Mids shock Irish again

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Navy went 43 years without beating powerful Notre Dame in football. Now the Midshipmen have accomplished the remarkable feat twice in three years.

Fullback Vince Murray and quarterback Ricky Dobbs led an impressive offensive performance while linebacker Ram Vela and cornerback Blake Carter anchored a gutsy defensive effort as Navy upset 19th-ranked Notre Dame, 23-21, yesterday.

Navy sealed the victory by recovering an onside kick with 24 seconds left, and a sellout crowd of 80,795 watched in stunned silence as the visitors celebrated a second straight victory in South Bend.

"It was a great game and you've got to take your hats off to our kids. I'm speechless about our kids. They dug so deep and just battled," Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "I have to give our kids credit for continuing to fight against a great Notre Dame team."

The Midshipmen did not celebrate as wildly as they did two seasons ago after knocking off the Fighting Irish for the first time since 1963.

"A lot of people doubted us going into this game, but we know if we believe we can make great things happen," Navy safety Wyatt Middleton said.

Murray, who became the starting fullback five games ago, rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown. Dobbs, who sat out most of the last two games with a broken bone in his kneecap, contributed 102 yards and a touchdown.

Navy repeatedly befuddled the Notre Dame defense with its patented triple-option offense, totaling 348 yards rushing and controlling possession.

Carter recorded a team-high nine tackles and forced a fumble to lead a Navy defense that repeatedly denied Notre Dame in the red zone. The Fighting Irish came up empty on five trips inside the visitors' 25-yard line as quarterback Jimmy Clausen lost a fumble at the 1-yard line and threw an interception at the 12-yard line while kicker Nick Tausch missed two short field goals.

"It's unreal to be part of something like this. I can't put it into words," Navy defensive captain Ross Pospisil said. "Each and every guy on both sides of the ball made plays at his position. There is just something in these guys that just won't be denied."

Navy (7-3) qualified for the postseason for the seventh straight season and immediately after the game accepted an invitation to appear in the Texas Bowl, being held Dec. 31 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Coverage begins on Page C1.