Notre Dame Football: 3 bold predictions against upset-minded Navy

3. The Irish escape by only three points

Navy has been known for their grueling approach under head coach Ken Niumatalolo, particularly against Notre Dame. As is the case with most rivalries, Navy often puts up their best effort of the season against the Irish. In fact, three of Navy’s six losses at the hands of Kelly have been within 10 points.

While Notre Dame and Navy are currently moving in opposite directions in terms of record, the latter has maintained a competitive nature under Niumatalolo. The Midshipmen have been under Niumatalolo for quite some time now, finishing with a winning record in nine of eleven seasons over the course of his tenure.

This propensity for competitiveness hasn’t been lost despite Navy’s 2-5 record. Along with a razor-thin win over Memphis, the Midshipmen have kept it close in losses to both SMU and Temple. Don’t expect this to change in the 89th matchup between these two historic programs.

The statistics don’t necessarily reflect the prediction of a three-point game; in fact, they don’t even come close. However, former Navy transfer and current Notre Dame safety Alohi Gilman compared this game to the Superbowl from the perspective of a Navy player, suggesting that the Midshipmen will once again come to play as 23.5 point underdogs.