Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, who saw his Fighting Irish win their sixth straight game on Saturday vs. Navy, told reporters he occasionally shows clips of the team's Sept. 7 loss to Northern Illinois -- a motivational tactic that appears to be working.

No. 12 Notre Dame secured a crucial 51-14 win against No. 24 Navy Saturday, extending the winning streak against its old rival to seven games and logging another crucial bullet point on its College Football Playoff résumé.

Notre Dame dominating Navy was another step toward making the NIU loss a mere setback on the CFP path rather than a defining moment.

Notre Dame defeated Navy by excelling in Navy's own style of play—dominating the ground game and controlling the tempo. Here's how it did it.

Notre Dame and Navy have met nearly every season since 1927. Here's everything to know about the rivalry, including the all-time series record:

Notre Dame football went into MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and absolutely dominated the Navy Midshipmen, winning 51-14. The Irish started the game off red-hot, as they scored on their opening possession,

The Notre Dame offense will need to be at its best against the Midshipmen, who work hard to limit possessions for their opponents. Notre Dame must excel in several key areas if it's going to maximize its scoring potential against a Navy defense that is scrappy, but also one that should be vulnerable to the talent Notre Dame possesses.