Sixth-ranked Notre Dame and Army (19^th) travel to Yankee Stadium in New York City on Saturday for a renewal of their historic rivalry. This Shamrock Series game marks the 100^th anniversary of the legendary Four Horsemen of Notre Dame. Sportswriter Grantland Rice coined this term for the Fighting Irish backfield after they upset Army by 13-7 in 1924. The Black Knights are 9-0 this season and are riding a 13-game winning streak. Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally by NBC starting at 7:00 PM Eastern time.

Saturday’s battle is between the second and third ranked defensive teams in terms of fewest points allowed. Army has surrendered only 10.3 points per game while Notre Dame stands at 11.4. The Knights have also held opponents to an average of 274 total yards (fifth in the nation) while the Irish have allowed 277 (sixth).

Army’s Head Coach Jeff Monken is in his eleventh season in West Point, where he holds a 79-55 record. Despite owning the nation’s longest current winning streak, Monken understands why his team is an underdog this week.

“In terms of Notre Dame’s defense, if they’re not the best defense in the country they’re certainly one of them”, he said. “It’s a great challenge. I’ve talked to a lot of people about this game and a lot of questions about the physical disparities between their team and ours, and that’s real. I can thank my mentor and former coach Paul Johnson, as he always said, ‘They have 22 Parade All-Americans. We have 22 guys who have marched through Parade.’

Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman indicated he was not going to be sandbagged by Monken’s praise. When asked about Army’s success this season, he responded as follows:

“If we had a combine, would they be as fast maybe or as tall and athletic and run the drills as good as maybe some of the other teams you face?” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “Maybe not. But that has nothing to do with how good of a football team this team is. I mean, they are a dang good football team. They play hard. They take care of the football. They keep the ball away from you. They take the ball from you. It’s a challenge, man. It’s a really big challenge for us.”

On the injury front, Notre Dame confirmed that defensive tackle Howard Cross (sprained ankle) is available to play this week. Wide receiver Jaden Greathouse left the game against Virginia with a shoulder injury. No updates from the staff have been forthcoming but it is not believed to be serious. Kicker Mitch Jeter remains active although his range is limited.  

Army is not reporting any injuries among its starters. To date, the Knights have enjoyed a remarkable record of keeping their starting lineup intact. The only noteworthy exception is that quarterback Bryson Daily sat out the game against Air Force.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. ARMY’S DEFENSE

Army has not allowed a touchdown in its last two games. They have given up only 12 all season. Monken runs a 3-4 set with 300-pound Kody Harris-Miller on the nose. He is flanked by ends Jack Latore (275) and Kyle Lewis (280). Outside linebacker Elo Modozie is a wrecking ball who will move forward on passing downs to rush the quarterback. He and Lewis will bring the most pressure.

Inside linebacker Kalib Fortner leads the team in solo tackles and tackles for loss. Andon Thomas, another sure tackler, is alongside. Chance Keith rounds out the unit. He is a smaller outside backer who drops into coverage when a fifth defensive back is required. This group has limited opponents to 82 yards rushing per game.

Notre Dame will find this front seven to be as stout as any unit they have faced all season. They should be able to protect quarterback Riley Leonard fairly well but the ground game will be hotly contested.

When the Irish elect to pass, their receivers will match up favorably against cornerbacks Donavon Platt, Jaydan Mayes, and backup Justin Weaver. Free safety Max DiDomenico is the leader of the secondary and most physical presence. The key for Notre Dame is to avoid third and long situations that they are usually unable to convert.

ARMY’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

Ball control is the name of the game for the Knights offense. Senior quarterback Bryson Daily has run for more than 1,000 yards. He is a 57% passer with only one interception in 51 attempts. As a team, Army has only three turnovers this year. The other two were fumbles by fullback Kanye Udoh. The tandem of Daily and Udoh has gained nearly 2,000 yards and scored 30 rushing touchdowns.

