Preparation for Navy a big test for Irish youth

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -

Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly knows what to expect when it comes to Navy. However, with so many young players facing the Midshipmen for the first time, the transition and preparation is anything but easy.

"There's extra preparation for a team like this, this is a difficult week in preparation," Kelly said.

There's nothing new with Navy's offense, but the youth Notre Dame possesses on defense. This offense is nothing they've seen before.

"It's a different game, it's a downhill game, it's a physical game," Kelly said.

The Midshipmen run the ball more than 55 times a game, and there's no elaborate scheme to throw against it according to Kelly. It's about toughening up.

"At times, you're going to fight through a block on block situation to make a play. It never becomes a math equation, where in a lot of the football that's played, you can get an extra hat  to a particular run play and outnumber them, you can't do it against this offense and so don't try!" Kelly said.

"If you try to outnumber the quarterback in a particular defensive structure, they've got answers," Kelly added.

And Kelly says not having all the answers to stop this option attack doesn't bother him.

"That's really the answer to how you defend this, you can't have all the answers," Kelly said.

Notre Dame and Navy meet Saturday in Jacksonville. They will meet for the 90th consecutive year, which is the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football.

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