On Saturday, no. 12 Notre Dame (6-1) hits the road in back-to-back weeks to face No. 25 Navy (6-0) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. It will be the first ranked team the Irish have played since defeating then No. 15 Louisville in Week 5. For the Midshipmen, however, the Irish will be their first-ranked opponent all season.
Saturday’s game marks the 97th meeting between Notre Dame and the Naval Academy, which hails from the American Athletic Conference. In one of college football’s oldest rivalries, Notre Dame boasts an all-time series record of 82-13-1. Notre Dame’s 43-game winning streak in the series from 1963 through 2006 remains the longest winning streak between two annual opponents in college football history. Since 2010, Notre Dame is 11-1 against Navy and the Irish have won six straight, including a 42-3 victory in Dublin, Ireland last season.
“I’m looking forward to Navy, a 6-0 team. It’s going to be a great challenge for our program,” said Irish head coach Marcus Freeman at his weekly press conference. “They are putting up big numbers offensively. Their offensive scheme is enhanced from what we saw last year. They’ve done a great job of enhancing what they do offensively, they’ve been tremendous in the red zone on offense and defense. They’ve done a great job of creating turnovers and protecting the football. They are playing complementary football, and they play hard. They’re playing sound.”
Navy At A Glance
Brian Newberry was named head coach of Navy in 2023. He led the Midshipmen to a 5-7 overall record last season (4-4 in the AAC). In his first game as head coach in 2023, Navy opened the season with a loss to the Irish in Ireland. The Midshipmen, however, have played lights out this year. With a hybrid Wing-T offense and a triple-option attack that emphasizes run first, Navy has created headaches for opposing defenses this season. The team is averaging 44.8 points per game (fourth nationally). The offense piles up 435.8 yards per game and averages 7.3 yards per play. On the ground, Navy ranks fourth in the country with 274.8 yards per game. And throws for 161 yards per game.
In Navy’s offense, plays are grouped based on blocking scheme and backfield motion with identical looks yielding multiple plays. In explaining the Midshipmen’s offensive approach at the start of the season, Newberry said on Rivals.com, “The formula for success here, from an offensive perspective, is to be able to run the football. “First and foremost, we want to be a team that wins the time of possession. We want to be a team that limits the opposing offense’s possessions, and obviously takes care of the football, and plays great defense. We’ve got to establish the run game from the inside out.”
QB Blake Horvath Leads High Octane Navy Offense
Navy’s offense is led by junior quarterback Blake Horvath who is also the team’s leading rusher. The dual-threat signal caller is 46-of-72 passing this season for 888 yards (12.3 average). He has thrown 10 touchdowns with just a single interception. On the ground, Horvath has rushed for more than 100 yards on three occasions. He gained 211 yards on 12 carries and four rushing touchdowns in a 56-44 win over Memphis. Horvath rushed for 122 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries in a 38-11 victory over Temple. In a 34-7 win over Air Force, he carried the ball 19 times for 115 yards and two rushing touchdowns. All told, he has rushed for 621 yards on 79 carries. Fullback Alex Tecza is next with 306 yards on 49 carries. Horvath’s favorite receiving target is running back Eli Heidenreich. He has 23 receptions for 485 yards and five touchdowns.
Notre Dame Defense To Test Midshipmen
Notre Dame’s defense is short-handed, especially considering the loss of cornerback Benjamin Morrison who underwent hip surgery last week. He is out for the remainder of the season. One of the veteran leaders of the Irish’s defense, Morrison was tied for second on the team with four passes defended to go along with 20 tackles when he was injured in the Stanford game. Freshman Leonard Moore played admirably in place of Morrison in last week’s win over Georgia Tech. Moore recorded a career-high seven tackles against the Yellow Jackets. In two starts this season, Moore has 14 tackles.
Despite the key injury on defense, Notre Dame’s front seven is built differently than most of the defenses that Navy will face in the AAC. The unit allows the 10th-fewest yards per game at 279 yards and is 8th in the county in points allowed per game with 11.6. The Midshipmen are sure to be tested by a stout defense led by standouts Rylie Mills, Howard Cross III, Jack Kiser, and Xavier Watts that could slow their high-powered offense.
“We’ve been preparing for it (Navy’s offense) since fall camp,” Freeman said at his press conference. “We attacked it again during the bye week. And we’ve enhanced it since Sunday when we started game-planning. They have done a great job to stay in flow for what they want from their offense. We need to try to create some negative plays. There’s an aggressiveness we have to play with in terms of tactically, not just mentally. We have to try to get them off schedule a little bit and still be sound in what we’re doing.”
Notre Dame Offense Finding Its Groove
The Notre Dame offense has taken some time to form its identity. The Irish have one of the top rushing attacks in the country. Behind the three-headed monster of dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard, and explosive running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, Notre Dame simply runs over opposing defenses. The trio have combined for more than 1,200 yards on the season. Love has rushed for 462 yards (6.0 average) on 77 carries and has scored seven touchdowns. Leonard has gained 456 yards (6.1 average on 75 carries and has scored 10 touchdowns on the ground. For good measure with fewer opportunities, Price has amassed 329 yards (6.7 average) on 49 carries and has scored three touchdowns.
What has been lackluster at times is the passing game. Leonard, however, continues to look more comfortable in the pocket with each passing week. In last week’s road win over Georgia Tech, Leonard completed 20-of-29 passes for 203 yards. It was the second straight game that he passed for over 200 yards. The Midshipmen’s defense ranks in the bottom third in the nation against the pass and allows 165.2 rushing yards per game. If the Irish are able to expose Navy’s weaknesses on defense, Leonard should be able to open up the offense and get the ball in the hands of playmakers like Beaux Collins, Kris Mitchell, and Mitchell Evans downfield.
Notre Dame-Navy What To Expect
Looking to secure its first winning season since 2019, Navy will look to sink Notre Dame’s playoff chances in the highly anticipated neutral site game. While both teams boast impressive records and national rankings, expect a fierce battle. For Notre Dame, avoiding a second loss is paramount to keep its playoff aspirations afloat. Overachieving Navy is seeking to earn credibility with a win over a ranked opponent as a contender from the Group of Five. Safe to say, a Navy win over Notre Dame would qualify as a season-defining victory for the Midshipmen.
Navy has a penchant for explosive plays on offense this season. But the Midshipmen have yet to face a defense like Al Golden’s Notre Dame unit. If Notre Dame’s defense can ground the high-flying Navy offense and the Irish’s balanced offense can find success against a Navy defense that has surrendered its share of big plays, the Fighting Irish should secure another crucial victory. Winning out is likely Notre Dame’s only path to the CFP.
