BALTIMORE — Drew Pyne could see Braden Lenzy experienced overwhelmed his male, and even though his go was a little bit underthrown, that only gave the Notre Dame receiver a likelihood to make one particular of the season’s most amazing landing catches.
Lenzy arrived at all-around a defender with both equally arms in a sensational show, securing a single of 4 touchdown passes by Pyne just before halftime in No. 20 Notre Dame’s 35-32 gain around Navy on Saturday.
Pyne also ran for a landing in the to start with 50 %, and Notre Dame wanted all of all those touchdowns to keep off the Midshipmen, who arrived storming back while shutting out the Irish in the next 50 %.
Notre Dame (7-3) blocked a punt for a fifth straight sport. Lenzy’s catch, even so, was the most spectacular emphasize. Navy’s Mbiti Williams Jr. was positioned concerning Lenzy and the ball on Pyne’s deep go to the target line, but Lenzy arrived at around with both of those fingers and managed the ball, showing to pin it against Williams’ back. Then he pulled it all over the cornerback with his proper hand to finish the catch.
“That was an unbelievable capture,” Pyne said. “I’ve under no circumstances witnessed something like it in my whole everyday living. I’m so joyful for him.”
The 38-lawn landing set the Irish in advance 14-.
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“They toss that ball up 10 instances they come down with it as soon as,” Navy linebacker John Marshall reported. “That was just that one time.”
The Irish led 35-13 at halftime prior to likely dormant offensively for the final two quarters. Navy shut to in three with 1 minute, 21 seconds remaining, but an unsuccessful onside kick ended the rally.
Navy (3-7) experienced the ball down 21-13 in the next quarter, but an interception on a trick play gave the Irish possession at the Navy 41. Pyne ran for an 11-lawn touchdown moments later on, and then the blocked punt by Jack Kiser — Notre Dame’s seventh of the season — set up Pyne’s 37-garden scoring toss to Jayden Thomas. That was one more good grab.
“I imagined there was no way he was likely to capture it and he caught the ball,” Marshall explained.
Pyne went 17 of 21 for 269 yards with an interception. He opened the scoring with a 30-garden touchdown strike to Audric Estime. Just after Lenzy’s capture, Navy responded with Daba Fofana’s 36-garden scoring operate.
Pyne threw a 5-garden touchdown pass to Chris Tyree and then the Midshipmen scored on a 2-yard run by Xavier Arline that designed it 21-13.
Arline threw a 23-yard landing go to Mark Walker in the fourth, and a two-issue conversion produced it 35-24. Then Maasai Maynor’s 20-yard landing move to Maquel Haywood late in the fourth, together with yet another 2-level conversion, cut the guide to a area intention.
“I never know if I have ever been extra proud of a soccer team immediately after a sport, win or decline,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo stated. “I just thought our young children battled to the conclusion.”
Fofana had 133 yards on 15 carries, and Navy rushed for 255 yards as a staff.
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The takeaway
Notre Dame: The Irish have gained 4 straight, like a victory about Clemson final weekend. Right after losing to Marshall and Stanford previously this time, they wanted to exhibit they could steer clear of a letdown in opposition to Navy. They did for a fifty percent, but their ultimate two quarters remaining a lot to be wanted. Notre Dame had only just one initial down following halftime.
“One thing you know about Navy is they’ll by no means stop,” Irish mentor Marcus Freeman reported. “We had to match their urgency in the course of the entirety of the game. We did the to start with half. We did not have the urgency and the execution that we necessary to complete the activity the way we preferred to.”
Navy: The Midshipmen broke as a result of for a number of massive performs, which include a 50-lawn run by Fofana — who concluded with 133 yards on 15 carries — but in the end they weren’t geared up to cease Notre Dame’s offense from building a massive lead just before halftime.
Notre Dame has won 5 straight in opposition to Navy and 10 of 11. The Irish have not shed in Baltimore in this series given that 1956.
Notre Dame: Plays host to Boston School on Saturday.
Navy: Plays at Central Florida on Saturday.
