ESPN College Football

While Notre Dame tumbled off its magic mountain, the other three Division I-A independents inched their way toward respectability in the first half.

Following an overtime win against Washington State, Notre Dame was body checked by Michigan in Ann Arbor. Losses to Michigan State and Purdue had Irish fans reeling before Julius Jones engineered an upset last Saturday against Pitt. As usual, things don't get easier for Tyrone Willingham's squad, which is led by freshman QB Brady Quinn and a senior-laden defense. Notre Dame faces Southern Cal, Boston College and Florida State the next three weeks.

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With four wins, Navy has already eclipsed its wins total from the previous three seasons. Paul Johnson's team leads the nation in rushing (270.8 yards a game) and has had its best start since the 1996 season, which culminated in an Aloha Bowl victory. An upset of then-No. 25 Air Force puts the Mids in position for the Commander-in-Chief's trophy.

Connecticut reaches the halfway point at 4-3, with respectable losses to Boston College, Virginia Tech and NC State. The Huskies lost RB Terry Caulley for the season with an ACL tear, but QB Dan Orlovsky is capable of leading the team to its first winning season since joining Division I-A in 2000. Coach Randy Edsall has demanded perfection from the Huskies, who have outscored their opponents by an average of seven points a game.

Troy State recorded the biggest win in school history by knocking off Marshall three weeks ago at the recently renovated Movie Gallery Stadium. The Trojans defense has forced 20 turnovers this season, tied for fourth most in the nation.

Navy. Coach Paul Johnson has brought a winning attitude to a long-suffering program. Navy's 28-25 win over Air Force is a starting point for the rest of the season. FB Kyle Eckel and QB Craig Candeto have led the nation's best running attack and Navy's defense has held opponents to 22.3 points a game.

With games against Tulane, Central Michigan and Army, the Mids are in position for their first winning season in seven years.

Notre Dame. Perhaps the expectations were unfair, but Notre Dame has hardly resembled the team that won 10 games last season. Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue pushed around the Irish offensive line and QB Carlyle Holiday struggled in the West Coast offense.

Notre Dame might have saved its season with an upset last Saturday at Pitt, but the offense cannot relapse against a punishing Southern Cal defense. Irish fans' hopes rest in redshirt freshman QB Brady Quinn, who has thus far shown the poise to lead Notre Dame's attack.

Connecticut RB Terry Caulley. Before a season-ending knee injury against Virginia Tech, the sophomore was unstoppable. Caulley led the nation with 601 rushing yards in four games before he was injured. He scored seven touchdowns and averaged nearly seven yards a carry.

Navy's Paul Johnson. Coming to Annapolis from Georgia Southern, where he was named Division I-AA Coach of the Year, Johnson placed high expectations on his team from day one. This season Navy has answered Johnson's challenge. The Mids won back-to-back home games for the first time since 1997 and are on track for a winning season.

Johnson has been committed to Navy's run-dominated offense, saying a balanced offense doesn't equal wins. The result? The nation's best running offense and a 4-2 record.

With four winnable games to close out the season Notre Dame is still a decent bowl bet. The Irish need four of their last seven and could steal a win against Florida State at home. Notre Dame can't afford offensive letdowns against an improved Boston College squad (Oct. 25) and must win on the road to reach the postseason.

At 4-2, Navy needs at least four more wins to seal a bowl bid. A win against Notre Dame on Nov. 8 would significantly improve the Mids' chances.

Adam Rittenberg covers college football for the Arlington (Ill.) Daily Herald.