There are 43 days until college football returns. Today we remember Notre Dame’s 43-game winning streak over Navy. It is the longest winning streak over one opponent in NCAA history.
In 1963, Heisman winning QB Roger Staubach led Navy to a 35-14 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. That would be the last victory the Midshipmen would register over the Fighting Irish until 2007. That streak would reach an NCAA record 43 straight games.
In 2007, the Irish came in scuffling. They were 1-7 and taking on a 4-4 Navy team. However, Notre Dame was still favored (-3.5). The Irish led 7-0 after the 1st quarter, and after trading a couple of touchdowns, led 21-14 at halftime. Navy missed an extra point in the 3rd quarter, but made it up by going for 2 in the 4th. Notre Dame passed on a potential GW field goal late in the 4th, and the game went into overtime.
It went into a 2nd and then a 3rd overtime. After the Midshipmen’s Reggie Campbell caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, he also punched in the following 2-pt conversion. The Irish answered with a touchdown of their own. However, Navy stuffed the 2-pt try, and 43 games of losing and frustration came to a halt. Present day, Notre Dame leads the all-time series 76-13-1.
