Nov. 2, 2013

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery

TEAM NOTES

• Notre Dame averaged 9.0 yards per offensive play, the most for the team since the 1998 season. The previous high offensive average in that span was 8.8 yards per play, set three times against Wake Forest (2012), Washington (2009) and Temple (2013).
• Notre Dame did not attempt a punt against Navy for the fifth time in the last nine meetings between the teams. In fact, the Fighting Irish have only attempted seven punts in their last 616 offensive plays against the Midshipmen.
• The 32-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rees to TJ Jones in the second quarter was Notre Dame’s 15th passing play of at least 32 yards through nine games. The Irish had 11 all of last year in 13 games.
• Notre Dame’s conversion on 4th-and-1 from the Navy 43 on its opening drive of the game was its third conversion on 4th down this season. The Fighting Irish are now 3-for-8 on 4th down in 2013.
• Notre Dame scored first for the third time this season, thanks to a touchdown on its opening drive. The Fighting Irish are now 3-0 when scoring first in 2013.
• Notre Dame’s 89 rushing yards in the first quarter were the most for the team in the opening period this season. It was also the most gained by the Fighting Irish on the ground in the first quarter since the team picked up 92 rushing yards last year against Wake Forest.
• Notre Dame’s second half shutout streak of 75:11 ended on Keenan Reynolds’ four-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Fighting Irish had not allowed a second half touchdown since Arizona State’s Marion Grice hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Kelly with 11 seconds remaining during the Shamrock Series matchup at AT&T Stadium.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• George Atkinson broke free for a 41-yard touchdown on his first carry of the game during Notre Dame’s opening drive. Four of Atkinson’s 10 career rushing touchdowns have covered 40 or more yards.
• Tommy Rees now has 56 career touchdown passes in his Fighting Irish career, good for third place in ND history behind only Brady Quinn (95) and Jimmy Clausen (60). Rees’ 17-yard touchdown toss to Ben Koyack in the second half was his 22nd touchdown pass of the season, a career-high and the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
• It was Rees’ 21st career win, moving him into solo ninth place in Fighting Irish history ahead of John Lujack and Joe Theismann.
• Notre Dame scored on its eighth consecutive possession with Rees under center with Kyle Brindza’s 26-yard field goal in the first quarter. The Fighting Irish scored six touchdowns and added two field goals in consecutive possessions with Rees on the field dating back to the second drive of the game against Air Force.
• Rees’ second quarter interception was the first he had thrown in his last 60 pass attempts, dating back to the first play of the fourth quarter against Arizona State.
• After not scoring a touchdown in his first 29 career games, Koyack has accounted for three scores in his last four games.
• TJ Jones recorded a catch in his 36th consecutive game for the Fighting Irish. Including today’s effort, Jones has had multiple catches in 32 of those 36 contests.
• Jones became the 10th Notre Dame receiver to surpass the 2,000-yard mark for his career on a 46-yard reception from Rees during the second Notre Dame drive of the game.
• Jones had his fourth career 100-yard receiving game today, joining his efforts this fall against Temple (138), Arizona State (135) and Air Force (104).
• Jones’s 36-yard touchdown catch was the 17th of his career and moved him into solo eighth place in Fighting Irish history, passing Jim Seymour.
• Jones has now hauled in at least one touchdown reception in six straight games, dating back to the Michigan State game earlier this season.
• Jones passed Golden Tate and Tom Gatewood for fourth on the Notre Dame career receptions list (159).
• Romeo Okwara registered his first career half sack during the opening quarter, combining with Carlo Calabrese to drop Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds for a loss of five yards. Okwara was the fifth different Fighting Irish defender to log at least a half sack this season.
• Kona Schwenke set a career-high with 11 tackles.
• DaVaris Daniels has recorded a reception of at least 20 yards in 13 of his 20 career games played.
• Brindza’s first quarter 26-yard field goal tied him for sixth place on the all-time Notre Dame list with David Ruffer (33).
• Tarean Folston set a career-high with 140 yards rushing on 18 carries. He was the first freshman since Robert Hughes in 2007 (Stanford) to run for at least 100 yards.
• Folston had gained only 116 rushing yards total in his first seven games played this season.
• Folston’s one-yard touchdown plunge in the fourth quarter was his first career collegiate touchdown.
• Conor Hanratty earned his first career start at left guard.

SERIES NOTES

• Notre Dame and Navy met for the 87th straight season Saturday. The Fighting Irish improved to 74-12-1 all-time against the Midshipmen.
• The Fighting Irish improved to 136-26-5 all-time against service academies.
• With the win, Notre Dame has now gone 27-4 over its last 31 games.
• It was the first time since 2007 that ND has played service academies in consecutive weeks (Navy on Nov. 3, 2007 and Air Force on Nov. 10, 2007).