Notre Dame football could probably use something uncomplicated after BYU, even if defending Navy is anything but simple. The Midshipmen force Luke Talich, Jaylen Sneed and the Irish defense to forget about freelancing and execute their own jobs, making Saturday an unexpectedly useful reset before Miami.
Ace defender Jaylen Sneed said it was frustrating to watch the Cougars move up and down the field at will in Provo. However, he also knows the Irish can take something away from the loss and use it to improve as the season goes on.
It was very frustrating, but Freeman always talks about like there's going to be struggle," Sneed told the Notre Dame media after practice this week. "There's going to be adversity and you're going to go through things, and anything that's worth it in life is going to be hard. That's what he says. So I just try to keep that in the back of my mind and know it's going to be hard, but just keep working to get better every day."
Sneed also knows that Notre Dame doesn’t see losing all that often. In fact, the BYU game snapped a 16-game winning streak. It was just the third loss in the last two years. That kind fo winning gives players confidence and makes them feel unbeatable. But it also makes it all the more important to bounce back and win the next game after getting knocked off their perch.
Notre Dame football can use Navy assignment test to reset defense before Miami
That’s easier said than done when the opponent runs an offense Notre Dame doesn’t see from anyone but Navy. Safety Luke Talich spoke to the media after practice this week about how difficult it can be to plan for head coach Brian Newberry’s squad, even if Notre Dame is a 30-point favorite as of Thursday morning.
"Navy's a unique offense, and they run a different type of scheme, and we definitely change a lot of things," Talich shared. "Pretty much our whole package is completely changed, and it's more so just discipline and assignment football and just kind of focusing and keeping your eyes on the right thing and executing your job every play. And you can't do anyone else's job. You just got to do your job."
On the other hand, discipline and assignment football, getting back to basics, can help Notre Dame not only beat Navy but also get ready and back in shape for Miami in two weeks.
Add us as a preferred source on Google