There weren’t many people at the beginning of the season who had this game marked as a key matchup concerning the College Football Playoffs for both teams.
Navy, of course, has to win the AAC Championship to have a shot, but it wouldn’t hurt the resume to include a win over Notre Dame. Meanwhile, Notre Dame, already with a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois, likely can’t afford another loss on its schedule if the Fighting Irish are to have postseason hopes.
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
Notre Dame-Navy How To Watch
Notre Dame plays Navy at noon ET Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
TV: ABC
Records: Notre Dame (6-1), Navy (6-0)
Notre Dame-Navy Betting Odds
Notre Dame is a 13.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: 50.5
Notre Dame-Navy Coaches
Notre Dame: Marcus Freeman (25-9)
Navy: Brian Newberry (11-7)
Last meeting: Aug. 26, 2023; Notre Dame won 42-3 in Dublin, Ireland.
The Fighting Irish won their sixth in a row in this series, leading 28-0 at halftime and 35-0 after three quarters in Newberry’s head-coaching debut for Navy. Sam Hartman threw for 251 yards and four touchdowns in his Notre Dame debut. Navy’s running game was held to 126 yards and just 2.6 yards per carry.
Why Notre Dame-Navy Is Important
As outlined earlier, both teams have a legitimate shot to earn a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff. A second loss would likely bounce the Fighting Irish from playoff contention, especially since two of the remaining opponents – Florida State and USC – have had disappointing seasons and it won’t be seen as a great win to beat either.
Navy could possibly earn a berth in the CFP despite a loss to Notre Dame, but the margin for error is so slight for Group of Five teams that Navy wouldn’t want to take a chance.
Notre Dame-Navy Preview
For Notre Dame
Notre Dame has won five in a row since that loss to Northern Illinois (which has lost three games since beating the Fighting Irish). During that five-game win streak, Notre Dame has outscored its opponents 205-54, with one close game – a 31-24 win over Louisville.
The Fighting Irish are coming off a 31-13 win at Georgia Tech.
Quarterback Riley Leonard, a Duke transfer, has played much better after a rocky start. For the season, he has completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,183 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has rushed for 456 yards and 10 TDs. Leonard has at least one rushing touchdown in his last six games and has thrown just one interception in his last five outings.
Jeremiyah Love has rushed for 462 yards and seven touchdowns. The Fighting Irish average 209.6 rushing yards per game, which is 18th nationally. They average 5.84 yards per carry.
No Notre Dame receiver has more than one touchdown reception. Beaux Collins has a team-high 26 catches for 317 yards and one touchdown.
Notre Dame’s defense suffered a recent hit when cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a potential NFL Draft pick, suffered a season-ending hip injury in a 49-7 win over Stanford.
Sophomore linebacker Drayk Bowen leads the Fighting Irish with 34 tackles while graduate safety Xavier Watts has a team-high three interceptions.
For Navy
The Midshipmen are fourth nationally in rushing, averaging 274.8 yards per game. Navy averages 5.8 yards per carry.
Junior quarterback Blake Horvath has enjoyed an outstanding season as a runner and thrower. He has rushed for 621 yards and eight touchdowns. In the past, Navy hasn’t been known to throw the ball much, but Horvath has completed 46 of 72 passes (63.89%) for 888 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception.
Alex Tecza has rushed for 306 yards and seven touchdowns. Eli Heidenreich leads the team in receptions (23), receiving yards (485), and receiving touchdowns (five).
Senior linebacker Colin Ramos is a tackling machine. He has a team-high 42 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss. Justin Reed leads Navy in both tackles for loss (seven) and sacks (four).
Notre Dame-Navy Prediction
I like Navy getting the points. The Midshipmen have a chance at winning outright. If Navy jumps out to an early lead, that will be a major key. With the way Navy takes time off the clock running the ball, Notre Dame will look to take early command.
Notre Dame is fifth in scoring defense, allowing 11.86 points per game, while Navy is 31st (19.67 PPG).
Navy is averaging 44.8 points per game, which is fourth nationally. Notre Dame is 26th, averaging 34.6 points.
Another key will be how the Fighting Irish stop the run. Notre Dame is allowing 113.1 yards per game on the ground.
Notre Dame’s best win was an opening 23-13 victory at Texas A&M. Navy’s top victory was a 56-44 home win over preseason AAC favorite Memphis. That was also Navy’s closest game, and that contest wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.
While Notre Dame overwhelmed Navy last year, this is a much-improved Navy team. Horvath didn’t play in the Notre Dame game. He has meant so much to Navy’s success, and his ability to perform at a high level will determine whether the Midshipmen are highly competitive against the Fighting Irish.
