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Navy–Notre Dame football rivalry
First contestedOctober 15, 1927
Number of meetings92
Most recent meetingOctober 27, 2018
Next meetingNovember 16, 2019 in South Bend
All-time seriesNotre Dame leads, 76–13–1 (.850)
Largest victoryNotre Dame, 56–7 (1970)
Longest win streakNotre Dame, 43 (1964–2006)
Current streakNotre Dame, 2 (2017–present)
StadiumsNotre Dame Stadium
South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
Various NCAA stadiums
(Navy's home stadium)

The Navy–Notre Dame football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Navy Midshipmen football team of the United States Naval Academy and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame. It has been played annually since 1927, making it the longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football,[1] and the second-longest never-interrupted college football rivalry overall, after only Kansas State vs. Iowa State (uninterrupted since 1917).

Notre Dame leads the series 76–13–1.[2] Before Navy won a 46–44 triple-overtime contest in 2007, Notre Dame had a 43-game winning streak that was the longest series win streak between two annual opponents in the history of Division I FBS football.[3] Navy's previous win came in 1963, 35–14 with future Heisman Trophy winner and NFL QB Roger Staubach at the helm. Navy had come close to winning on numerous occasions before 2007. The Midshipmen subsequently won again in 2009, 2010 and 2016.

Though the game is often played at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, it has never been played at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, due to its relatively small size. Instead, Navy usually hosts the game at larger facilities such as Baltimore's old Memorial Stadium or current M&T Bank Stadium, FedExField in Landover, Maryland, or at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. From 1960 to 1970, the Midshipmen hosted the game at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, and they hosted the 1972, 1974 and 1993 games at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. The game has been played twice in Dublin, Ireland—in 1996 at Croke Park and 2012 at Aviva Stadium.[4] The game was also occasionally played at old Cleveland Stadium. The 2016 game was held at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. [5] Navy's 2018 home game was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California (the first time the teams have played each other west of the Eastern Time Zone), and the 2020 game will be at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.[6]

History[]

Despite the one-sided result the last few decades, most Notre Dame and Navy fans consider the series a sacred tradition for historical reasons. Both schools have strong football traditions going back to the beginnings of the sport. Notre Dame, like many colleges, faced severe financial difficulties during World War II, which were exacerbated by the fact that it was then still an all-male institution. The US Navy made Notre Dame a training center for V-12 candidates and paid enough for usage of the facilities to keep the University afloat. Notre Dame has since extended an open invitation for Navy to play the Fighting Irish in football and considers the game annual repayment on a debt of honor. The series is marked by mutual respect, as evidenced by each team standing at attention during the playing of the other's alma mater after the game, a tradition that started in 2005. Navy's athletic director, on renewing the series through 2016, remarked "...it is of great interest to our collective national audience of Fighting Irish fans, Naval Academy alumni, and the Navy family at large."[1] The series is scheduled to continue indefinitely; renewals are a mere formality.[1]

The Streak[]

Notre Dame's NCAA-record 43-game win streak against Navy began in 1964:

  • 1964 – Notre Dame 40, Navy 0: Notre Dame came in at 5–0 under first year coach Ara Parseghian and shut out the Midshipmen in a game that pitted 1963 Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach against 1964 winner John Huarte.
  • 1969 – Notre Dame 47, Navy 0: The Irish set a still-standing, single-game school record of 720 total offensive yards.
  • 1974 – Notre Dame 14, Navy 6: For three quarters, Navy kept the Fighting Irish offense in check with its punting game and led 6–0 going into the fourth quarter. Notre Dame quarterback Tom Clements threw a touchdown pass to Pete Demmerle to put the Fighting Irish in front, then Randy Harrison added an insurance touchdown with an interception return.
  • 1976 – Notre Dame 27, Navy 21: Irish defensive back Dave Waymer tipped away a fourth down pass in the end zone late in the game to preserve the win for Notre Dame.
  • 1984 – Notre Dame 18, Navy 17: John Carney's field goal with 14 seconds left erased a 17–7 deficit. The officials failed to notice that the play clock had expired before the ball was snapped.
  • 1991 – Notre Dame 38, Navy 0: Notre Dame's 700th victory.
  • 1997 – Notre Dame 21, Navy 17: Allen Rossum saved the day for the Fighting Irish, knocking Navy receiver Pat McGrew out of bounds at the 1-yard line on a 69-yard pass as time ran out.
  • 1999 – Notre Dame 28, Navy 24: Notre Dame needed a 1st down on 4th and 9 with 1:37 left. They failed to convert but an errant spot allowed the Irish to keep possession and eventually score to escape with a 28–24 win.
  • 2002 – Notre Dame 30, Navy 23: Notre Dame, coming off a 14–7 upset loss to Boston College, scored 15 unanswered points late in the fourth quarter to win under first-year head coach Tyrone Willingham.
  • 2003 – Notre Dame 27, Navy 24: D. J. Fitzpatrick's 40-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Fighting Irish over Navy.
  • 2007 – Navy 46, Notre Dame 44 (3OT) – After 43 years, Navy beat Notre Dame in triple overtime.

