Notre Dame Football: Why the Irish Offense Needs to Be Extra Efficient vs. Navy

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Navy’s triple-option offense has been well-documented heading into Saturday’s game, but it will be Everett Golson and Notre Dame football’s offense that must sharpen to go head-to-head with the Midshipmen.

With Navy running the option and continually gnawing off large chunks of time from the clock, Golson and the Irish must be crisp and efficient with potentially fewer possessions and less time with which to work.

Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

“Each possession you just have to score,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. “If that takes a little bit longer, you're still going to get your possessions, the way the game plays out.”

Navy ranks in the bottom portion of the FBS in offensive plays per game, averaging 70.9 offensive snaps this season, according to TeamRankings.com. And with a run-based attack, the Midshipmen also rank near the top third of college football in average time of possession, per TeamRankings.com.

Kelly, though, doesn’t want there to be an over-the-top sense of urgency when Golson does get the ball in his hands.

“It's not rushing. It's the difference between being quick and being in a hurry,” Kelly said. “I think when you're in a hurry, you get sloppy, but you can be quick as long as you're sharp.”

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Notre Dame will need a sharp Golson on Saturday against the disciplined Midshipmen, who nearly put together the perfect game against the Irish last season before falling, 38-34. With 10 turnovers in his last four games, Golson has sapped the momentum from his share of drives. The emphasis on care becomes even more important against the Midshipmen.

“You can't have turnovers,” Kelly said. “You can't give them extra possessions. We have to score points. There is no question about that.”

Of course, Kelly and the Irish know the dangers of facing Navy all too well. The narrow win last season coupled with Notre Dame’s 2010 loss to the Midshipmen serve as reminders that this matchup is a potential upset waiting to happen.

JOE RAYMOND/Associated Press

Last year, Irish quarterback Tommy Rees threw two interceptions, and the Midshipmen charged down the field immediately after the first miscue to claim a second-quarter lead. Navy had a massive edge in time of possession (37:36-22:24), and the Irish only ran 56 offensive plays. (They averaged 73.2 offensive plays per game last season, per TeamRankings.com.)

“From an offensive standpoint, Everett knows what the charge is there running the offense. He's got to be accurate. He's got to be clean in terms of taking care of the football, and we've got to be on top of things offensively,” Kelly said.

“If we're not, it's going to be a dogfight.”

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Mike Monaco is a lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco_ on Twitter.