Notre Dame Uses Bye to Reset Defensive Coverage and Fix Line Play Before Navy

To restore consistency, coaches want a return to man coverage, repair of left-guard play and expansion of linebacker pass-rush packages.

Overview

The No. 6 Fighting Irish (6-1) come off their first loss of the season and used the bye week to diagnose problems ahead of Saturday’s neutral-site game with Navy.
Coaches and analysts flagged a reluctance to play man-to-man coverage in the BYU game and noted that cornerback Leonard Moore’s recent concussion may have shaped coverage choices.
Left guard Anthonie Knapp struggled in pass protection and run blocking vs BYU, prompting a focus on fixing the offensive line and reducing pressure on starters.
Notre Dame’s top linebackers have yet to register a sack this season, and staffers are exploring more situations to let players like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Drayk Bowen rush the passer.
Navy presents a heavy rushing threat with QB Jackson Gutierrez’s 644 rushing yards and recent 228-yard game, while Midshipmen defensive stats show run- and pass-defense weaknesses Notre Dame aims to exploit.