A look at Notre Dame, Navy

Barring a late-season collapse, Notre Dame and Navy will reach the postseason.

Originally Published: October 12, 2004

By Adam Rittenberg | Special To ESPN.com

As Notre Dame and Navy prepare to face one another Oct. 16, both squads reach the season's midpoint in much better condition than they were one year ago.

Notre Dame has won three of its last four after opening the season with a disappointing loss at BYU. The Irish established some consistency on offense with second-year QB Brady Quinn and a group of talented WRs. Notre Dame's defense, meanwhile, boasts several future NFL selections in LBs Derek Curry and Mike Goolsby, as well as DE Justin Tuck.

Notre Dame's upset of Michigan was followed by solid victories over Michigan State and Washington. The Irish face tough road games at Tennessee and Southern Cal but should secure a major bowl bid this year. The turbulent 2003 season appears to be behind Notre Dame, which is finding ways to succeed despite playing the nation's toughest schedule.

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