The Anti-Preview: #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish VS Navy Midshipmen

AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! The Anti-Preview isn’t late — it’s on pirate time. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Navy Midshipmen will play for the first time ever in San Diego.

The wonderful @phillykelly

I’m not going to beat around the bush because I’m a pirate and dammit — we got business to take care of before we get ridiculously drunk and plump.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING?

I know we could and maybe should go some kind of hardcore rum drink (or straight from a dusty bottle) because WE ARE pirates this week.

It’s also Halloween time, so...

ZOMBIE SMASH

Ingredients

.5 oz gin

.5 oz vodka

.5 oz rum

.5 oz triple sec

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz simple syrup

2 strawberries, muddled

Garnish: strawberry

Instructions

In a mixing glass, muddle the strawberries with the lemon juice and simple syrup. Add the other ingredients with ice. Shake vigorously and pour contents into a tall glass. Garnish with strawberry.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE EATING?

Just because this game is in San Diego, it doesn’t mean you have to eat fish tacos (although it’s a brilliant choice). Many of you aren’t living with that kind of weather, so a hearty autumn stew seems more appropriate.

LOBSTER & CORN CHOWDER

While a seafood and corn chowder can be cooked a million different ways, we trust the Goddess Ina.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE WEARING?

You’re a pirate, but you really should be in disguise because the United States Navy ain’t no joke. Find yourself a make-up artist and get transformed. Luckily for me, my cousin is such a person:

KEY(S) TO THE GAME

• It’s the most cliche’ thing about the triple-option, but it’s also 100% accurate... keep Navy off schedule. Getting Navy in 3rd and 7 or 3rd and 8 situations will end the drives fairly quickly this year as the Middies haven’t been good on third down at all.
• Don’t play fuck around. Run the offense that has been working for the last month. There’s no need to get too passy or too runny. Mix it up, and run the offense.
• Score. Score. Score. If all else fails just score. If the Irish can get 2 scores up on Navy, it should (should) be enough to win.

AT THE END OF THE NIGHT...

I don’t like this game. I don’t like the west coast trip, and I don’t like the prime time slot. Despite all of that, this is a Navy team that is nowhere near previous versions, and Notre Dame is a legitimate playoff contender. Notre Dame rolls all night: Irish 45, Navy 10.