Game Preview
This Saturday, kicking off Week 0 of the 2023 college football season, Notre Dame and Navy will square off in Ireland. This series dates back to 1927, and ND has won 10 of the last 11. In 2016, the Midshipmen won by 2 points.
With the addition of transfer quarterback Sam Hartman and the return of one of the nation’s finest offensive lines, Notre Dame enters the season as a College Football Playoff contender after last year’s 35-32 victory against the Middies. He threw for nearly 13,000 yards at Wake Forest before deciding to transfer.
The 2022 campaign got off to a slow start for Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish team. Notre Dame will enter 2023 with slightly higher expectations. In addition to having one of the greatest transfer quarterbacks in the country, the Fighting Irish improved greatly in the second half of the season.
Since Tommy Rees abandoned Notre Dame for Alabama in the offseason, Gerad Parker will serve as offensive coordinator alongside Hartman. Parker has previously collaborated with the tight ends.
The receiving core is fairly young, but it also has talent. The Fighting Irish will be without TE Michael Mayer. However, Tobias Merriweather and Jayden Thomas have the potential to be huge playmakers for the Fighting Irish. You can count on them to carry the passing game.
The Navy secondary was dreadful last season. They had trouble making full tackles as well. That’s why it’s crucial for Hartman and Notre Dame to settle down early versus Navy.But the Navy ended last season with a 4-8 record. Navy replaced their head coach after a disappointing 4-4 conference record with Brian Newberry.
Newberry is making his debut as Navy’s head coach and in his first ever head coaching role. The Navy will continue to use the triple-option. Grant Chestnut, formerly of Kennesaw State, has been hired as the team’s offensive coordinator. Without drastically altering the offense, he will still need to find new and effective ways to drive the ball down the field consistently.
Meanwhile, Navy quarterback Tai Lavatai is expected to be fully healthy. He suffered a knee injury last year, so he won’t be playing in spring training. Against a strong opponent like Notre Dame, that almost doesn’t help at all.
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Navy Midshipmen vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Game Information
- Date: 08/26/2023
- Time: 02:30 PM ET
- Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin.
- How to Watch Navy vs Notre Dame : NBC
- Live Stream: fubo.tv
