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10/31 15:20 CDT Carr passes for 2 TDs, James adds pair of rushing scores in No.
5 Notre Dame's 35-13 win over Navy
Carr passes for 2 TDs, James adds pair of rushing scores in No. 5 Notre Dame's
35-13 win over Navy
By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) --- CJ Carr passed for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and
Nolan James Jr. added TD runs of 52 and 23 yards to help No. 5 Notre Dame pull
away for its ninth straight victory over Navy 35-13 Saturday.
James finished with nine carries for 107 yards. Jonaz Walton added a 3-yard
touchdown run, and Jerome Bettis Jr. had a 31-yard TD catch for the Fighting
Irish (7-1), who successfully bounced back after their road loss at BYU two
weeks ago.
"We continue to try to come in with the mindset of one play at a time and try
to be at our best when our best is needed," Carr said.
Notre Dame finished with 426 yards, its fifth time amassing 400-plus yards this
season. Navy was held to 56 total yards in the second half.
Quarterback Jackson Gutierrez rushed 28 times for 110 yards for the Midshipmen
(2-6), who haven't won a game in the long-running series since 2016.
Leading 14-13 at halftime, Notre Dame scored on each of its first three
possessions of the second half to take control.
"I kept saying, ?Stop panicking. Don't come up with magical calls that our guys
don't know how to execute,'" said Marcus Freeman, who won his 50th game as
Irish coach (50-13). "So, I think the ability to get them to calm down and see
what they're getting attacked with helped them in the second half."
It was the second straight loss for Navy in neutral site games played at
Gillette Stadium, home to the NFL's New England Patriots. The Midshipmen also
lost to Army in Foxborough in their 2023 meeting.
Notre Dame's defense came in allowing only 67.3 yards per game on the ground.
Gutierrez surpassed that in the second quarter.
It helped the Midshipmen, who entered as 29.5-point underdogs, both to eat up
the clock and keep the ball out of the Notre Dame offense's hands. The Irish
had only three possessions in the half, holding the ball for a scant 6:27.
But after Navy took a 13-7 lead on Gutierrez's 2-yard TD run with 1:52 to play
in the first half, the Irish needed only 50 seconds to jump back in front via
James? 52-yard touchdown run.
The Irish had the ball first in the third quarter and moved quickly, increasing
their edge to 21-13 after Walton punctuated a 78-yard drive with a 3-yard TD
run. Following a Navy punt, James' second touchdown pushed the lead 28-13.
The Takeaway It took a while for the Irish's defense to handle the nuances of Navy's multifaceted, hybrid option-spread attack coming off their bye last week. But it could also serve as a needed jolt for a unit that will need to be at its best with next week's matchup against top-ranked Miami looming.
Home sweet home Carr spent Notre Dame's bye last week at home in his native Michigan. It gave him a chance to watch his younger brother, Tommy Carr, play in the Wolverines' home loss to Indiana. But it also helped CJ reset mentally, he said. "It was good for our whole team to go home and relax a little bit," Carr said.
Up next Notre Dame: Hosts No. 1 ranked Miami next Saturday. Navy: Hosts Temple next Saturday. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
The Takeaway It took a while for the Irish's defense to handle the nuances of Navy's multifaceted, hybrid option-spread attack coming off their bye last week. But it could also serve as a needed jolt for a unit that will need to be at its best with next week's matchup against top-ranked Miami looming.
Home sweet home Carr spent Notre Dame's bye last week at home in his native Michigan. It gave him a chance to watch his younger brother, Tommy Carr, play in the Wolverines' home loss to Indiana. But it also helped CJ reset mentally, he said. "It was good for our whole team to go home and relax a little bit," Carr said.
Up next Notre Dame: Hosts No. 1 ranked Miami next Saturday. Navy: Hosts Temple next Saturday. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
