Game balls for Schrauth, Sneed and Leonard in Notre Dame's loss to Navy

It's not just the technical expertise or the brute force involved Billy Schrauth plays the football game. There's a relentless toughness that seems to permeate Notre Dame's entire offense when he's in the game.

And on Saturday, Schrauth saw action for the 12th-place Irish for the first time since September 14th.

And the 6-foot-3, 300-pound junior helped set the tone for a 51-14 win over 24th-ranked Navy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the 97th meeting between the two longtime rivals to specify. He also floated the idea of ​​a higher cap for an ND-O line, whose progress had plateaued in October.

And therefore At ND Sports expands its typical two allotted game balls to three, with Schrauth receiving the bonus game ball.

He also started at a new position, left guard, with his successor – senior Rocco Spindler – remain intact on the right side. Schrauth clashed with the rowdy sophomore class Sam Pendleton from the lineup. Pendleton entered the game with 428 total snaps, leading all Irish players.

Pendleton saw some action as the second-team O-line rotated to close out the game early in the fourth quarter.

Notre Dame (7-1), with the coach's first six-game winning streak Marcus Freeman Era heads into a bye week before hosting underperforming Florida State on Nov. 9.

In the meantime, here are the other two game ball receivers:

DEFENSE: Jaylen Sneed, linebacker

There are plenty of candidates here for a defense that coaxed four turnovers (plus two more on special teams) from a team that had lost two all season. But perhaps Sneed's career-high nine tackles and fumble recovery for a touchdown could give him a boost after the midseason lull.

INJURY: Riley Leonard, quarterback

Leonard runs back Jeremiyah love and his 102 yards and two touchdowns. But Leonard showed the poise and performance that not only helped the Irish take the tension out of this game early, but also boded well for Notre Dame's long run.

Leonard ran the ball 10 times for 83 yards and his 11th rushing TD of the season. He also threw for 178 yards before giving way to backup Steve Angeli early in the fourth quarter. The Duke transfer was 13 of 21 with two touchdowns and no interceptions, for a pass efficiency rating of 164.5.