Navy preserved its unbeaten record this season with a resounding 22-point victory over arch-rivals Air Force on Saturday. The Midshipmen will look to keep the momentum going this coming Saturday when they take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who are coming off a stinging loss to the Clemson Tigers.
Who will grab the edge in this fiery showdown? Read on below for a preview of this much-anticipated college football clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Northwestern vs. Michigan and Arkansas vs. Alabama.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Navy Midshipmen vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana
When: Saturday, October 10, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Navy Midshipmen (+14) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-14) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the Navy Midshipmen
The Navy Midshipmen stretched their unbeaten run to four games with a comprehensive 33-11 victory over the Air Force Falcons on Saturday. It was another impressive win for Navy, which is now 4-0 for the first time since 2004. Dating back to last season, the Midshipmen have now won eight games in a row.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Providing the impetus for Navy’s impressive victory was Keenan Reynolds. The dynamic quarterback accounted for 300 yards of total offense to help Navy record its largest margin of victory in the series since 1978. Reynolds once again displayed his dual-threat ways, rushing for 183 yards, 117 of which came in the decisive first half. He also completed 4 of 10 passes for 117 yards with a touchdown.
Navy now set its sights on a possible 5-0 start when it takes on Notre Dame in a blockbuster clash this coming Saturday. For the Midshipmen to continue their winning ways this coming weekend, it’s imperative that they continue their excellent play on the ground. They compiled a total of 270 rushing yards against the Falcons on Saturday. That’s quite a feat considering the Falcons were allowing just 93.3 yards per game on the ground prior to that game.
The Midshipmen are third in the FBS in rushing offense, averaging 339.8 yards per game this season. They will fancy their chances against a porous Notre Dame defensive line that’s surrendering an average of 150.0 rushing yards per game this season, 59th in the entire FBS. That being said, the Midshipmen will have their work cut out for them against Notre Dame as they have struggled against the Fighting Irish of late. Navy has lost its last four games against Notre Dame. It’s also interesting to note that the totals for all of those games have all gone over.
Navy is 6-4 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 road games.
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Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame’s playoff hopes were dealt a major blow on Saturday when it suffered a gut-wrenching 24-22 defeat to the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium. The Irish had no answer for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson who threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score in that game. It was a disappointing result for Notre Dame who had a grand opportunity late on to send the game into overtime. Unfortunately for the Irish, quarterback DeShone Kizer was denied by Carlos Watkins on his two-point conversion attempt with seven seconds left in the game clock.
They will look to get their season back on track when they take on the streaking Navy Midshipmen this coming Saturday. For the Fighting Irish to record the important bounce-back win, they need to do a much better job of protecting the football. Notre Dame committed four turnovers against Clemson, all in the pivotal second half. Clemson linebacker B.J. Goodson had an interception and a fumble recovery to choke off two Notre Dame opportunities in the final seven minutes.
It’s also crucial for the Irish that they get their ground game going once again against the Midshipmen. Notre Dame’s fierce rushing attack was held to just 3.5 yards per carry in the game against Clemson. The onus then is on C.J. Prosise to deliver a huge game for the Irish this coming weekend. He mustered just 50 yards on 15 rushes against the Tigers on Saturday. That’s a huge disappointment on Prosise’s part considering he was averaging 8.0 yards a carry prior to that loss against Clemson.
The Irish are 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Notre Dame (-14) bounces back with a huge 35-21 victory.
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