Notre Dame travels to Dublin, Ireland to play the Naval Academy on Saturday in the opening game of the 2023 football season. The Fighting Irish and the Midshipmen initially scheduled this venue for 2020 before COVID forced its postponement. This weekend, the teams will meet on the Emerald Isle for the third time in the series. The Irish enjoy a 79-12-1 overall advantage and have won the last five, including a closer-than-expected 35-32 victory last season. Saturday’s game will be broadcast nationally by NBC starting at 2:30 PM Eastern time.

Head Coach Marcus Freeman enters his second season at the helm for Notre Dame. Several of his first-year assistants are back, with some notable exceptions. Offensive Coordinator Tom Rees, Line Coach Harry Hiestand, Special Teams Coach Brian Mason, Linebacker Grad Assistant Jim Laurinaitis and Strength Coach Matt Balis have moved on. Rees is now at Alabama, Hiestand has retired, Mason is in the NFL with Indianapolis, Laurinaitis is at Ohio State and Balis is not currently coaching.

Navy’s Head Coach Brian Newberry has taken over for Ken Niumatalolo, who was let go after 25 seasons in Annapolis, 15 as head coach.  Newberry served as Defensive Coordinator under Niumalaloto for four years until the change was made last December.

The Irish are led by graduate transfer quarterback Sam Hartman, who distinguished himself at Wake Forest through last season before electing to relocate to South Bend for a final college campaign. From a statistical standpoint, Hartman will be the best quarterback Notre Dame has had in over a decade. That alone gives rise to hope for a strong season in South Bend but Hartman isn’t the only story. Notre Dame has an exciting blend of experienced and emerging talent to utilize this year.

The Midshipmen were a very young team last season but most players from that 4-8 squad are back with a year of experience under their belts. Despite that youth and the loss of their starting quarterback, the Midshipmen rallied from a 35-13 halftime deficit last November to fall just short of a stunning upset. Navy closed to within 35-32 in the closing seconds but failed to recover an onside kick as Notre Dame escaped with the win.

Notre Dame has not been hit by many significant injuries since fall practice started but a couple are noteworthy. Recently, the Irish lost tight end Kevin Bauman and defensive end Aidan Gobaira for the season. Another tight end, Eli Raridon will miss this contest as he has a few more weeks of recovery ahead of him from a knee injury.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE vs. NAVY’S DEFENSE

Navy’s 3-4 defensive set features seasoned but undersized lineman Jacob Busic and Donald Berniard. Both are third year starters. Another senior, Clay Cromwell, joins them up front. The four linebackers are versatile chess pieces that Coach Newberry will use to create havoc as he did last year. Will Harbour is the enforcer in the middle while Colin Ramos is the leading tackler among the returning defenders. Xavier McDonald and Jordan Sanders join them as first-time starters.

The Irish wide receivers will be in the spotlight as they have the most to prove. This year’s group had only 40 combined receptions last year. That number excludes 24 catches by Chris Tyree, who played tailback throughout his career before moving to slot receiver this spring. Jayden Thomas is the clear leader in this area with 25 last year. He will be joined by Tobias Merriweather and Tyree in the starting lineup. Veteran Deion Colzie leads the second unit with a pair of impressive freshmen, Jaden Greathouse and Rico Flores. Tight ends Mitchell Evans and Holden Staes may never attain the level of Michael Mayer but each is a capable blocker and pass receiver. They represent difficult matchups for the Navy safeties and linebackers.

Audric Estime leads a cadre of quality running backs that will run behind a more physically imposing offensive line. Tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher will maul people while the interior is rebuilt with guards Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan. Hartman can also run when necessary but his value to the team is such that Freeman will limit his attempts as much as possible. When asked about the selection process that yielded two new starting guards, Freeman replied as follows:

“Our guard battles were really, really good. The competition amongst those guys was what you want to see. I think Rocco and Pat both just — the confidence they built in our coaching staff, the trust of them being able to do their jobs on a consistent basis was why they’ll be in there to start the game. And so, I feel really good about the depth of our guard position. You know, Billy [Schrauth] had a great fall camp. But those two guys, man, had a really good fall camp in terms of just the execution. All of them are physical. All of them have the traits that you look for in offensive guards, but the overall execution of what they were asked to do on a consistent basis is why those guys will be starting for us.”

Notre Dame will have a size advantage over the Midshipmen secondary. The question is whether they can exploit it.  The diminutive Mbiti Williams is Navy’s best defensive back, and he will make his presence felt. Navy will also have to contend with the Irish ground game, which promises to be powerful. Don’t be surprised if Newberry blitzes one or more of his linebackers or even defensive backs on every down to disrupt Notre Dame and confound its blocking assignments. This strategy worked well last year as the Irish offense earned just one first down in the final two quarters. Notre Dame managed an embarrassing 66 yards rushing for the entire contest.

An experienced quarterback like Hartman should not be overly confused by blitzes, though. He is better equipped than Drew Pyne to recognize trouble and either change out of a bad play call or throw the ball to a target in the vacated area. Whether or not this game is a blowout or a tight one may depend upon how well the offense is prepared for Navy’s defensive gambles. Hartman’s young, untested receivers and the offensive linemen must be on the same page, and therein lies the risk.

NAVY’S OFFENSE vs. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Midshipmen were forced to start their third string quarterback, Xavier Arline, against Notre Dame in 2022 but have the opposite problem this year. Both Blake Horvath and Tai Lavatai are healthy now and battling for the job. Both are 6’2” and can throw or run the ball effectively. Whoever doesn’t start the game will see action early and Newberry will likely stay with the hot hand as the game unfolds. Here is what he had to say about them earlier this week.

