Notre Dame had no trouble moving the ball against the Midshipmen, never even punting.
But as soon as the Irish were near the Navy end zone, everything that could go wrong did go wrong.
A failed fourth-down attempt, a fumble at the two-yard line, two missed field goals and an interception off the back of Michael Floyd all dismantled Notre Dame drives that looked as if they would result in scores.
The Midshipmen rushed for 348 yards, gashing the Irish up the middle and often pitching to uncovered backs.
Despite numerous miscues, Notre Dame still had a chance to force overtime in the closing minutes
This time, however, there was no dramatic comeback, as Clausen was sacked on third and fourth downs to preserve the Navy win.
A late onside kick recovery and touchdown pass from Jimmy Clausen to Golden Tate gave a glimmer of hope, but with the loss Notre Dame's BCS chances went down the drain.
