No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) travels to New York on Saturday to face undefeated No.18 Army (9-0) in the Shamrock Series at Yankee Stadium. The game marks the 52nd meeting between the two programs. It will be the 10th matchup in the series in which both teams are ranked, and the first such contest since 1958 when No. 3 Army defeated No. 4 Notre Dame 14-2.
Notre Dame is 39-8-4 all-time against Army. The Irish are 8-1 at home, 7-2-1 away, and 24-5-3 at neutral sites. Notre Dame is 18-6-3 in the 27 games it has played at Yankee Stadium. The Irish are 15-5-3 against Army at Yankee Stadium (includes two games at the Polo Grounds prior to Yankee Stadium). This year’s Shamrock Series, the 12th installment, honors the 100th anniversary of the famed “Four Horsemen” article penned by Grantland Rice in the New York Herald Tribune after Notre Dame’s 13-7 upset over Army in 1924. Kick-off for the notable late-season matchup is slated for 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on NBC.
“I told the coaching staff that I believe this is our toughest challenge to date,” said Irish head coach Marcus Freeman at his weekly press conference this week. “They’re 9-0 and are on a 13-game winning streak. We understand the challenge they present. They have a lot of consistency in their program, they play clean and don’t hurt themselves. They are a physical, tough bunch. Our guys understand the challenge. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of playing them in Yankee Stadium in our Shamrock Series game.”
Shamrock Series Showdown
There is plenty at stake for both Notre Dame and Army. The game represents the final opportunity for the Irish to add another win over a ranked opponent to its playoff resume. The Black Knights, on the other hand, are fighting for a playoff bid themselves and are seeking a win over their only ranked opponent on this year’s schedule.
Notre Dame is coming off a dominating 35-14 win over Virginia last week on Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium. Army defeated North Texas in a hard-fought 14-3 victory. Led by head coach Jeff Monken (79-55 – 11th season), Army has already secured a spot in the AAC Championship Game. The Black Knights can add a significant feather to their cap with a program-defining win against the Fighting Irish. A win by Army on Saturday would likely dash any post-season dreams the Irish are entertaining.
Notre Dame Key Players to Watch
During the Irish’s current eight-game winning streak, they have outscored opponents 343 to 85. Quarterback Riley Leonard continues to make forward strides in running the Irish’s potent offense. Leonard has been a touchdown machine for the Irish. He is responsible for 23 touchdowns combined through the air and on the ground. Leonard has completed 167-of-258 passing attempts for 1,789 yards. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. On the ground, Leonard has carried the ball 104 times for 641 yards and 13 touchdowns. Notre Dame has scored 28 or more points in every game during the winning streak and has hit the 50-point mark three times.
Irish running back Jeremiyah Love has remarkably scored a touchdown in every game this season. He will seek to continue that streak against an Army team that has shown vulnerability to the run. Love has racked up 720 yards (6.3 average) on 114 carries and has 12 touchdowns. He scored on a highlight-reel 76-yard run in the win over Virginia last week. Jadarian Price is another playmaker out of the backfield for the Irish. Price has gained 487 (7.3 average) yards on 67 carries. He has scored four touchdowns. Expect a heavy dose of Love, Price, and Leonard as the Irish attempt to exploit Army’s weakness against the run.
Army Key Players to Watch
Army is led by senior quarterback Bryson Daily. The Black Knights average 35 points per game while giving up just 10 points per game to opponents. A dual-threat quarterback, Daily is good on the ground and through the air, ranking 13th in all-purpose yards. Daily is 29-of-51 for 644 yards passing this season. He has thrown seven touchdowns to just one interception. Daily is Army’s leading rusher in 2024. He has carried the ball 174 times this season, amassing 1,062 yards with a whopping 21 touchdowns.
In addressing the challenges Daily represents for Notre Dame’s elite defense, Al Golden offered his thoughts at this week’s press conference.
“He is smart, he has moxie,” Golden said of Daily. “He has command of the offense and is patient with the football. You have to wrap him up and get multiple hats to the ball. I have the utmost respect for him and how they are executing the offense. Obviously, it is a big challenge for us this week.”
Running back Kayne Udoh is Army’s second-leading rusher behind Daily. Udoh has rushed for 856 yards on 128 carries with nine touchdowns. Daily’s favorite target is wide receiver Casey Reynolds who has hauled in 11 receptions this year for 317 yards (28.8 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. Running back Noah Short has also caught 11 passes, good for 259 yards and three touchdowns.
Legacy And a Playoff Berth on the Line
The Irish wear specialty uniforms for each edition of the Shamrock Series. Saturday’s game is no exception. Notre Dame will sport Shamrock Series uniforms on Saturday that are inspired by Rice’s famous story, which begins, ‘Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again.”
The “Four Horsemen” uniforms will be a fitting tribute to Notre Dame’s storied history and a powerful visual statement in the highly anticipated matchup against Army. With both teams vying for a playoff berth, this Shamrock Series game at Yankee Stadium promises to be a spectacle. It is yet another must-win game for the Irish as they try to secure a spot in the College Football Playoffs with a victory over an undefeated service academy after a romping win over Navy three weeks ago.
