The insane stat that led to Navy's upset of Notre Dame

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:16 p.m. ET

Aaron Torres

It's been a season to forget for Notre Dame, with more close losses, miscues and defensive gaffes than anyone could have ever imagined back in September.

Yet Saturday provided a new low for the Irish, in a stunning 28-27 loss to Navy. Understand this isn't a knock on Navy. The Midshipmen are a really, really good football team - now 6-2 with an upset of Houston - but it isn't so much that Notre Dame lost, but instead, how it happened.

It came thanks to the vaunted Navy triple-option attack, one that the Irish quite literally had no answer for all afternoon long. The Midshipmen finished with 320 yards on the ground (and just 48 through the air), and controlled time of possession, 33:53 to 26:07.

But there is really one glaring stat that summed up why Navy won. Notre Dame tallied just six total possessions the entire game. That included only two the entire second half.

The final drive did the Irish in. Navy got the ball back with 7:28 left in the game and never gave it back, converting two separate fourth-down plays to seal the victory.

For the Irish, it was another gut-punch loss in a season full of them. On the year, the Irish are just 3-6 with all six losses coming by eight points or less. This was their third loss by a field goal or less.

Now Notre Dame needs to run the table simply to get bowl eligible. That won't be easy with No. 19 Virginia Tech remaining in two weeks, followed by a visit to a red-hot USC team.

The goal in South Bend is never "bowl eligibility," it's to win championships.

But even making the postseason seems unlikely at this point.