After spending most of the week following the bye getting asked about why Notre Dame isn't letting more reserve receivers get playing time, it appears that Chris Ash took the message to heart and very much overcompensated.
There's a thin line between making sure that the starters get more of a rest in games like Navy and treating the game like its a glorified scrimmage. By giving Leonard Moore a breather and starting Christian Gray at corner and putting deep backup linebacker Anthony Rezac into the game on the Midshipmen's first drive, it sure feels like Ash isn't taking Navy very seriously.
It should be noted that Notre Dame's defense was rewarded by already giving reserve players snaps in the first drive but allowing Navy's longest offensive drive (both in time of possession and plays) of the entire season.
While there really isn't any concern that the Fighting Irish will win the game, both Chris Ash and Mike Denbrock took quite a bit of heat for their playcalling against BYU. It doesn't feel like the first defensive possession, or the first offensive possession that included two wide receiver screens for some reason, are going to kill off those wondering if the coordinators know what they're doing.
Chris Ash leans heavily on Notre Dame football reserves during shaky first quarter against Navy
In a game like Navy, it's not whether Notre Dame wins the game. It's how the players look. If they appear dialed in. If the playcalling has the Irish looking like the obviously better team. If the defense can bow up and stop an offense that runs the ball 90% of the time.
Navy taking a 3-0 lead is nothing to be worried about in the long run. That they drove down the field and Ash felt there wasn't a need to really load up the box, is an issue. Dropping a defensive lineman into coverage is an issue. Does the Notre Dame defensive coordinator really think the Irish DBs can't handle one-on-one coverage?
On the second defensive possession, Chris sent out a font four consisting of Keeley, Sean Sevillano Jr., Elijah Hughes, and Rodney Dunham. Sevillano's high in snaps coming into this game was 23. Navy's second drive continues to pound the ball right down the middle and manage to kill off the first quarter. The Midshipmen trailed just 7-3 thanks to dominating the time of possession.
Notre Dame treating the Week 9 game as though its the Blue-Gold game won't result in a loss. It will result in the Irish not looking like a great team. Maybe that doesn't matter next week against Miami, but it's sure not going to fill fans with
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