As soon as Al Golden took the podium to chat with the media you could sense the urgency of wanting to get back to preparing his Notre Dame defense for perhaps its biggest challenge of the season so far, facing a revamped Navy offense that now features a passing game within its already difficult triple option attack. We can add text here…

Golden is always cordial with the media and always looking like he’s ready to get back to work but this week felt even more so than usual.

“What they do is very challenging,” the Irish defensive coordinator said Tuesday after Notre Dame’s first practice of the week. “I think they execute at a high level. It’s important for us to develop eye discipline in walkthroughs, practices and film study.”

The challenge is particularly difficult for younger players who have not faced the triple option before or if they have, have not faced Navy’s triple option before. Notre Dame is doing its best to replicate Navy’s offense in practice. Former Irish starting quarterback Tyler Buchner has joined scout team quarterback Anthony Rezac in playing the role of Navy quarterback Blake Horvath.

“Just generally believe and trust what we are telling you in terms of the importance of what we are telling you because mistakes get magnified when you are playing an offense of this caliber,” Golden said.

Navy is 6-0 to start a season for the first time since 1979. They are torching opponents to the tune of 44.8 points per game, 4th best in the nation. They are also 4th in the country in rushing yards at 274.8 yards per game. Army, another triple option attack that Notre Dame plays in a few weeks, is #1.

Adding to the dangers of facing Navy is a passing attack they’ve never produced before. The Mids are 2nd in the country in pass efficiency, throwing 11 touchdowns in 81 pass attempts on the season. While 13.5 attempts per game is not a lot for most schools, it is for Navy. The Midshipmen are not passing because they have to, they are passing because they can. Marcus Freeman said on Monday that Navy actually lines up in shotgun formation 45% of its plays, offensively. Who would have guessed that before the season.

Former Mercer coach Drew Cronic has come on board as offensive coordinator and turned the Mids into a threat, something unconceivable compared to the team Notre Dame crushed 42-3 in the 2023 season opener in Ireland.

“I think they are doing a great job offensively, schematically and with their personnel,” Golden said. “The way they get on the perimeter, how they are blocking–certain aspects of it whether it’s in the [shotgun] or under center.”

Golden says they will have a collective mentality across the defense. The new found passing game for Navy adds another dimension for the Irish secondary to worry about.

“They definitely make it hard every year but listening to our coaches and reading our keys—they all have tells–reading the tells and figuring out how to make plays,” safety Adon Shuler says.

In a tradition started by Brian Kelly and continued now by Marcus Freeman, the Irish began preparations to face the option in fall camp and then again during their first bye week. Even so, that only goes so far.

“You are talking 3 weeks now,” Golden explains of the last time the Irish prepared for Navy prior to this week. “[Navy] has grown a lot in that time. They’re obviously committed more to the [shotgun] than they were at the beginning of the season or at least we believe that’s the direction that they are going. The biggest thing is that they have answers at a lot of different levels. We’ve learned a lot from the last 3 weeks and from our study since Sunday morning.”

Quarterback Blake Horvath is a problem for opposing defenses. He’s rushed for 10 touchdowns and also thrown for 10 touchdowns. He’s only given up one interception while being sacked just 3 times in 6 games. Horvath is averaging 103.5 rushing yards per game on 7.9 yards per carry while also completing 64% of his passes for 148 yards per game in the air.

“They have a guy in Horvath that can make it go,” Golden points out. “Talented slot backs, two really talented fullbacks, a guy on the perimeter that can stretch you. They can hit you at a lot of different angles and obviously Horvath can beat you with his feet, with his arm and with the choices he makes with the football.”

Oh and Navy is #1 in the country in the red zone. On 23 trips to the red zone, Navy has scored 22 touchdowns. More on that later in the week.

#12 Notre Dame and #24 Navy will kickoff at Noon on Saturday from Met Life Stadium in New Jersey. The game will be broadcast on ABC.