Notre Dame will host yet another rival, marking its third rivalry matchup in as many games, as it welcomes the Naval Academy to South Bend on Saturday night. Last weekend, the Irish survived their game at Boston College, 25–10.
Notre Dame added enough points to the scoreboard to walk away with its sixth win of the season. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, points are all that can be seen when glossing over scores to see who won or lost a game. What cannot be seen are the numbers behind the points — and for Notre Dame’s game against Boston College, those numbers were lopsided.
While possessing the ball for nearly 12 minutes fewer, the Irish outgained the Eagles on offense, 458 yards to 281. Notre Dame’s defense limited Boston College to 12 rushing yards. That kind of defensive output will be needed this weekend, as Notre Dame will be facing one of the best rushing attacks in all of football.
Below are some of the key matchups to look out for on Saturday:
Navy Rushing Offense vs. Notre Dame Rushing Defense
The Midshipmen have the nation’s top-ranked rushing offense, averaging 317.2 yards per contest. Even during their first loss of the season at North Texas last weekend, Navy still managed to gain 311 yards on the ground.
What makes this matchup compelling is that Navy’s ground game will be facing a Notre Dame defense that ranks 12th in the nation in rushing defense, surrendering just 89.6 yards per game. This past Saturday, Boston College carried the ball 33 times against the Irish for 12 yards (0.4 YPC). While Notre Dame will showcase a linebacking corps full of experience against Navy’s option, the defensive line will have some new faces in addition to a new defensive coordinator.
Edge: Navy
QB CJ Carr vs. Navy Pass Defense
CJ Carr responded nicely to his poor USC performance against Boston College, completing 18 of 25 attempts for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Carr is currently ranked fourth in the nation with a passing efficiency rating of 170.62. The redshirt freshman should have a field day on Saturday night as he’ll be facing one of the worst secondaries in college football.
The Midshipmen are ranked 111th in passing yards allowed, giving up 253.8 yards per game. Navy is also near the bottom in defensive passing efficiency, allowing opposing quarterbacks a rating of 143.75 per contest.
Edge: Notre Dame
Notre Dame Rushing Offense vs. Navy Rushing Defense
Like Navy, Notre Dame has also found success running the ball this season, as the Irish are ranked 31st in rushing offense. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is currently sixth in the nation with 926 total rushing yards on the season.
Love and company will be facing a stingy Navy rush defense that’s ranked 40th in the country, allowing 126.2 rushing yards per game. Last season against Navy, former Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard carried the ball 10 times for 83 yards and a touchdown. Leonard also completed 13 of 21 passes for 178 yards and two scores.
Current Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr will not be carrying the ball 10 times, but he’ll likely surpass Leonard’s passing numbers. By default, that alone may slow down the Notre Dame rushing attack.
Edge: Tie
QB Blake Horvath vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense
While it appears that Navy quarterback Blake Horvath is throwing a lot more in 2025 compared to last year, he is not. After eight games in 2024, Horvath attempted 106 passes. After eight games this season, he has attempted 107 passes and has completed 68 of them for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. The number of attempted passes is not what makes him dangerous. Instead, it is the timing of the passes.
Horvath will be facing a Notre Dame pass defense that is near the bottom of college football, ranked 118th in passing yards allowed at 258.6 yards per game. Horvath may find a few windows of opportunity against an Irish defense that still looks confused at times, but he’ll earn most of his keep on the ground.
Edge: Notre Dame
Notre Dame Time of Possession vs. Navy Time of Possession
The Irish will have an edge in this game in just about every category except for a couple, including time of possession. Notre Dame ranks 72nd in the country in time of possession, averaging 29 minutes per game. Last weekend against Boston College, the Irish were outgained in this category 35:27 to 24:33.
Notre Dame will be facing a Navy team that has earned a living off keeping the ball away from its opponents. This season, the Midshipmen are ranked 25th in time of possession, averaging 31 minutes per game. This could be Navy’s most lethal weapon on Saturday.
Edge: Navy
