Where legends are born: Week 9 college football battles for the ages
By Justin Perez
ABC/ESPN+. Saturday, October 26th. 6-0. 12:00 PM ET. 6-1. 443. Notre Dame vs Navy. 2458. Notre Dame -11.5
All-Time Series: Notre Dame leads 80-13-1 Last Meeting: Notre Dame won 42-3(2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic Location: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
The first top 25 matchup of the week takes place in New Jersey as No.12 Notre Dame plays No.24 Navy. The Fighting Irish will vye for a sixth straight win and a 7-1 record. Navy will try to continue their Cinderella season and upset the highly favored Irish. Navy hasn't beaten Notre Dame since 2016.
Players To Watch
Riley Leonard. . Riley Leonard. 1. player. 443. . . Quarterback. notre dame's riley leonard
Riley Leonard's senior season has gone fine. He still hasn't come close to posting the gaudy numbers he did two years ago at Duke. However, the signal-caller has still been solid. Currently, Leonard leads the ACC in completion percentage (66.7%). He's thrown for 1,182 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. However, his contributions have been felt through his running ability. Notre Dame's biggest strength has been their ground game, as he's rushed for 456 yards and 10 scores. Last week against Georgia Tech, he passed for 203 yards and ran for two scores.
navy's blake horvath. Blake Horvath. 2. player. . . Blake Horvath. . Quarterback. 2458
Speaking of running the ball, let's talk about Navy's signal caller. Blake Horvath has helped keep the identity of the Midshipmen's signature running attack. The junior leads the American Athletic Conference in yards per rushing attempt, averaging nearly eight yards per carry. He has run for 621 yards and 10 scores on 79 carries. Navy has also opened up its aerial attack a bit more. The Ohio native has tossed for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns on only 72 throws.
. Howard Cross III. player. . Howard Cross III. 3. notre dame's howard cross. Defensive Lineman. . 443
Howard Cross is Notre Dame's most notable defensive lineman. He's in his sixth collegiate season and has been a regular starter for five of those years. Cross has been one of Notre Dame's more consistent pass rushers. This season, the senior leads all FBS Independent schools in sacks with four. The native of Paramus, New Jersey also leads Notre Dame in TFLs (5.5).
2458. . . . Linebacker. Colin Ramos. Colin Ramos. player. navy's collin ramos. 4
Colin Ramos is the main leader of a Navy linebacking core, stacked with upperclassmen. The senior is a greyhound, as he's in on almost every play. Ramos has accumulated 68 total tackles. Six of those have been TFLs and has a sack on his resume. The Wayne, New Jersey native made 12 total tackles in the Midshipmen's blowout win over Charlotte last weekend.