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What was believed to be an easy win for Notre Dame football before the season began is not expected to be that on Saturday when the No. 11 Fighting Irish (6-1) face No. 24 Navy (6-0) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (noon, ABC).
This will be the 95th meeting between the longtime rivals, with Notre Dame holding an 80-13-1 edge in the series. That includes winning 11 of the last 12 contests where the Rip Taylor Trophy has been on the line. The last time these two faced off as ranked opponents was also an Irish win, with the then-No. 16 Irish demolishing then-No. 23 Navy, 52-20, Nov. 16, 2019, in South Bend.
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With both teams having College Football Playoff aspirations, though, this weekend’s matchup should be more intriguing than the one five years ago. Here are three keys to the game, plus score predictions from the South Bend Tribune staff.
Can Notre Dame slow down Navy’s offense?
Sep 21, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) scores atouchdown during the second half Memphis Tigers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Yes, the Midshipmen still run the triple-option offense, but it’s not the one fans have come to see over the years. Navy runs 45% of his snaps out of shotgun formation, opening things up even more for quarterback Blake Horvath.
The junior has 79 rushing attempts for 621 yards and 10 touchdowns but has also gone 46-72 passing for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. The last time a Navy player threw for that many yards in a season, let alone half of one, was Malcom Perry in 2019 (1,084 yards).
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-football-vs-navy-020337723.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2024-10-26 02:03:37
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