Booger McFarland declares 'DEFCON 3' for Notre Dame amid first-half struggles vs. Navy

Shortly after Navy took a 13-7 lead over Notre Dame with two minutes to go in the first half, ESPN analyst Booger McFarland set the Fighting Irish at “DEFCON 3” against the upset-minded Midshipmen. The Irish defense struggled mightily against the option offense through two quarters. Navy’s 2-yard rushing touchdown put the Midshipmen at 152 rush yards with 1:57 to play in the first half. For reference, Notre Dame’s defense entered Week 9 allowing 96 rush yards per game, which ranked third in the nation. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Shortly after McFarland’s post, Notre Dame had a response from its running game as Nolan James took a 52-yard touchdown to the end zone to put the Irish back on top, 14-13. Still, it was tough sledding for Marcus Freeman’s group to start the annual matchup. Navy dominated time of possession in the first half, holding the ball for 23:33 while Notre Dame’s offense was only on the field for 6:27. Still, the Fighting Irish had a 7-6 lead at the two-minute timeout, though the Midshipmen were knocking on the door. Watch on Fubo (Try for Free) Two plays after the two-minute timeout, Navy took the lead. Jackson Gutierrez punched in the two-yard run to make it a 13-7 advantage for the Midshipmen. That’s when McFarland said Notre Dame needed to watch out amid the struggles. Navy’s lead was short-lived, though. Five plays later, James broke free for a 52-yard run to put Notre Dame back out in front 14-13 into the break. Notre Dame was also gearing up to get the ball to begin the second half. As for what needed to change after halftime, Freeman told ESPN’s Stormy Buonantony the defense has to get Navy out of rhythm to stay out in front. That said, he also said it’s important to avoid panicking amid the rough go. “I think we’ve got to get them off track,” Freeman said on his way to the halftime locker room. “We’re not getting them off track right now. They’re doing a couple new things, but it’s just the execution. “We can’t panic. You can’t start calling things your guys don’t know how to execute. So we’ve got to make sure we clean up what they have to do and then, they’ve got to play physical. … We can’t be out of control.”