Spying on the Rival: Notre Dame vs. Navy

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – Notre Dame’s rivalry with Navy is one built on mutual respect, but there’s a lot at stake in this year’s top 25 matchup.

While the No. 12 Irish look to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, No. 24 Navy is looking for its first 7-0 start since 1978 (and will likely earn the Group of Five automatic CFP bid if it can continue its winning ways). .

The Midshipmen are led by second-year head coach Brian Newberry. He has really turned things around for the program after finishing 5-7 last season.

Newberry says the team is taking each game one at a time.

“A lot of people talk about the 1-0 mentality and it’s getting a bit cliché, but I think our players have embraced that and you see it in their approach and the way they show up every week,” Newberry said. “I was really pleased that we were able to kind of drown out the noise and keep the blinders on.”

Navy is known for its deceptive triple-option offense. This is essentially the definition of Navy’s offense and is very difficult to defend.

“You tell your players to read their eyes, use their keys, all these different things that will get them to the ball,” Navy quarterback Blake Horvath said. “Well, then what happens is we confuse the defender’s eyes and make everything look the same as a play we’ve already run three times on that play, and then we run it and they say, ‘Okay, I know what it is,’ and then they go further to where they think they need to go.” They are flying fast and we hit something going in the opposite direction.

First-year offensive coordinator Drew Cronic blended some of their offensive play styles with Navy’s triple-option offense. Chronic, the former Mercer University football coach, ran the Wing-T offense and blended it with Navy’s triple option.

The new offensive style is a big part of Navy’s success this year because it’s something teams have never seen before.

“Hopefully some of the quirks of our lineups and maybe some changes in movement will slow some people’s game down maybe a notch,” Chronic said. “That’s what you’re trying to do, that’s what you’re trying to do. You don’t want the defense to prick up their ears and come after you.”

Kickoff for the game, which will be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Saturday, will be at 12:00 ET. You can watch the match on ABC/ESPN+.

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