FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Notre Dame’s 35-13 win over Navy came with a costly price tag, and the biggest concern landed on the defensive side with senior linebacker Drayk Bowen.
Bowen, making his 36th straight start and serving as one of the team’s two captains, left in the second half with a lower right leg injury and was seen after the game wearing a boot around his foot and ankle. His status for next week’s matchup with No. 1 Miami is now up in the air.
“He was just out for the game,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said. “We’ll get an injury report on Sunday, so we’ll see how significant that injury was.”
USA Today reported Bowen’s injury was “significant,” with one source telling John Brice the standout was “likely done for the rest of the regular season, at least.”
Before leaving, Bowen was everywhere. He led Notre Dame with seven tackles in the first half and pushed his season total to a team-best 45 combined tackles. Sophomore Madden Faraimo took over for him after halftime, though it wasn’t clear who wore the “green dot” helmet that handles sideline communication with coordinator Chris Ash.
Notre Dame was already thin at linebacker. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa sat out against Navy because of a lingering left thumb injury he picked up Oct. 3 at North Carolina. He had played 35 snaps in the loss at BYU two weeks ago, but this was his second absence in the last three games.
“We tried,” Freeman said. “It’s a healing thing. He just wasn’t going to be available for this game, but we expect him to be back for next week.”
With Bowen out and Viliamu-Asa unavailable, Jaiden Ausberry and Jaylen Sneed carried the load and finished with a combined 14 tackles.
The defense had other injury concerns, too. All-America cornerback Leonard Moore missed the game for the second time in three contests after suffering a concussion against North Carolina. He was available in an emergency against Navy’s run-heavy attack, but he never entered the game.
“It would’ve been better for him long term if we didn’t play him today,” Freeman said. “If we didn’t have to (use him), we tried to hold him out.”
Notre Dame also limited its defensive tackles. Sixth-year lineman Jason Onye played five snaps early before sitting the rest of a physical game, while Pitt transfer Francis Brewu was pulled after seven snaps. Onye had missed five games after left ankle surgery before returning for 24 snaps at BYU.
The injury list wasn’t limited to defense. On offense, tight end Cooper Flanagan has played just seven snaps over the last two games, all of them against Navy, and top backup James Flanigan did not play on offense at all.
“Both of those guys are a little bit banged up,” Freeman said. “We were limited.
We didn’t want to play Coop too much. He still wasn’t feeling 100%.
James Flanigan, we knew we could get a lot out of him, but we wanted to be smart with how much we played him.”
Even with the limitations, Notre Dame got production from the depth chart. Jack Larsen and freshman Ian Premer each caught a pass, combining for 29 receiving yards. Premer logged a career-high 33 offensive snaps, and Larsen matched that total.
Third-year wideout Micah Gilbert also left the game as a precaution in the second half with what appeared to be an ankle issue. He had already delivered in the first half with two catches for 21 yards and a touchdown, but Jerome Bettis Jr. stepped in after halftime and posted six catches for 78 yards and a score from the boundary spot.
“I saw him hobbling a little bit,” Freeman said of Gilbert. “They never told me he was out of the game. but I saw him meeting with Rob Hunt, our trainer, and looking at his ankle. We were going to be intentional about trying to get Jerome in the game and some of those other wide receivers.”
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Notre Dames Early Navy Gamble Is Raising Questions Fast
Chris Ashs early rotation against Navy turned into one of the more curious wrinkles of the afternoon, with Notre Dame leaning on reserve players sooner than expected on defense. Christian Gray started at cornerback, and backup linebacker Anthony Rezac was on the field for the opening drive as the Irish tried to sort out Navys option look and settle into the game plan.
The move did not pay off cleanly. Navy put together its longest offensive drive of the season during that stretch and grabbed a 3-0 lead before Notre Dame answered to go ahead 7-3, leaving the Irish with questions about both the playcalling and the decision to use reserves so early. For a defense that needed to be sharp from the start, the first series only added to the scrutiny surrounding how Notre Dame handled the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman Just Put Notre Dames Defensive Leadership Under Pressure
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The second half brought a much cleaner defensive showing, but the larger issue did not disappear with it. Freemans comments put a spotlight on Chris Ash and the rest of the defensive staff, because in South Bend, the standard is not just better results after halftime, but a defense that looks organized from the start. For a unit trying to settle itself, the pressure now is not only about fixing mistakes, but proving the confusion Freeman described was an exception rather than a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Got The Win Navy Still Exposed A Real Concern
Notre Dame handled Navy 35-13 at Gillette Stadium, but the game still offered a familiar reminder of how much the Midshipmen can disrupt a rhythm. CJ Carr guided the Irish offense with 210 passing yards and two touchdowns, and Nolan James Jr. added 107 rushing yards and two scores as Notre Dame found enough balance to separate after a slow start.
Even with the final margin, Navy spent much of the first half doing what Navy does best, leaning on the triple option to shorten the game and keep Notre Dame from settling in. The Irish eventually pulled away after halftime, but the opening stretch showed a concern that can linger against disciplined opponents: when the clock keeps moving and possessions get scarce, even a deeper roster can be pushed into an uncomfortable kind of game. [Read more 🡒]