The last time Navy beat Notre Dame in a football game, John F. Kennedy was still President and man had not yet stepped foot on the moon. The Irish dominance over that span has remained unaltered as Notre Dame improved to 7-1 with a 38-14 victory over Midshipmen.
Freshman Brendan McQueeney attended the game and said M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. was "mostly in favor of the Irish."
"However there were obviously pockets of Navy support," he said. "The atmosphere was unbelievable and was well worth the ten-hour drive."
Notre Dame's consecutive win streak over Navy - 43 games - is the longest such streak in not only division-one college football, but any sport. "It's not even a challenge anymore," freshman Jeremiah Herman said. "I enjoy the tradition the game brings, but we should play a team that will help us more in the rankings."
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn had an efficient day, passing for nearly 300 yards and scampering for a 19-yard touchdown.
"I didn't know he could run that fast!" freshman Brock Hagerman said. "If Quinn continues to take over games like he has the past couple weeks, his chances for the ... Heisman Trophy will only continue to increase."
After giving up over 200 yards in the first half to the Midshipmen's option offense, the defense made adjustments and helped the Irish cruise to a lopsided victory.
"Navy's offense became too predictable and it was just a matter of time," sophomore Chris Narvaez said. "Our defensive line got it together in the second half and decided to play within their assignments instead of just flying to the ball carrier."
The Irish, now with seven wins, look toward their next game against North Carolina.
Future Notre Dame opponent USC lost this weekend to unranked Oregon State. Notre Dame still controls its own destiny as it looks to secure its second consecutive BCS bowl.
"The rest of our schedule looks good," junior Mary Beth Scully said. "It's always nice to see USC lose, but it actually might hurt us in the long run."
While Notre Dame seems poised for a strong finish to a hopefully successful season, the Irish will need some help around the nation to keep their championship dreams alive.
"[There were so many] near misses," McQueeney said. "With Texas coming back to win, Tennessee avoiding upset and USC going down, our shot at this year's National Championship took a huge hit, but you never know with the Irish."