Game results[]

Navy victoriesNotre Dame victoriesTie gamesVacated wins[n 1]
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 October 15, 1927 Baltimore, MD Notre Dame 19–6
2 October 13, 1928 Chicago, IL Notre Dame 7–0
3 October 12, 1929 Baltimore, MD Notre Dame 14–7
4 October 11, 1930 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 26–2
5 November 14, 1931 Baltimore, MD Notre Dame 20–0
6 November 19, 1932 Cleveland, OH Notre Dame 12–0
7 November 4, 1933 Baltimore, MD Navy 7–0
8 November 10, 1934 Cleveland, OH Navy 10–6
9 October 26, 1935 Baltimore, MD Notre Dame 14–0
10 November 7, 1936 Baltimore, MD Navy 3–0
11 October 23, 1937 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 9–7
12 November 5, 1938 Baltimore, MD #4 Notre Dame 15–0
13 October 21, 1939 Cleveland, OH #2 Notre Dame 14–7
14 November 9, 1940 Baltimore, MD #7 Notre Dame 13–7
15 November 8, 1941 Baltimore, MD #7 Notre Dame 20–13
16 October 31, 1942 Cleveland, OH #4 Notre Dame 9–0
17 October 30, 1943 Cleveland, OH #1 Notre Dame 33–6
18 November 4, 1944 Baltimore, MD #6 Navy 32–13
19 November 3, 1945 Cleveland, OH Tie6–6
20 November 2, 1946 Baltimore, MD #2 Notre Dame 28–0
21 November 1, 1947 Cleveland, OH #1 Notre Dame 27–0
22 October 30, 1948 Baltimore, MD #2 Notre Dame 41–7
23 October 29, 1949 Baltimore, MD #1 Notre Dame 40–0
24 November 4, 1950 Cleveland, OH Notre Dame 19–10
25 November 3, 1951 Baltimore, MD #13 Notre Dame 19–0
26 November 1, 1952 Cleveland, OH #13 Notre Dame 17–6
27 October 31, 1953 South Bend, IN #1 Notre Dame 38–7
28 October 30, 1954 Baltimore, MD #6 Notre Dame 6–0
29 October 29, 1955 South Bend, IN #9 Notre Dame 21–7
30 November 3, 1956 Baltimore, MD Navy 33–7
31 November 2, 1957 South Bend, IN #16 Navy 20–6
32 November 1, 1958 Baltimore, MD Notre Dame 40–20
33 October 31, 1959 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 25–22
34 October 29, 1960 Philadelphia, PA #4 Navy 14–7
35 November 4, 1961 South Bend, IN Navy 13–10
36 November 3, 1962 Philadelphia, PA Notre Dame 20–12
37 November 2, 1963 South Bend, IN #4 Navy 35–14
38 October 31, 1964 Philadelphia, PA #2 Notre Dame 40–0
39 October 30, 1965 South Bend, IN #4 Notre Dame 29–3
40 October 29, 1966 Philadelphia, PA #1 Notre Dame 31–7
41 November 4, 1967 South Bend, IN #10 Notre Dame 43–14
42 November 2, 1968 Philadelphia, PA #12 Notre Dame 45–14
43 November 1, 1969 South Bend, IN #10 Notre Dame 47–0
44 October 31, 1970 Philadelphia, PA #3 Notre Dame 56–7
45 October 30, 1971 South Bend, IN #12 Notre Dame 21–0
46 November 4, 1972 Philadelphia, PA #12 Notre Dame 42–23
47 November 3, 1973 South Bend, IN #5 Notre Dame 44–7
48 November 2, 1974 Philadelphia, PA #7 Notre Dame 14–6
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
49 November 1, 1975 South Bend, IN #15 Notre Dame 31–10
50 October 30, 1976 Cleveland, OH #11 Notre Dame 27–21
51 October 29, 1977 South Bend, IN #5 Notre Dame 43–10
52 November 4, 1978 Cleveland, OH #15 Notre Dame 27–7
53 November 3, 1979 South Bend, IN #13 Notre Dame 14–0
54 November 1, 1980 East Rutherford, NJ #3 Notre Dame 33–0
55 October 31, 1981 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 38–0
56 October 30, 1982 East Rutherford, NJ Notre Dame 27–10
57 October 29, 1983 South Bend, IN #19 Notre Dame 28–12
58 November 3, 1984 East Rutherford, NJ Notre Dame 18–17
59 November 2, 1985 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 41–17
60 November 1, 1986 Baltimore, MD Notre Dame 33–14
61 October 31, 1987 South Bend, IN #9 Notre Dame 56–13
62 October 29, 1988 Baltimore, MD #2 Notre Dame 22–7
63 November 4, 1989 South Bend, IN #1 Notre Dame 41–0
64 November 3, 1990 East Rutherford, NJ #2 Notre Dame 52–31
65 November 2, 1991 South Bend, IN #5 Notre Dame 38–0
66 October 31, 1992 East Rutherford, NJ #10 Notre Dame 38–7
67 October 30, 1993 Philadelphia, PA #2 Notre Dame 58–27
68 October 29, 1994 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 58–21
69 November 4, 1995 South Bend, IN #8 Notre Dame 35–17
70 November 2, 1996 Dublin, Ireland #19 Notre Dame 54–27
71 November 1, 1997 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 21–17
72 November 14, 1998 Landover, MD #12 Notre Dame 30–0
73 October 30, 1999 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 28–24
74 October 14, 2000 Orlando, FL #20 Notre Dame 45–14
75 November 17, 2001 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 34–16
76 November 9, 2002 Baltimore, MD #9 Notre Dame 30–23
77 November 8, 2003 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 27–24
78 October 16, 2004 East Rutherford, NJ Notre Dame 27–9
79 November 12, 2005 South Bend, IN #7 Notre Dame 42–21
80 October 28, 2006 Baltimore, MD #11 Notre Dame 38–14
81 November 3, 2007 South Bend, IN Navy 46–443OT
82 November 15, 2008 Baltimore, MD Notre Dame 27–21
83 November 7, 2009 South Bend, IN Navy 23–21
84 October 23, 2010 East Rutherford, NJ Navy 35–17
85 October 29, 2011 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 56–14
86 September 1, 2012 Dublin, Ireland Notre Dame 50–10
87 November 2, 2013 South Bend, IN Notre Dame 38–34
88 November 1, 2014 Landover, MD #6 Notre Dame 49–39
89 October 10, 2015 South Bend, IN #15 Notre Dame 41–24
90 November 5, 2016 Jacksonville, FL Navy 28–27
91 November 18, 2017 South Bend, IN #9 Notre Dame 24–17
92 October 27, 2018 San Diego, CA #3 Notre Dame 44–22
93 November 16, 2019 South Bend, IN
Series: Notre Dame leads 76–13–1
† Vacated by Notre Dame.