There are several more layers to this offense, though. Slot back Noah Short is dangerous on the edge. When Daily gets him the ball, Short averages almost 11 yards per carry and over 23 yards per reception. Army’s leading wide receiver is Casey Reynolds, who averages 27 yards per catch.

Aside from Daily’s ballhandling wizardry, the engine for this prolific attack is a line that averages 306 pounds. Tackles Connor Finucane and Lucas Scott are quality players who could start for many Power 4 programs. The Knights have allowed very few tackles for loss and only three sacks this season. They have converted on an impressive 54% of third downs and 84% on fourth down.

Coach Freeman certainly understands the task facing his defense. ”I met with the defensive staff and the first thing we said is that the biggest mistake we can make is to think that this is Navy 2.0. It’s not. It’s a different offense. They do some different things. They have a different identity and present a different challenge. Yes, it’s still a version of the triple option, which you see with some of the military schools, but they run it with different personnel.”

Notre Dame’s defense will strive to be assignment perfect to avoid a significant time of possession disadvantage. Army has already recorded a 14-minute touchdown drive this season. Overall, the Knights have held the ball for 35 minutes per game to 25 for opponents. The Irish must create negative plays and force punts to give the offense sufficient opportunities to score.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Trey Gronotte has made all five of his field goal attempts and is perfect on 42 extra points. His longest three-pointer is only 35 yards, though. Punter James Wagenseller has a 42-yard average but has been called upon a mere 18 times. James Rendell has punted 35 times for the Irish. Reserve running backs Lloyd Benson and Tyrell Robinson are the primary return men. They have had very few chances to date.

Notre Dame’s kicking game remains in flux as Mitch Jeter nurses a nagging hip injury. Alternates Zac Yoakam and Marcello Diomede have thus far failed to impress. Rendell has a penchant for misfiring on punts with a shank or low line drive. This element remains a concern. The best unit in this category for the Irish is the punt blocking team. If they can actually force Wagenseller onto the field this week, they may have another opportunity to shine. Regarding the return game, Jayden Harrison has shown promise recently with above-average success on kickoffs. Max Hurleman remains fearless on his punt returns. If only he had more speed.

SUMMARY

I believe by now you understand the crux of this preview. Army is not only a stronger team than Navy, but they are better than most Irish opponents to date. Any expectation that this game will be a typical service academy beatdown should be dismissed.

Obviously, Notre Dame cannot afford to waste an offensive series by going three and out. They need to seize the advantage by forcing the Knights to play from behind. If the reverse happens, one wonders if the Irish passing game is reliable enough to carry them. Leonard and his receivers have not been under true duress in several weeks. The catastrophic interception that ended the Northern Illinois debacle remains an albatross over their playoff aspirations.

Penalties and other self-inflicted wounds will be more consequential this week than last. Notre Dame must be the aggressor and force Army to make uncharacteristic mistakes. This strategy worked well against Navy but the Knights are unlikely to be as generous.

Here are a few questions that will shed light on the outcome:

• Can the Irish defense get off the field on third or fourth down?
• Will Leonard and his wide receivers take advantage of Army’s secondary?
• Can Notre Dame run the ball for 150+ yards?
• Which team will win the turnover battle?
• Can the Irish avoid drive-killing penalties on offense?
• Which team will be able to break off big chunk plays?
• Which quarterback will face the most pressure in the pocket?
• Can the Irish make a field goal if they need to?

PREDICTION

Army has playoff aspirations of its own. One has to wonder if the Knights’ magical season of few turnovers and fewer injuries is fueled by destiny. Their unimpressive schedule to date provides a partial explanation but there is more substance to their success story.

Monken has built a culture of winning that the Knights will not easily relinquish. This game should be very competitive through the first half and possibly much longer. Despite the game’s proximity to West Point, this is a home game for Notre Dame. A supportive crowd should help but Army will be amply represented as well. Assuming turnovers and mistakes balance out, superior offensive talent and a suffocating Irish defense should prevail.

“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.” Grantland Rice, October 18, 1924.

NOTRE DAME 28  ARMY 13

Tell John what you think in the comments below