"The margin is so close, so small," Warrick said. "I was there and then I let him get inside of me. That was obviously the turning point in the game. It's those little things that we've got to be able to execute. It's on us. If we had done our job the last few games, we would be in a much better position right now. As a defense, we've got to refuse to let them drive up and down the field."
Saturday's game
Navy (2-5) @ Notre Dame (4-3)
Time: 3:30 p.m.
TV: Chs. 11, 4
Radio: 1090 AM, 1430 AM
Series: Notre Dame leads 71-12-1
Last meeting: Navy won, 35-17, on Oct. 23, 2010, in East Rutherford, N.J.
Line: Notre Dame by 20
Navy offense vs. Notre Dame defense: Sophomore quarterback Trey Miller will make his first college start after replacing injured senior Kriss Proctor [dislocated elbow] last Saturday against East Carolina. Miller is the first Navy quarterback to make his debut at Notre Dame Stadium since Brian Madden in 1999 (when the Midshipmen lost, 28-24, after a controversial spot near the goal line after appearing to stop the Irish on fourth down). Miller showed a pretty good arm against East Carolina, throwing for two fourth-quarter touchdowns and nearly a third. With Proctor, the team's leading rusher, sidelined, Navy might have to rely more on junior slotback Gee Gee Greene, who is coming off a season-high 92 yards against East Carolina.
Navy defense vs. Notre Dame offense: In addition to the problems Navy has had stopping the pass, the Midshipmen have struggled against the run (103rd in the FBS, giving up 198.3 yards a game). Three Irish tailbacks — leading rusher Cierre Wood, as well as Jonas Gray and Andrew Hendrix — have runs of 50 yards or more, the first time that has been done by Notre Dame in a decade. But the biggest problem will likely be the matchups against wide receivers Michael Floyd (53 catches for 639 yards and four TDs) and Theo Riddick, as well as tight end Tyler Eifer (32 catches for 363 yards and three TDs). It could be another long day for the Navy secondary.
