Notre Dame football score predictions: Irish vs. Navy staff picks

The 95th meeting between Notre Dame and Navy is Saturday in Baltimore (noon ET, ABC). The No. 20 Irish (6-3) are 17.5-point favorites over the Midshipmen (3-6), per Oddsshark, and have won four straight in the series.

Here’s how the staff at BlueandGold.com sees the game playing out.

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Patrick Engel: Notre Dame 34, Navy 9

Navy remains stuck in its recent trend: An inefficient rushing offense with a defense that is prone to explosive plays, even with a run defense that ranks top-15 in yards per carry (3.18). The Midshipmen have been better against the run this year, but not to the point where Notre Dame should struggle to move the ball against them. The Irish can beat them at their own ground-based game.

Notre Dame is step up from any rushing attack Navy has faced this year. The Irish’s defense and their coaching staff has lots of experience against the triple option. This also isn’t one of Navy’s more efficient run games (84th in yards per carry), and they’re on a backup quarterback who is a limited passer.

Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 38, Navy 13

I don’t see this one being particularly close. The Irish may sleepwalk a little in a noon kick one week after beating one of the top teams in the country, but in the end Notre Dame is just so vastly superior to Navy athletically. Navy has the No. 7 rushing defense in the country, but the Irish will show the Midshipmen what a true north-south, ground and pound rushing attack led by an array of big, bruising offensive linemen looks like. 

Sophomore backs Audric Estime and Logan Diggs will do their thing, but look for junior Chris Tyree to make a statement in the passing game for the first time in a while. This is a game that has junior quarterback Drew Pyne breaking out of his slump written all over it. There really isn’t any reason for Notre Dame to not excel on both sides of the ball — unless it succumbs to old ways and plays down to its level of competition. 

Not this time.

Mike Singer: Notre Dame 42, Navy 14

I’m a tad nervous to predict a Notre Dame blowout because the Marshall and Stanford games are still fresh in my mind, but I truly believe this team has turned a corner. The passing attack still isn’t there, but Notre Dame has been so good in all other facets of the game, and it’s such a better football team than Navy.

The Irish have played well on the road this season, and they looked good in their only other 12 p.m. ET slot this season, beating Syracuse. Marcus Freeman and Al Golden both have plenty of experience — and success — against the triple option. This experienced Notre Dame front seven has seen it before. I don’t think it’ll be an issue.

Todd Burlage: Notre Dame 45, Navy 10

In his 15th season with Navy, veteran Midshipmen head coach Ken Niumatalolo had his program rolling with five wins in six bowl games between 2014 and 2019. Niumatalolo actually beat Notre Dame three times during his first four seasons.

But more recently, Niumatalolo and his program have fallen on hard times with a 10-21 record since the start of the 2020 season, including a 3-6 mark in 2022. 

Navy ranks ninth nationally in rushing yards (236.9 per game). But much of that success was built before standout Midshipmen dual-threat quarterback Tai Lavatai was lost for the season with a leg injury. 

After losing three of four games to Navy from 2007-2010, Notre Dame has now won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series, including four in a row. The punishing Notre Dame offensive line and rushing game will manhandle the undersized Midshipmen defensive front. During its 6-1 run since its 0-2 start, the Irish running game has climbed to No. 28 nationally (195.1 ypg). 

All Irish in this one.

Steve Downey: Notre Dame 41, Navy 7

It is never “easy” to play Navy because of the unique nature of its triple-option attack, but Notre Dame has certainly made it look that way in recent years. The Fighting Irish have asserted their dominance in the trenches and won the last three matchups by an average score of 43-16.

Despite the Irish’s ups and downs during Freeman’s first season at the helm, there is no reason to believe that will change this season. The Midshipmen have made modest improvements on both sides of the ball, but the season-ending injury to Lavatai and a Notre Dame ground game that has been clicking on all cylinders — eclipsing 200 yards five times in its last six outings while averaging 233.8 yards per game — point to another lopsided Irish victory.