FOOTBALL

How the points were scored: Notre Dame holds off Navy, 35-32

Michael Wanbaugh
South Bend Tribune
Nov 12, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Braden Lenzy (0) celebrates with teammates after scoring a first half touchdown against the Navy Midshipmen at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Nov. 12, 2022

M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.

Notre Dame142100— 35
Navy67316— 32

FIRST QUARTER

► Notre Dame 7, Navy 0 

Score: Audric Estime 30-yard pass from Drew Pyne at 10:36 (Blake Grupe kick) 

Drive: Nine plays, 67 yards, 4:24 elapsed after opening Navy kickoff 

Keys to the drive: Pyne faced down heavy Navy pressure on third and 8 to hit Estime streaking down the middle out of the backfield for the score. The Irish converted a fourth-and-1 on its own 42 and two plays later Pyne connected with Braden Lenzy for a 21-yard gain. Pyne was 4-for-4 passing and 51 yards. 

► Notre Dame 14, Navy 0 

Score: Lenzy 38-yard pass from Pyne at 4:28 (Grupe kick) 

Drive: Six plays, 82 yards, 2:42 elapsed after Navy punt 

Keys to the drive: Lenzy’s TD was a watch-me-pull-a-rabbit-out-of-my-hat catch as he jumped over Navy CB Mbiti Williams Jr., pinned the ball against Williams’ back and was somehow able to wrap the ball back around into his own arms. The Irish benefited from a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on the Midshipmen the play before.  

► Notre Dame 14, Navy 6 

Score: Daba Fofana 36-yard run at 2:19 (kick failed) 

Drive: Five plays, 75 yards after Notre Dame kickoff 

Keys to the drive: In two plays Navy chunked off a combined 70 yards. Two plays before Fofana’s score QB Xavier Arline connected with Mark Walker for 34 yards to the ND 36. 

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SECOND QUARTER

► Notre Dame 21, Navy 6 

Score: Chris Tyree 5-yard pass from Pyne at 12:27 (Grupe kick) 

Drive: Ten plays, 83 yards, 4:52 elapsed after Navy kickoff 

Keys to the drive: Pyne stays hot with completions of 29 yards to Deion Colzie, 38 yards to Jayden Thomas and 14 yards to TE Michael Mayer. At this point Pyne is 12-of-14 for 191 yards and three TDs for a QB rating of 271.

► Notre Dame 21, Navy 13 

Score: Xavier Arline 2-yard run at 7:49 (Bijan Nichols kick) 

Drive: Seven plays, 80 yards, 4:38 elapsed after ND kickoff 

Keys to the drive: More chunk runs against the Irish defense courtesy of the Navy triple-option. Fofana blasted for 50 yards on second and 12 from the Navy 18 and on the next play Arline keeps it for 26 yards to the ND 32. It appeared DJ Brown snuffed out the drive with an interception in the end zone, but he was called for defensive holding setting Navy up first-and-goal. 

► Notre Dame 28, Navy 13 

Score: Pyne 11-yard run at 2:19 (Grupe kick) 

Drive: Three plays, 41 yards, 1:18 elapsded after Navy interception 

Keys to the drive: Notre Dame CB Clarence Lewis picks off a Kai Pualiloa-Rojas pass to give the Irish the ball at the Navy 41. Estime sets up the score with a 28-yard run up the middle. 

► Notre Dame 35, Navy 13 

Score: Jayden Thomas 37-yard pass from Pyne at 1:10 (Grupe kick) 

Drive: One play, 37 yards, :07 elapsed after Navy blocked punt 

Keys to the drive: The Irish get their nation-leading seventh blocked punt of the season, this time it’s Jack Kiser. Pyne hits a diving Thomas down the middle the next play. Pyne at the half is 14-of-16 passing for a 292.9 QB rating and accounts for four touchdowns.

THIRD QUARTER

► Notre Dame 35, Navy 16 

Notre Dame 35, Navy 16 

Score: Nichols 26-yard field goal at 4:49 

Drive: 16 plays, 72 yards, 10:01 elapsed after ND second half kickoff 

Keys to the drive: Navy converted two fourth-and-short plays on the drive, but did not have a play over 10 yards. Notre Dame had two key penalities on the drive – a 10-yard defensive holding on fourth down and half-the-distance facemask. 

FOURTH QUARTER

► Notre Dame 35, Navy 24 

Score: Mark Walker 23-yard pass from Arline at 14:47 (Arline conversion run)

Drive: One play, 23 yards, 0:06 elapsed after Notre Dame interception 

Keys to the drive: Navy’s John Marshall intercepts a deflected Pyne pass to set up the score one play later. 

► Notre Dame 35, Navy 32 

Score: Maquel Haywood 20-yard pass from Maasai Maynor at 1:21 (Vincent Terrell conversion run) 

Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 2:57 elapsed after ND punt 

Keys to the drive: Backup QB Maynor completes four of five passes for 51 yards, accounting for nearly half to total Midshipman passing yardage for the game. Navy’s defense hold the Irish to 12 total yards in the second half to get back into the game. 

Officials

Referee Riley Johnson, Umpire Mark Wilson, Linesman Kavin McGrath, Line Judge Tim Graham, Back Judge Brian McGready, Field Judge Conor Clougherty, Side Judge Tom Potts, Center Judge Joshua Fath

Game particulars

Kickoff weather: Sunny and 70 degrees, with 10 mph wind out of the west

Attendance: (M&T Stadium capacity: 71,001)