Two prolific offenses will be on display in this one as the Navy Midshipmen (4-0) take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-1). The IndFBS’s leading passer, DeShone Kizer (862 yards, 7 TDs), will be featured in this game. It will air Saturday, Oct 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
In last week’s matchup, Notre Dame suffered a narrow defeat against Clemson 24-22. DeShone Kizer had a huge game through the air in the loss, connecting on 19 of 34 pass attempts for 321 yards, two TDs and one interception. He also was a threat in the run game, rushing for 60 yards and a TD on 15 carries. Torii Hunter Jr. put up 52 receiving yards and a TD on five catches. Navy is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it smashed Air Force 33-11. Keenan Reynolds had a solid performance through the air for the Midshipmen, connecting on four of 10 pass attempts for 117 yards and one TD. He added 183 yards on 24 carries.
Notre Dame is a 16-point favorite against the Midshipmen.
With a 4-1 record for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Fighting Irish will look to improve as they head into Week 6. A focal point of Notre Dame’s offense is the running game, which ranks 14th in the country with 251 rushing yards per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the ball, the Fighting Irish look to have a distinct advantage in certain spots. Notre Dame’s secondary could have an edge on the Midshipmen and their struggling passing game. Navy averages 66.2 yards per game through the air, ranking 127th in the nation. The Fighting Irish are one of the best in the country at scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging 11 points.
In the other locker room, the Midshipmen are a perfect 4-0 SU and ATS this season. Chances are Navy will continue to rely on its run game, where its 339.8 rushing yards per game ranks third in the nation. Moving on to the Navy defense, there are certain areas where it measures up well against the Fighting Irish. The Fighting Irish need to be careful with the football against the Midshipmen. Their defense leads the country with 1.8 fumbles recovered per game. Notre Dame needs to keep its intensity through the fourth quarter against the Midshipmen, who average 10 points in the final 15 minutes of regulation. Navy is good at avoiding penalties this season. The team only receives 4.8 per game on average, the 18th-fewest in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Notre Dame, ATS Winner – Navy
Notes
Notre Dame is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Notre Dame’s last 13 games.
Notre Dame is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Notre Dame’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Notre Dame’s last 5 games when playing Navy.
Notre Dame is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing Navy.
Notre Dame is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Navy.
Notre Dame is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Navy.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Notre Dame’s last 6 games when playing at home against Navy.
Both teams are 4-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
When analyzing just in-conference ranks, Notre Dame appears to have the overall advantage in the passing game. Its offensive passing attack (ranked second in the IndFBS) will face the third-ranked pass defense of Navy, while its second-ranked pass defense will look to limit the third-ranked passing game of the Midshipmen.
When analyzing just conference ratings, Navy has the advantage in the run game. Its second-ranked rushing attack will face the third-ranked rush defense of Notre Dame, while its second-ranked run defense will look to contain the third-ranked run game of the Fighting Irish.
