Let’s skip an elongated intro here. Notre Dame vs. Navy.
That’s it. That’s the point. College football is back.
TIME: 2:30 ET, which will be 7:30 p.m. local time in Dublin. This is somewhat notable, as last year’s Northwestern-Nebraska tilt in Dublin kicked off three hours earlier and it was easy to assume tonight’s game would kick off at the same time for the broadcast networks to make the most of Week 0’s limited schedule.
Presumably — and that is meant sincerely, given how far down the corporate totem pole this scribe is — credit for the local primetime kickoff belongs with NBC, and for that much, for once, college football fans can genuinely begrudge the Irish their independence and the individualized television broadcast. To be clear: In this instance, “Irish” references the Notre Dame athletics nickname, not the nationality of many fans in attendance tonight.
It has been 230 days since a college football game graced us with its presence. Waiting three more hours was an unnecessary punishment.
Those in Dublin better make the most of that daylong wait.
TV: NBC will broadcast this Irish kickoff, as it will all other Notre Dame home games. Yes, this qualifies as a Notre Dame home game, the first time the Irish have been the “home” team when playing in Ireland. In the previous two instances — 1996 and 2012 — Navy was technically the home team. Note: Those were even years, compared to 2023 being an odd year. Notre Dame hosts Navy in odd years, while the Midshipmen tour the series around the country from San Diego to Jacksonville to Baltimore to the Meadowlands and, about once every decade it would seem, across the Atlantic.
For that matter, Notre Dame and Navy — usual writing patterns would have used “Irish” there, but that can be a touch confusing in this context — were scheduled to play in Ireland in 2020, a Midshipmen “home” game, until that was canceled for obvious reasons. In November of 2021, this trip was announced.
Anyway, Peacock will also carry the game live if preferring to stream it. Noah Eagle and Jason Garrett will man the booth, with Jac Collinsworth returning to play-by-play duties next week.
WHERE: This sub-category is included to mostly mention the comical memory of Aviva Stadium’s wireless internet crashing during last year’s Northwestern vs. Nebraska game. It could thus no longer accept credit card payments for food or alcohol, as the payment processors needed internet to function.
Most stadiums in the United States would subsequently shrug shoulders and say, “Well, no more alcohol sales, sorry!” But the Irish handled it differently.
“Well, everything is free. Only two pints per person!”
The Wildcats and Huskers fans literally drank Aviva Stadium out of beer. Some terrifying souls began ordering pints of gin.
That thought should give Notre Dame fans in Dublin pause if thinking about sabotaging the internet connections at the game.
In our first @NDFootball home game in Ireland, added a little Irish flair to our Notre Dame tradition ☘️ 🇮🇪#GoIrish | @cfbireland pic.twitter.com/SzdzhEOPwx
— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) August 23, 2023
On a more serious note, the Saturday morning weather forecast for Dublin’s Saturday night featured the slightest of rain and 12 mph winds. The rain is too minimal to assume it will impact the game, and statistically speaking, 12 mph winds are a touch shy of significant note, as well.
PREVIEW: Focusing a preview on a star quarterback on a new team feels too easy, but Sam Hartman’s first Notre Dame start will drive all headlines this weekend, and understandably so. The Wake Forest graduate transfer was the biggest acquisition of the long offseason.
Navy has its own offensive worries, needing to better adjust to the NCAA’s further limiting of cut blocks, but the Midshipmen are most likely going to go down with their triple-option ship. Since the first wave of NCAA rule changes in 2018, Navy has averaged 20 points against Notre Dame, in some part because of the unique nature of the triple-option.
Even under second-year head coach Marcus Freeman, the Irish have a decent idea of how to prepare for that offense. Specifically, express interest in a walk-on from a high school that specializes in the triple-option and task that quarterback with running this particular scout team each season.
These days that is New Carlisle, Ind. native Chase Ketterer.
“Usually on Sundays I let the coaches vote for Scout Team Player of the Week,” Freeman said Monday. “I’ll tell you right now, he’ll be the Scout Team Player of the Week for sure. Chase not only knows how to run the offense because he played it in high school, but Chase has a little bit of leadership abilities to him.”
