It was a snowy Saturday night in South Bend. Weather fit for football. The Notre Dame players stood arm-in-arm, swaying with the chords of the University’s Alma Mater. As the band played, players and students joined in harmony, their booming voices cutting through the frigid air. The temperatures didn’t stop Irish faithful from observing the fourth-quarter tradition of tarp removal. They had to have been freezing. But, somehow, winning in the way that Notre Dame did helps you forget.
The Irish came about as close as you can to playing a perfect game against Navy. In the 39-point victory, Notre Dame outgained the Midshipmen 502 to 228 and scored on all but one of its offensive drives that didn’t end with kneeling out the clock. The Irish didn’t commit a single penalty for the first time since 1997. Maybe most importantly, they made all of their extra points.
The play of head coach Marcus Freeman’s team was a testament to what he’s been building since his promotion in 2021 – a team built for November.
That starts with the leader of the offense. Freshman quarterback CJ Carr grew up playing in this type of game. The Saline, Michigan, native delivered a spotless passing performance to the tune of 218 yards and three touchdowns against the Midshipmen, further cementing his rookie season in the record books. Dishing out dimes left and right, the Midwest man was unfazed by the snowfall.
“I love it,” Carr said about seeing the snow. “When you see a Southern quarterback on the other side, it’s almost like, ‘I could take him, I’m better than him.’”
Should they win out and get a little bit of help, the Irish could bring a Southern opponent to them in round one. That team will need to be ready for the weather. Carr and company sure will be.
Football played in the elements relies on trench play. Both lines were at their best on Saturday. Setting an aggressive tone against the triple-option, the Irish defense generated two sacks and five tackles for loss while allowing only 22 passing yards. On the other side of the ball, Carr could feel a lot more confident standing behind an offensive line that barely let anyone touch him all game. Despite still being ravaged by injuries, the group was dominant on Saturday.
As impressive as Carr has played, Jeremiyah Love remains the catalyst for an Irish offense built on the rushing attack. The junior running back found yet another way to leave viewers in disbelief, showing why he should be in New York among the inner circle of Heisman Trophy candidates. Love appeared to go down after a short gain, but used the defender to roll back to his feet. In the blink of an eye, he was on a beeline to the end zone. He finished the game with 94 yards and a pair of scores to go along with the signature moment. It joins a growing catalogue of them.
Freeman now holds a 9-2 record in November across his four seasons at the helm. In every season, his teams have also played markedly better football than they did in the months prior. After an 0-2 start in 2022 that included losses to Ohio State and Marshall, the Irish knocked off then-top-five Clemson to start the month. In 2024, they overcame the Northern Illinois collapse and cemented their place in the College Football Playoff with wins against Florida State, Virginia, Army and USC. In 2025, they are poised to follow the same comeback arc.
This improvement doesn’t happen by chance, though. It’s a direct result of a relentless process.
“How do you get that outcome? You get focused and locked in on play one,” Freeman said. “You try to win that play, and then you do it again, play two.”
That process doesn’t skip steps, no matter the opponent, the score or the time of the game. In Freeman’s eyes, it has to look the same and be treated the same by everyone.
“You thought it was over in the third quarter. I hope not anybody in our football program thought it was over,” Freeman said. “That play in the third quarter … is the most important play.”
That mindset gave Notre Dame a shot at a national championship a year ago. This September, the Irish were faced with an 0-2 start that made a return trip feel like a fantasy. They now sit at No. 9 in the most recent AP poll and have a legitimate chance at hosting a postseason game in Notre Dame Stadium for the second year running.
The game against Navy wasn’t just about increased Playoff chances. It was just as much about telling the nation that Notre Dame has greater aspirations than sneaking into the 12-team field. This team wants it all. They might finally be ready to take it.
