#24 Navy vs #12 Notre Dame Football: How To Watch, Preview, Storylines, Betting Line

Joe Londergan | Oct 25, 2024

Oct 19, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) throws the ball before a game against the Charlotte 49ers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Saturday's 97th meeting between #24 Navy and #12 Notre Dame will have significant stakes, with both teams pushing hard to reach the College Football Playoff at the end of the season. The Midshipmen are one of three teams this season to have won every game they've played by double digits, but the Irish pose the biggest physical challenge the Mids have faced this year.

Here's everything you need to know about this week's massive matchup.

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Navy Midshipmen (6-0, 4-0 AAC) vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1, Independent)

Date: Saturday, October 26

Time: 9 AM PT // 12 PM ET

Location: MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, New Jersey

TV: ABC

Radio: SiriusXM (Ch. 82)

Betting Line: Notre Dame -13.5, O/U 50.5 on FanDuel

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Storylines

The Illustrious Rivalry

The history of the rivalry between Navy and Notre Dame can, and has, filled books. One of the longest continuous rivalries in the sport, with the only interruption happening during the 2020 COVID season since 1927. Since 2010, Notre Dame is 11-1 against Navy with wins in the last six meetings.

Saturday will be the first time that both teams enter the game ranked in the AP top 25 since 2019. #21 Navy lost to #16 Notre Dame 52-20 in South Bend that season. Navy last beat a ranked Notre Dame team in 2009 when the Mids stunned #19 Notre Dame 23-21 in South Bend. Navy has beaten a ranked Notre Dame team four total times: 2009, 1957, 1944 and 1936.

Blake Horvath's Fantastic Start

Navy quarterback Blake Horvath, in his first season as the Midshipmen's starter, is having a year to remember. Horvath is thriving in offensive coordinator Drew Cronic's system, a hybrid of the triple option and the wing-t. His 10 passing touchdowns this year are the sixth-most in Navy history for a single season. Last week against Charlotte, Horvath threw three touchdown passes, the first time that a Navy QB has done so since Keenan Reynolds in 2012. Horvath is also a gifted runner, with 7.9 yards per attempt and another ten touchdowns on the ground.

"Mechanically, he's improved as a passer as much in the last years as I've seen a quarterback improve. He's really smart, takes coaching, works on his craft, but he's very technically polished," Navy head coach Brian Newberry said of Horvath this week. "I think this offense is perfectly suited for him. What we're doing, his ability to transition from going under center and doing things we're doing there to to get in the gun, and just he's handled everything really really well."

How The Irish Have Rebounded

A loss in Week Two to Northern Illinois had many wondering if Notre Dame were a legitimate playoff contender. However, the Irish have rebounded since and won their last two games by a combined score of 80-20. The play of senior quarterback Riley Leonard has been a huge reason for that. The Duke transfer ranks second among all active FBS quarterbacks in career rushing touchdowns with 29, including ten this season. Leonard ran for two touchdowns last week in a 31-13 win over Georgia Tech.

"It's a sign of a team that's bought in," Newberry said of Notre Dame's improvements in recent weeks. "Sign of a really good coaching staff. You see Improvement week-to-week and they had a lot of injuries, they've lost some players, and some the guys that replace those guys, you see those guys growth. You see them getting better every week as well. So you know they're a better football team right now than they were two or three games ago, there's no doubt about that."

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