Television[]

In years when Navy hosts (even-numbered), ESPN holds rights to the game as part of an expanded deal with Navy's American Athletic Conference to take effect in the 2020-21 season.[10]

In years when Notre Dame hosts (odd-numbered), it is carried on NBC as are other Notre Dame home games.

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Notre Dame And Navy Extend Series 10 More Years". und.cstv.com. 2005-11-10. http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111005aac.html. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  2. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1qNQdW/www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/
  3. "Notre Dame's NCAA-record 43-game win streak over Navy ends". espn.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273070087. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  4. "Aviva Stadium To Host The 2012 Navy-Notre Dame Game". navysports.com. 2010-09-01. http://www.navysports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092110aaa.html. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  5. "Error: no |title= specified when using {{Cite web}}". http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/070815aai.html. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  6. https://und.com/news/2018/10/25/football-dublins-aviva-stadium-to-host-the-2020-navy-notre-dame-game.aspx
  7. NCAA orders Notre Dame Fighting Irish to vacate wins from 2012, 2013 seasons. ESPN, 2016-11-22.
  8. Low, Chris (June 16, 2009). "What does vacating wins really mean?". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/4734/what-does-vacating-wins-really-mean. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  9. Taylor, John (July 4, 2009). "Vacated Wins Do Not Equal Forfeits". NBCSports.com. NBC Sports. http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/04/vacated-wins-do-not-equal-forfeits/. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  10. "American Athletic Conference and ESPN Agree to 12-Year Media Rights Extension" (in en). www.theamerican.org. http://theamerican.org/news/2019/3/27/general-american-athletic-conference-and-espn-agree-to-12-year-media-rights-extension.aspx.

References[]

Template:NCAA Division I FBS independents rivalry navbox
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