Notre Dame and Navy Set to Clash in Season Opener in Dublin
The long-standing rivalry between the No. 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Navy Midshipmen will continue on Saturday as they meet for the 96th time in their history. The season opener will take place in Dublin, Ireland, marking the third meeting between the schools overseas. Notre Dame currently holds a 2-0 edge in those matchups.
The Fighting Irish, who finished the 2021 season with a 9-4 record, have dominated the series against Navy, holding an impressive 81-13-1 edge. On the other hand, Navy had a tough season, ending with a 4-8 overall record and a 4-4 record in the American Athletic Conference.
The game will be held at Aviva Stadium and is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET. Both teams had solid defenses last year, with Notre Dame allowing an average of 327.1 yards per game (22nd best in the country) and Navy allowing 339.1 yards per game (30th best).
According to the latest Navy vs. Notre Dame odds from SportsLine consensus, the Fighting Irish are favored by 20.5 points. The over/under for total points scored is set at 49. Before placing any bets, fans are recommended to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model, which has generated a profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread, has now focused on the Navy vs. Notre Dame matchup. The model has made its predictions and picks, which can be viewed on SportsLine’s website.
Notre Dame enters the game with hopes of upgrading their offense from last year. The team will be led by graduate transfer Sam Hartman, who played the past five seasons at Wake Forest. Hartman, a dual-threat quarterback, has thrown for 110 touchdown passes and rushed for 17 in his career. In 2021, he had an outstanding season, throwing for 4,228 yards and 39 touchdowns while rushing for 363 yards and 11 scores. Hartman continued his strong performance in 2022, completing 63.1% of his passes for 3,701 yards and 38 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
One of the key returners on offense for Notre Dame is junior wide receiver Jayden Thomas. Thomas was one of the team’s top receivers last season, recording 25 receptions for 361 yards and three touchdowns. In the previous matchup against Navy, Thomas had three catches for 80 yards and one touchdown.
On the Navy side, the Midshipmen boast a number of key defensive players, including junior linebacker Colin Ramos. Ramos finished second on the team in tackles last year with 79, along with four sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. In the last game against Notre Dame, Ramos made seven tackles, including 1.5 sacks.
Another player to watch on the Navy defense is junior safety Rayuan Lane III, who made 71 tackles, including one sack and four pass breakups, in 2022. He also forced two fumbles and recovered two. In the previous matchup against Notre Dame, Lane contributed with seven tackles and one sack.
According to the SportsLine Projection Model, the point total is expected to go over. The model predicts that Navy quarterback Tai Lavatai will rush for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman will throw for over 270 yards and two touchdowns.
With the advanced computer simulation model having an impressive track record of success, fans are encouraged to visit SportsLine to see which side of the Navy vs. Notre Dame spread to bet on.