Ricky did lose that number. And Notre Dame, loser of two of the past three meetings in this once-one-sided rivalry with Navy, would rather he not find it Saturday.

As Navy (4-2) prepares to host (well, sort of) the Fighting Irish (4-3) at The New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Midshipmen fans have watched Ricky Dobbs operate at a much lower level than 2009. Last season, the athletic Dobbs rushed for 27 touchdowns, setting an NCAA record for a quarterback, while averaging nearly 4 yards per carry.

Dobbs only has five TDs on the ground this fall and the offense as a whole is struggling, despite pumping out 259 rushing yards per game. Coach Ken Niumatalolo's crew barely put away Wake Forest and Southern Methodist in the past two weeks, and he said there is an explanation for Dobbs' dip in production.

"We put a bubble around him [this spring after knee surgery] so to speak," Niumatalolo told ESPN.com. "We tried to simulate ball security as much as we could with guys trying to rip at it. You don’t want your quarterback to get hit, but when he got hit in the Maryland game, it was the first time he got hit since December. I feel like I could have done more things to help him coming back."

Dobbs, also slowed by a pulled groin and sprained ankle this season, is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry. A likely contributor to that decline is that everyone on Navy's schedule saw what he did last fall and adjusted accordingly.

Through the first four games, the Midshipmen ranked an abysmal 118th out of 120 FBS teams in red zone efficiency, scoring only seven TDs on 19 visits inside opponent's 20-yard line. However, Navy is a combined 8-for-8 in its last two victories.

Offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper could exhale again, but he told the Annapolis Capital earlier in the week that he's not yet at ease. Probably because Notre Dame has only allowed 10 touchdowns out of 24 times opponents moved deep into Irish territory.

"I'm not jumping the gun because it's a week-to-week thing, but it is a good feeling to finally start scoring when we get down there," Jasper said. "Hopefully, the kids now have confidence."

Weekend warrior: How tough has defensive end Jabaree Tuani been for Navy this season? Well, he inspired the team's weekly "Warrior Award." The 6-foot-1, 265-pounder has played all season with two bruised shoulders, causing such pain that he's limited in practice each week.

Against SMU last Saturday, Tuani recorded a fumble recovery and three tackles, including one without a helmet when he ran down a scrambling QB Kyle Padron. The junior stood up with blood trickling from a cut above his eye. He missed one play.

Special teams taking on water: Navy ranks 118th in kickoff return defense, allowing nearly 29 yards each time the ball is teed up. Not surprisingly, Niumatalolo isn't happy about that statistic.

"That is an area of major, major concern, and we are looking at personnel, looking at schemes," he said. "Football is about field position, and we can't let teams consistently start at the 40- and 45-yard line."