It hasn't been easy lately against Navy.
The Midshipmen snapped an NCAA-record 43-game losing streak to Notre Dame in 2007 (needing three overtimes to do it), and then nearly rallied to victory last season after trailing 27-7 with 2:30 left.
Navy scored a touchdown, recovered an onside kick, scored again three plays later and recovered another onside kick at the Notre Dame 41 with 1:21 left. Navy gained a first down, but then the Irish defense held, forcing an incomplete pass on the last play of the game.
This Notre Dame team, which is 6-2 and ranked 19th, is more capable than either of its previous two editions, but Navy (6-3) has another good team, is getting quarterback Ricky Dobbs back from injury and still has that confounding triple-option offense, which is third nationally at 279.8 rushing yards per game.
And then fifth-year Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis raves about the Navy defense.
"By far the best Navy defense they'd had in my time here. I don't think it's even been close," Weis said. "They don't try to do too many crazy things on defense. They just try to play sound fundamentally and run to the football, and trust me, they run to the football."
But the Irish have an ace up their sleeve. They welcome back a big-time weapon this week. Say hello again to receiver Michael Floyd.
Floyd, who suffered a broken collarbone on Sept. 19 and was thought to be possibly out for the rest of the regular season, will play this week against the Midshipmen.
"Michael Floyd is back, he's ready to go," Weis said Tuesday.
Floyd, a 6-3 sophomore, started the season with four catches for 189 yards and three touchdowns against Nevada. He followed with seven receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown against Michigan, and had two catches for 38 yards and one touchdown before getting hurt against Michigan State.
And what was the reaction to Floyd getting cleared?
"You heard a lot of hooting and hollering," Weis said.
Then it was up to Floyd about whether he wanted to make this week his comeback. He talked to his mom, and everyone agreed to go for it.
"He came back to me and said, 'I'm ready to go,'" Weis said. "It wasn't too much longer that I was getting a text from No. 7 (quarterback Jimmy Clausen). As happy as No. 3 (Floyd) was, I think No. 7 might have been just as happy."
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