“Blake Horvath, because of the injuries we had in the spring, was a young man who got a ton of reps and took advantage of them. We’re excited about him. He has an element athletically that’s exciting. throws the ball well too.” Regarding Lavatai, he said, “We have experience, which is great, and more so than [anytime] since I’ve been here in ‘19. Really pleased with Tai Lavatai and his progress. As you guys know, he tore an ACL last year and was limited in spring football and had a great recovery.”

Fullback Daba Fofana returns as the fullback threat in the triple option. He rumbled for 133 yards on 15 carries in last year’s game, including runs of 50 and 36 yards. The slot backs are Amin Hassan and Brandon Chatman. Both are new to the lineup, small in stature, and very quick. Notre Dame’s tackling in last year’s game by the back seven was atrocious. Those same players are back and must do a better job on Saturday.

When Navy elects to pass, last year’s leading receiver is back to make the reception. Jayden Umbarger is flanked by fellow senior Camari Williams on the outside. The Midshipmen typically deploy just two outside receivers and no tight end with three backs aligned behind the quarterback. They will occasionally swap out a slot back for a tight end in short yardage situations but they rarely throw the ball to him.

The offensive line returns four of five starters from last season. The lone 300-pounder is senior center Lirion Murtezi.

Notre Dame’s defense features nine returning starters and is three deep at several positions. Pass rushing end Jordan Botelho will attempt to fill the large shoes of Isaiah Foskey while grad transfer Javontae Jean-Baptiste will take over for Jayson Ademilola. Veterans Rylie Mills and Howard Cross round out the front four. At linebacker, Marist Liufau, JD Bertrand, and Jack Kiser have one more year to make their mark on the program. Youngsters Jaylen Sneed, Jaiden Ausberry, and Drayk Bowen await impatiently behind them. The corners are Cam Hart and last year’s freshman sensation Ben Morrison, while Xavier Watts and DJ Brown will open at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Chris Tyree will shift from the primary kickoff return man to field punts this season. The kickoff duties have been assigned to tailback Devyn Ford. We might see freshman Jeremiah Love back there at some point during the season. Try not to blink or you will miss him.

Grad Transfer Spenser Schrader has won the place-kicking job while Zac Yoakam may still handle the kickoff chores. He performed well in that role last season as a freshman. Schrader enjoyed a successful career at South Florida and has been impressive in fall camp. Bryce McFerson will start out as the punter after winning a close competition with another grad transfer, Ben Krimm.

The Midshipmen return an excellent punter in Riley Riethman. He averaged 44 yards in 2022 and has been a valuable weapon for the team. Evan Warren kicked off for Navy last season but attempted only one field goal in the opening game. He missed it from 45 yards. Obviously, he is an unknown commodity going into Saturday’s opener. Amin Hassan is the team’s punt returner. He is elusive and has a 57-yarder to his credit.

The Irish remain bullish on their special teams despite Mason’s departure. Coach Marty Biagi has set the bar high for these units and he has a talented roster from which to choose.

SUMMARY

The main question for Notre Dame is whether Hartman can engineer a dynamic and balanced offense or if his inexperienced wide receivers will hold him back. The success of the running game will depend on center Zeke Correll and the guards. Navy will employ a variety of run blitzes to disrupt the Irish and will be successful on more than one occasion. If Notre Dame fails to gain 100 yards on the ground again in this matchup, it will signify a huge victory for the Middies.

Notre Dame will need both a quick strike capability and a ball control element to subdue the Midshipmen. A fast start and early lead for the Irish will force Navy to take chances outside its comfort zone. That typically doesn’t end well for them. The ability to move the chains on the ground will serve to negate the usual advantage the Midshipmen enjoy in time of possession. As we saw last year, defensive fatigue will manifest itself in the second half if the offense sputters.

Unlike last season, however, the Irish are not merely hoping to win games. They want to dominate and send a message to future opponents. The extra preparation time for this unique opponent leaves them with no excuses for a lackluster performance. The linebackers and safeties will be under the microscope, and rightly so. Reports from camp claim they have made improvement from last season but the hometown press always pumps out the sunshine. Expect a strong game from safety Xavier Watts, but others in the back seven must react quickly and tackle crisply. The players I am excited to see are backup linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Jaiden Ausberry. I hope they perform well and are starters before long.

The Midshipmen have more experience and a better quarterback situation this year. The team cannot match up with Notre Dame in the talent department but that is not always the deciding factor. If Navy controls the ball and the tempo, the talent deficiency is less of a problem for them. Their game depends on flawless execution rather than raw power.

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

• Can the Irish defense make stops at or behind the line of scrimmage?
• Will Hartman and his wide receivers be connected or hopelessly disjointed?
• Can Notre Dame’s offensive line handle Navy’s run blitzes?
• Which team will win the turnover battle?
• Can Notre Dame’s special teams contribute in a meaningful way?
• Have the Irish back seven defenders learned how to tackle?
• Can Gerad Parker keep the Middies off balance with inspired play calling?
• Which young players will distinguish themselves for Notre Dame?

PREDICTION

Notre Dame is loaded with talent but much of it can only be considered “potential” at this point. It will be fun for Irish fans to watch young players grow under the spotlight while enjoying a veteran quarterback who is not lacking in athleticism or passing accuracy. Navy is a pesky and often unpredictable opponent with sufficient talent and execution competency to keep the outcome in doubt for a while. If Notre Dame’s linebackers and safeties are not vastly improved from last year, it may be a repeat of 2022. That said, the Irish have too many weapons to be denied in this matchup.

NOTRE DAME 42  NAVY 20

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