Preview and prediction for Notre Dame football vs Navy

Navy and No. 13 Notre Dame football will meet for the 96th time on the gridiron and for the third time in Dublin, when the two square off on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 2:30 pm ET at a sold-out Aviva Stadium the game will be televised on NBC.

The two schools had played 93 consecutive times, which was the longest intersectional rivalry in college football, until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the game to be canceled.

Notre Dame football leads the series 81-13-1 and has won five in a row over the Mids. Navy’s last win over Notre Dame was in 2016, 28-27, in Jacksonville. The Mids lost by seven points to the Irish (24-17) in 2017 at Notre Dame and by three points (35-32) last year in Baltimore.

Navy enters its first year under new Head Coach Brian Newberry. The Mids will still be about controlling the clock and will be a run-heavy team. They will try to keep their defense off the field for long periods.

Expect several new wrinkles in the offensive system. There will be more of a passing element, the running game will work out of different formations, and when needed, the option will still be there. The defense should be close to as good as last year’s version, but for Navy to keep it close it will be all about the Offense staying on the field.

Notre Dame football enters its second year of the Marcus Freeman era. The Fighting Irish return 11 starters and 31 letter winners off a team that finished 9-4 in 2022 and defeated South Carolina in the Gator Bowl 45-38.

At QB Sam Hartman arrives from Wake Forest. Last year’s team was good, but it didn’t have a QB as good as Hartman. The defense should be a strength, the offensive tackles are more experienced, and all the young talent should start and have a significant role. Unless Notre Dame has a historical lapse expect this game to be over by halftime.

Prediction Notre Dame 42 – Navy 13