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Navy ends 43-game losing streak against Notre Dame

Nov 4, 2007 - 1:09 AM SOUTH BEND, Indiana (Ticker) -- Shame, shame for old Notre Dame.

Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Campbell on the first play of triple overtime as Navy ended the longest losing streak against one opponent in NCAA history Saturday with a 46-44 victory over Notre Dame.

"I'm just so happy for our players," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "They're the class that broke the streak and we don't have to hear about it any more."

The Midshipmen (5-4) earned their first win over the Fighting Irish since John F. Kennedy was in the White House, snapping a 43-game losing streak in the series.

Saturday's victory came 44 years and one day after Roger Staubach led Navy to its last win over Notre Dame, 35-14, on November 1, 1963.

The Midshipmen have come close to beating the Irish in recent years, including four years ago, when Notre Dame posted a 27-24 win on a field goal as time expired.

On Saturday, Navy finally broke through. The victory was secured when Travis Thomas was stopped short of the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt.

"You know, this is my sixth time playing Notre Dame as a head coach at Navy and three of them have gone down to about like this," Johnson said. "Eventually, if they keep going like this, law of averages, you're going to get one - and today was our day."

Kaheaku-Enhada tossed a 25-yard touchdown to Reggie Campbell on the first play of the third overtime to give Navy a 44-38 lead. Campbell also caught the conversion pass.

"It's an amazing feeling," Kaheaku-Enhada said. "I don't even know what to say right now, I'm still in awe. I hope I don't have the same question like Roger Staubach had to answer every year."

Thomas scored on a 5-yard TD run to pull Notre Dame within 46-44.

Notre Dame got a second chance on the conversion attempt as interference was called on Evan Sharpley's pass that was incomplete.

But on the second attempt, Thomas was smothered two yards short of the end zone by Navy's defensive line.

"Personally, (it) doesn't really make a difference," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said when asked about the end of the winning streak. "I think that my job is to keep moving the team forward and talk about the future of Notre Dame football."

But in a season of embarrassing defeats, Notre Dame suffered another humiliating loss. The Fighting Irish, who allowed Navy to move the ball effectively throughout, dropped to 1-8, including 0-5 at home.

The defeat assured Notre Dame only its third eight-loss season in the program's storied history and first since 1960, when the Irish went 2-8. Notre Dame's other eight-loss campaign came in 1956.

"We're not focused on what's happened in the past between the two teams," Notre Dame center John Sullivan said. "Today was tough because today was another loss. All the losses were tough."

Navy, which leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing, put together touchdown drives of 19, 11 and 15 plays, keeping the Irish off balance with their option attack.

In a first half in which neither team could stop the other, Sharpley tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Duval Kamara with 12 seconds left to give the Fighting Irish a 21-14 halftime lead.

But Notre Dame's offense sputtered in the second half and Navy closed to 21-20 on Eric Kettani's 1-yard TD run with 6:34 remaining in the third quarter that capped a 15-play, 66-yard drive

Notre Dame held on to the lead when Joey Bullen missed the extra point, but Navy's defense came up with a huge play with 10:24 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Michael Walsh sacked Sharpley, causing the ball come to lose. Chris Kuhar-Pitters scooped up the fumble and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown, putting Navy ahead.

Kaheaku-Enhada rushed for the two-point conversion to make it 28-21.

Sharpley, who completed 17-of-27 passes for 140 yards and two TDS, kept alive Notre Dame's hopes on the ensuing drive, converting a 3rd-and-27 from the Irish 18. Sharpley ran for 14 yards on third down, then barely avoided a sack to complete a clutch 16-yard completion to John Carlson on fourth down.

Armano Allen carried six straight times before Notre Dame pulled even on Thomas' 3-yard TD run with 3:01 remaining.

The Irish forced a three-and-out, and Tom Zbikowski's 31-yard punt return put Notre Dame in position to win with possession at the Navy 38.

But the drive stalled after one first down. Facing 4th-and-8 at the Navy 24, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis elected not to kick a field goal.

The move backfired as Sharpley was sacked by linebacker Ram Vela, forcing overtime.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime and field goals in the second.