EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said he occasionally shows his players clips of their embarrassing home loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7 – a motivational tactic that appears to be working.

The Irish have now won six straight games, the longest streak under Freeman, including Saturday's 51-14 loss to Navy at MetLife Stadium.

“We can’t lose the pain,” Freeman said after another crucial win that helped fulfill their hopes of a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. “That’s what I want to make sure our guys understand. I don't want to lose the pain of this game because sometimes we are motivated by fear. We don't want this to happen again. We have to use that.” .

“We will be grateful for it as we use it and learn from the lessons it has taught us. Sometimes when you succeed, you forget the pain that NIU left in all of our hearts and guts. There are moments.” I want to think about it and I don't want them to lose it.

If it's possible for a team's turning point to come just two weeks into the season, that may have been the case for the Irish. Since the loss to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame has been under pressure to win and look good doing it, as the only path to the playoffs as an independent is through one of seven at-large bids. The remaining spots are reserved for the top five ranked conference champions, an offer Navy had hoped for but fell through on Saturday.

What began as a highly anticipated matchup between two ranked programs in desperate need of a statement win to boost their respective resumes quickly fizzled out.

Previously unbeaten Navy, which along with unbeaten rival Army had been one of the feel-good stories of the season, came back with a series of first-half errors too costly to overcome against a more talented team on a sunny Saturday reality returns the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants.

Navy forced the Irish five fumbles – something the Midshipmen had not done all season – and six total turnovers, the most since 2002. Notre Dame scored 27 points off turnovers, the most of all but Navy- Quarterback Blake Horvath's first career red zone interceptions were unforced errors, with ball security a bigger issue than stellar defensive play.

The strengths that propelled Navy to its first 6-0 start since 1979 – winning the turnover battle and perfection in the red zone – were some of the Midshipmen's biggest weaknesses against Notre Dame. Navy was 1 of 3 in the red zone against Notre Dame, which also held the nation's No. 4 offense (44.8 points per game) scoreless through two quarters. It was now the most points the Navy defense had allowed all season.

“You have to work hard, otherwise you leave the outcome up to chance,” Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser said. “Every day we know what can happen if we don’t try to reach our potential or live up to standards. We use that as motivation.”

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard was 3 of 3 for 105 yards and a touchdown on passes with at least 20 air yards, an area of ​​the passing game that had been sorely lacking earlier in the day. According to ESPN Research, his three such pass completions are his most with the Irish.

Leonard, who transferred from Duke last offseason, said he is still learning the offense under first-year offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and continues to build a bond with the players around him.

“Do I feel 100% safe yet? No, but some things are starting to become second nature in our checks,” he said. “It’s obviously still a work in progress, but I think we’re getting better every week.”

Leonard accounted for three touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing) and no interceptions against Navy. In the loss to NIU, Leonard threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. Freeman reiterated that part of the problem against NIU was that the team wasn't mentally prepared for success, but after six straight wins, that mindset continues to be tested – including his own.

“You better understand that if you don't prepare properly, you can lose to whoever you play against,” he said, “and I never want to forget that.”