SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Navy did it to Notre Dame again – and this loss to the Midshipmen is even more costly.
Craig Schaefer sacked Jimmy Clausen in the end zone with 60 seconds left Saturday and Navy held on for a 23-21 victory, its second straight at Notre Dame Stadium.
"I love playing in South Bend," safety Wyatt Middleton said. "I love playing here."
No. 19 Notre Dame (6-3) scored with 24 seconds left on a 31-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen to Golden Tate to cut the lead to two, but the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds.
Navy's victory celebration was a bit more subdued than two years ago, when the Midshipmen ended an NCAA-record 43-game losing streak to the Irish by winning 46-44 in three overtimes.
"I wanted to run on the field and jump up and down, but I was kind of tired," said Ram Vela, who had an interception and fumble recovery. "We'd done it before and we went into this game not really placing as much emphasis or too much importance on it. We just treated it like another game."
Two years ago when Navy beat Notre Dame, the Irish were in the midst o