true in the matchup against Navy. Notre Dame had a tale of two halves last season, scoring 35 points in the first but getting shut out in the second half while racking up just one first down.

The Irish will need to be more consistent against Navy if they are going to come out on top, and do so in the impressive fashion needed to kick the season off on a high note. There are four keys to Notre Dame putting together that type of performance and earning a victory.

1. Start Fast - This is often a key for me when talking about the offense, but it's especially true against Navy. Notre Dame's offense needs to get off to a fast start against Navy, who wants to shorten the game and limit possessions. That means Notre Dame must make the most of its early possessions.

Jumping on Navy early also puts its own offense in a tough position for exactly the reason a slow start hurts Notre Dame. Navy wants to control the clock and shorten the game, but if it falls behind by multiple scores early it takes the Midshipmen out of what they want to do offensively.

It's not just about this game, either. Although quarterback Sam Hartman has a lot of experience, there are plenty of offensive weapons that are largely unproven, and a fast start helps build confidence, which is something this Notre Dame offense needs.

2. Beat The Blitz - Notre Dame had five full possessions in the second half of last season's game, and they ended with four punts and an interception. Notre Dame's only possession that wasn't a three-and-out was a six play drive that went for minus-1 yard. A big part of those failures was Navy's heavy blitz packages, and Gerad Parker and his staff need to have a very good plan to handle and beat those pressures.

Beating the blitz requires a plan in three different areas; pass game, run game, screen game. Success in the RPO game will have an impact in all three phases, and it could play a big role in beating the Navy pressure packages. Success in the run game is part of that as well (see below). Beating the blitz means finding ways to limit negatives, continue to get quality games and also to rip off big plays when those opportunities are presented.

This isn't just about having a few blitz beaters. It's an all-around plan designed to hurt Navy for bringing those pressures and either getting Navy out of their game, or it becomes a blowout because Navy has no answers. That's unlikely, as the Navy defensive staff is quite good with their scheme and they will make adjustments throughout the game. That means Parker and the Notre Dame staff to adjust as well, or force Navy to keep adjusting.

3. Mix Up The Run Game - Notre Dame was a very heavy Duo team last year, and the majority of the run game was geared towards attacking the inside of the line of scrimmage. Navy has a heavy run stunt/blitz package that allowed them to out-number and out-leverage the Notre Dame line/run game.

Navy whipped Notre Dame in the run game last season, and it wasn't an anomaly. The Midshipmen had the third best run defense in the country last season. They are well coached, aggressive and they play with good speed. Notre Dame will need to be physical against Navy and use their size to their advantage, but the game plan will be the key to turning that loose.

Notre Dame will need to mix up its run game to a far greater degree this season. That means more diversity from a scheme standpoint and personnel standpoint. Being able to get the run game outside is important, and finding ways to use the run game to hurt the Navy pressure packages is key. Jet sweeps and reverses could be a wrinkle as well, and they could help slow down the Navy pressures, and would make any motions or pre-snap movement more impactful as well.

4. Pass Game Efficiency Is A Must - A big key in this game is early down success and keeping the offense in a lot of second and third-and-short situations. An efficient pass attack is a key to this. Notre Dame had good efficiency last season from a statistical standpoint, with Drew Pyne completing 17-of-21 passes, but in the second half he struggled in a big way.

Pyne went 3-4 of in the second half, but his one miss was a huge first-down throw that could have put the game away in the third quarter. He also took five sacks in the second half, with three of them coming on first down and another coming on second down. Those are drive killers and they make the pass game very inefficient.

Notre Dame needs to use its pass game to have a lot of early down success, which allows the Irish to move the chains consistently, attack the Navy pressures and open up big play opportunities. That helps protect the run game and makes the Notre Dame offense very hard to defend.

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