“If They Lose to Miami, Their Season is Over”: Former National Champ Makes Thoughts Clear on Notre Dame Ahead of Canes Matchup

Notre Dame cruised past Navy 35-13 on Saturday, with quarterback CJ Carr throwing for two touchdowns and running back Nolan James adding two more on the ground.

However, for former national champion Cardale Jones, this win didn't matter much. On the CBS Sports post-game broadcast, the Ohio State alum called out the lack of statement wins on the Fighting Irish's resume so far, saying :

"I think they have to find a way to get back on track when you're talking about the relevance of the College Football Playoff because you don't have that staple win on your resume so far, and this is a playoff game for Notre Dame. If they lose to Miami, their season is over."

While Notre Dame dominated Navy in the second half, the first half looked completely different, as Navy controlled the ball for over 20 minutes while Marcus Freeman's run defense couldn't stop Jackson Gutierrez and Michael Barrow.

However, Notre Dame fired off 21 unanswered points in the second half to seal the win. A home game against the Hurricanes next week remains the biggest fixture on the Fighting Irish's schedule, especially after the loss to BYU.

Marcus Freeman Addressed the Lack of Run Game Defense vs. Navy

Speaking to sideline reporter Stormy Buonantony at the end of the first half, Freeman addressed Navy's barrage of rushing plays:

"We got to get them off track. We're not getting them off track right now. They're doing a couple new things, but it's just the execution. We can't panic. You can't start calling things that your guys don't know how to execute, so we gotta make sure we clean up what they have to do, and then they gotta play physical. We gotta play on their side of the line of scrimmage, but you can't be out of control."

The team will now shift its focus to a dual-threat offense led by running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and superstar receiver Malachi Toney.

The Miami duo has been a problem for defenses throughout the season, combining for 15 touchdowns.

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