For obvious reasons, Freeman spent much of the last few weeks focusing on that scout team offense, wanting it to give his varsity defense an accurate portrayal of the Midshipmen attack. When Freeman would criticize Ketterer for handing off the ball when he should have kept it, Ketterer would respond that the read said otherwise. Upon review, he was usually right. Freeman still wanted his defense to face that certain look, no matter the read.
“The look he’s been able to give us has been invaluable,” Freeman said. “He’s been a huge part.”
Perhaps much of that could have been said a year ago. Ketterer has run this scout team triple-option before. But Notre Dame’s having a firm grasp on it will allow the Irish to adjust to whatever tricks Navy’s offense has up its sleeve.
“Tricks” may be unfair. The Midshipmen simply have to find new ways to create some offense, to keep opposing defenses on their heels and thus exposed to the triple-option.
For further thoughts on Notre Dame’s offense and Navy’s newfound look, enjoy the first 12 minutes of the below video.
PREDICTION: New Navy head coach Brian Newberry was the Midshipmen defensive coordinator for the previous four seasons. In those three games against Notre Dame, his defenses gave up 40.3 points per game.
Realize, those defenses were good enough on the whole to get Newberry the Navy head-coaching job. No statistic is needed. That is the strongest endorsement there is.
Yet, the Irish tore through them. And now, Notre Dame has its best quarterback since … Jimmy Clausen in 2009? Brady Quinn in 2006?
The Irish receivers remain a question mark, one that could determine the ceiling on the season, but against the Midshipmen defenders, they should find a few moments to shine. With Hartman looking to establish a rhythm with them for new offensive coordinator Gerad Parker to trust, those moments should be focused on for more of the game than a rout would usually suggest.
Notre Dame will not look to run up the score on the Midshipmen, but the latter program is trending downward, hence the new head coach, while the Irish may finally have a downfield attack.
Sportsbooks think Navy may keep this game within three touchdowns, favoring Notre Dame by 20.5 points with a combined point total Over/Under of 58.5 as of Saturday’s earliest hours, but there is no logic to that total’s continued fall, particularly if remembering the Irish have cracked 50 points in each of their previou two trips to Dublin.
Sometimes you simply have to give the people what they want.
Notre Dame 42, Navy 10
🏈WEEK 0: ADVANCED STATS PREVIEWS🏈
— parker fleming (@statsowar) August 22, 2023
🍻: Link in Bio
NAVY v NOTRE DAME pic.twitter.com/Natq7LJgXx
INSIDE THE IRISH
— New head coach and a possible new QB may not be enough for Navy in 2023
— Pat Coogan, Rocco Spindler to start at offensive guard for Notre Dame as Irish ready for Ireland and Navy
— A young coach in his second season? History says success awaits Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
— And In That Corner ... The Navy Midshipmen and new head coach Brian Newberry meet No. 13 Notre Dame in Dublin
— Things To Learn: Sam Hartman’s gifts to Notre Dame need to go beyond shoes and headphones
— Friday at 4: 40 Predictions for Notre Dame’s 2023 — On Sam Hartman, Audric Estimé, Ohio State, USC & Clemson
Stuff I've seen so far today in Dublin... pic.twitter.com/QiIKCtghVs
— Matt Cashore (@mattcashore) August 24, 2023
OUTSIDE READING
— Navy vs Notre Dame odds, picks, and predictions: Sam the Man gets Irish season started off right
— College football’s three new clock rules for 2023 and how they’ll change your Saturdays
— How Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame leaned into sports science, analytics for a fresher Fighting Irish squad
— Marcus Freeman, more demanding than ever, leads Notre Dame into a crossroads
— Marcus Freeman’s tall task: Keeping Notre Dame relevant in the playoff picture
— College Football Transfer Portal Top 100: Preseason intel on 2023’s most-hyped newcomers
— College football’s Week Zero raises important questions, such as ‘Why?’
— Notre Dame Vintage Monogram Bomber Jacket
