Navy-Notre Dame at a glance

The Associated Press Comments 0
Published: November 4, 2009

Line: Notre Dame by 11.

Series Record: Notre Dame leads 71-10-1.

Last Meeting: 2008, Notre Dame 27, Navy 21, OT

Notre Dame, which saw its 43-game winning streak against Navy end two seasons ago in South Bend, needs to keep winning to keep its hopes alive for a top bowl berth. Navy needs another win to become bowl eligible for a seventh straight season and earn a berth in the Texas Bowl in Houston against a Big 12 team.

Navy QB Ricky Dobbs vs. Notre Dame defensive line. Dobbs missed the game against Wake Forest two weeks ago with a cracked bone in his right knee and got in for seven plays against Temple. Navy's second-leading rusher with 595 yards who leads the nation with 16 rushing touchdowns is ready to go against the Irish. Notre Dame's line has been steadily improving as coaches have been mixing in more players to try to keep the linemen fresh.

Navy: LB Ross Pospisil keys what Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis describes as by far the best Navy defense he's seen in five seasons. Pospisil leads the Midshipmen with 65 tackles, including 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Notre Dame: WR Michael Floyd. Returning six weeks after breaking his left collarbone, Floyd makes Notre Dame's powerful passing attack even more potent. Weis said Floyd won't be in for every play, but Floyd said he's ready for as many chances as Weis will give him.

Notre Dame is 41-1 when it is ranked and the Midshipmen are unranked. The lone loss was in 1936, when the 13th-ranked Irish lost 3-0. ... Navy is third in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 280 yards a game. The Midshipmen, who led the nation in rushing the past four seasons, are 39 yards a game behind Nevada. ... Jimmy Clausen has thrown 124 passes without an interception. ... Notre Dame right tackle Sam Young has started 46 straight games, two shy of tying the school record. ... Navy ranks in the top 15 in third down efficiency in both offense (12th) and defense (sixth).