Notre Dame Football: Grading the Irish's Game vs. Navy

After a disastrous loss against USC and a few controversial comments from head coach Brian Kelly, Notre Dame took out its frustration on Navy, beating the Midshipmen 56-14.

The Irish were rolling from the start and showed no signs of a potential letdown.

As usual, we'll be handing out report card grades for each position group on the roster.

Follow along as we get started.

Quarterbacks

Grade: B

After struggling against USC a week ago, Tommy Rees bounced back well, completing 16 of 22 pass attempts for 237 yards and one score.

Despite the good numbers, Rees is still struggling with turnovers.

The sophomore underthrew Theo Riddick on an attempted swing pass, which resulted in a lost fumble, and was intercepted midway through the fourth quarter.

Through all of Rees' ups and downs, he continues to remain a cool customer while doing an excellent job of managing the game.

Running Backs

Grade: A

The tandem of Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray played with a tenacity not seen in last week's loss against USC when the two were limited to 41 yards on the ground.

Wood accumulated 66 yards on 11 carries along with two scores, while Gray carried the ball 12 times for 69 yards and three touchdowns.

Freshman George Atkinson saw his first significant action at running back this season, finishing with 26 yards as well as a touchdown in mop-up duty late in the fourth quarter.

Receivers

Grade: A

Michael Floyd was back to his old ways on Saturday, hauling in six receptions for 121 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rees.

However, it wasn't just Floyd's show.

Theo Riddick got in on the action, snagging four passes for 58 yards. Fellow receiver TJ Jones recorded three receptions for 28 yards as well.

Interestingly enough, Notre Dame's most consistent pass-catcher, Tyler Eifert, was limited to one reception for 17 yards.

Offensive Line

Grade: A

One of the most underrated lines in the nation, Braxston Cave and Co. controlled the line of scrimmage from the start.

Quarterback Tommy Rees had excellent pass protection for all 60 minutes of the game and was seemingly not touched all day.

Also, the line had no trouble opening some gigantic holes for the Irish backs against a weak Navy defensive front seven.

Defensive Line

Grade: A

To stifle Navy's triple option attack, defensive coordinator Bob Diaco employed a four-man front, with linebackers Prince Shembo and Darius Fleming serving as defensive ends.

The unit played assignment-savvy football while limiting the nation's third best rushing attack to 196 yards.

Linebackers

Grade: B

Before analyzing the linebackers as a group, a solid "A" goes out to Manti Te'o. The junior recorded 13 tackles on Saturday in his best game of the season.

The rest of the crew had a respectable outing, but they still struggled with missed tackles. It's apparent that the fundamental techniques of tackling need to become a routine in practices.

Secondary

Grade: A

The Irish secondary didn't get much work against a run-heavy Navy offfense, and they did a great job of defending the third level of the option attack.

The Midshipmen only completed five passes for a meager 33 yards.

Special Teams

Grade: A

Notre Dame's special teams had another fantastic game against Navy. It started with the kickoff return team. George Atkinson consistently recognized his running lanes, giving his team great field position all day.

David Ruffer had a quiet day, converting all eight of his extra point attempts. Saturday marked the first time all season that he did not attempt a field goal.

Coaching

Grade: A

If focus and attention to detail were lacking last week, both aspects were certainly taken care of this week.

Brian Kelly's squad came into Saturday's contest prepared and ready to go. The game was never in question, as the Irish imposed their will on an overmatched Navy squad.

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said the game was a good, old-fashioned "butt whipping."

Intangibles

Grade: A

Brian Kelly's controversial comments earlier in the week had the potential to divide the team and ruin the season, but it seems as if they made the team stronger as one unit.

For the team to have played the way it did after that off-field drama is a testament to the mental strength and resolve of each player on the roster.

The swagger and confidence is still there for this team.