Notre Dame vs. Navy: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
A rested, disappointed No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish team hits the road to take on a surging Navy Midshipmen squad Saturday in one of college football's oldest rivalries.
Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish enter the encounter off a bye, but before that, they were upended by the Florida State Seminoles, meaning their inaugural College Football Playoff hopes reside on not suffering a letdown against an opponent they have struggled with over the course of the past few seasons.
Injuries and sloppy play have derailed what was supposed to be a superb season for the Midshipmen, but the team enters Saturday healthy and on a two-game win streak with a triple-option attack that gives most opponents fits.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
While only the biggest game of the year for one team, the encounter's impact on the rest of the nation cannot be understated.
Options, Options, Options
If fans are unaware, Navy gives any and all defenses fits with a triple option that allows the offense to lead the nation in rushing at 352.3 yards per game.
It is certainly not a traditional attack, either, as even Kelly seems adamant after several meetings with Navy—including an ugly 35-17 loss in 2010—that the staff continues to make nuanced changes that give defenses problems.
"I think that that's the secret to their success in that they evolve enough offensively that slight tweaks make it difficult to defend with certainty, and then their in-game adjustments are outstanding," Kelly said, per The Associated Press, via ESPN.com.
While the Notre Dame defense does rank in the top 15 with an average of 19.1 points allowed per game, the unit's last two outings have been less than encouraging. Against the Seminoles, the unit allowed 323 total yards and 31 points.
Before that, the North Carolina Tar Heels ran up 516 total yards despite two turnovers in a near-upset.
Keep in mind that Notre Dame may also be susceptible to overlooking the Midshipmen, with an encounter against No. 14 Arizona State on the slate for next week. No. 25 Louisville awaits two games later.
Limiting turnovers by quarterback Everett Golson is one thing. Having the discipline to pay attention to the Midshipmen and ability to stop a unique offense after a few disappointing weeks is another thing entirely.
Turnovers Not an Option
For Navy, the recipe for an upset is simple—execute the game plan to perfection and do not turn the ball over.
Alright, perhaps that is not so simple.
Especially for these Midshipmen, an offense that simply cannot stop turning the ball over. So far, quarterback Keenan Reynolds' offense has given the pigskin up 13 times, and while it has not ruined the team in each game, it most certainly will against Notre Dame.
Speaking of Reynolds, the junior has 518 yards and a pair of touchdowns and interceptions through the air, but he leads the team in rushing. The list of rushers is quite impressive when they do not turn the ball over:
| Keenan Reynolds | 147 | 639 | 4.3 | 56 | 11 |
| Noah Copeland | 69 | 602 | 8.7 | 64 (TD) | 3 |
| Chris Swain | 67 | 455 | 6.8 | 46 (TD) | 2 |
| Geoffrey Whiteside | 27 | 219 | 8.1 | 38 | 2 |
| Ryan Williams-Jenkins | 21 | 215 | 10.2 | 67 | 0 |
| DeBrandon Sanders | 20 | 186 | 9.3 | 25 | 3 |
| Tago Smith | 37 | 113 | 3.1 | 27 | 3 |
Kelly is primarily concerned about Reynolds, though, as one can glean from comments recorded by Angelo Di Carlo of WNDU:
The avenue to success for Navy is there, but it is one that will see a serious roadblock laid out if the team continues to struggle with turnovers.
When: Saturday, November 1, 8 p.m. ET
Where: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
Television: CBS
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: 55.5
- Spread: Notre Dame (-14)
Team Injury Reports
| Nicky Baratti | S | 09/15/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | shoulder |
| Austin Collinsworth | S | 10/29/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Navy | Questionable | shoulder |
| DaVaris Daniels | WR | 08/15/2014 | will miss the entire season | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Jarrett Grace | LB | 09/03/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Eilar Hardy | S | 08/29/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Mike Heuerman | TE | 10/26/2014 | is questionable for Saturday's game against Navy | Questionable | hernia |
| Will Mahone | WR | 08/02/2014 | was dismissed from the team | Out | disciplinary |
| Kendall Moore | LB | 08/15/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary |
| KeiVarae Russell | CB | 08/15/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary |
| Ishaq Williams | LB | 08/18/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Out | disciplinary |
| James Britton | LB | 09/23/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | foot |
| Cam Henson | DL | 08/22/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | undisclosed |
| Colin Osborne | WR | 08/11/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Lonnie Richardson | S | 08/30/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | head |
Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.
Prediction
What really swings this one in Notre Dame's favor, outside of an obvious advantage in the talent department, is the fact the team has had extra time to prepare for the Navy offense thanks to the bye week.
So while many will point out that Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder has not dealt with the triple option for about a decade, it becomes somewhat of a moot point when he has had so long to prepare.
Navy ranks outside of the top 75 in points allowed per game for a reason. As long as VanGorder's defense can get off the field and let Golson and his offense go to work consistently, Notre Dame will have no problems pulling away.
Prediction: Fighting Irish 35, Midshipmen 20
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
