Instant Analysis: Navy-Notre Dame

After forty four years, it was worth it for Navy to wait out a third overtime and a late pass interference call against Notre Dame. It took forever for the Midshipmen to finally fell the Fighting Irish, and that only described Saturday's memorable affair in South Bend.

If ever a football game seemed to last for an eternity, it was this mind-blowing battle in Notre Dame Stadium. Forty four years seemed like a blink of an eye compared to this ridiculous rollercoaster ride, in which fourth down was a reliable proposition for offenses and the overtime pressure was suffocating. Just when one side gained pronounced leverage, the balance of power shifted surprisingly and abruptly. It was the kind of game that Navy couldn't afford to lose; had Paul Johnson's bunch not beaten one of the worst Notre Dame teams of all time, the Irish would have taken their 43-game win streak--the longest single-series win binge in NCAA history--and doubled it... at least, that's what it felt like for the Midshipmen as they desperately fought for an uncommonly elusive victory.

How did Navy finally do what hadn't been achieved since the John F. Kennedy Administration and the days of Roger Staubach? Very simply, the money players for the Midshipmen answered the call in pressure-cooker situations. Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and all-purpose back Reggie Campbell wouldn't accept another defeat.

Kaheaku-Enhada delivered the goods on the kinds of plays that separate winners from losers in tight football games: two-point conversions. Had Navy's signal caller not converted a two-point try in the fourth quarter, a missed PAT would have dealt the Midshipmen a devastating defeat. As it was, the gritty run to the goal line ensured that Notre Dame's late touchdown (achieved after a 3rd and 27 and a 4th and 13) only tied the contest.

In the third overtime, Kaheaku-Enhada once again came up golden on a two-point try mandated by rule. Forced to go for two, Navy registered a "crazy eight" when the poised quarterback stood strong in the pocket to deliver a strike to Campbell. Just one play earlier, it was Campbell who also caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from his teammate to give Navy the lead. In a normal football game, six points is cause for celebration, but in the wacky world of an extended college football overtime, eight points is a near necessity. Kaheaku-Enhada, the steady quarterback, and Campbell, the reliable receiver, combined to give Navy the points they needed to finally end the 43-game streak, and to relieve themselves of a 44-year itch. But before the Midshipmen could fully and finally celebrate, they needed to make sure the Irish didn't respond with eight points of their own in the "bottom half inning" of the third overtime stanza.

After Notre Dame scored a touchdown on 4th and 1 in that third overtime, the Irish then got a second chance on their two-point try due to a pass interference call that evoked memories of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl between Ohio State and Miami. A late (but correct) flag was thrown only after a number of Navy players stormed the field in exultation. After the shouting subsided, the Irish got the ball at the one and a half yard line with one more chance to extend the wait for the brigade. Notre Dame's Travis Thomas tried to turn the corner on the right side of the line, but a Navy defense that wobbled and wavered in so many important situations finally made a game-sealing stop. With no flag on the field, the 44-year wait was over, and a burden floated away from a jubilant service academy football team.

Paul Johnson has coached Navy to a number of bowl games and bowl victories while cleaning up against Army. With that having been said, the decorated coach of the Midshipmen just earned the kind of win that will be remembered in the history books far longer than anything else he's done at Navy to date. With one win against Notre Dame, Johnson gained a special place in the history of Annapolis football. If they say that beating Army is the only thing that matters at Navy, the need to beat the Fighting Irish became priority 1-A in 2007. Now that the deed has been done, the worldwide Navy fan base--from Roger the Dodger to noble sailors in distant ports--will never again have to hear about 1963. Erasing 44 years of agony rates as the kind of accomplishment that makes any season a success.

Navy might not achieve anything else on the gridiron in 2007; it won't matter. A group of Annapolis football players just produced the kind of moment they'll pass on to their grandchildren long after they hang up their shoulder pads.