Previewing Saturday's 94th meeting between Notre Dame and Navy in South Bend

Michael Wanbaugh
ND Insider

The eighth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 10 CFP) will lock horns with Navy for the 94th time Saturday in South Bend. Prior to last year's COVID-induced pause in the rivalry, the two programs met 93 consecutive seasons.

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Notre Dame has won the its last three contests with the Midshipmen.

No. 8 AP/10 CFP Notre Dame (7-1) vs. Navy (2-6) 

Kickoff: Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT 

Where: Notre Dame Stadium 

TV: NBC/Peacock 

Radio: WSBT (AM 960), WNSN-FM (101.5) 

Line: Notre Dame by 21 

Preview coverage

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Notre Dame’s JD Bertrand (27) and Drew White (40) work to bring down USC’s Keaontay Ingram (28) during the Notre Dame’s 31-16 win over USC in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.

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Notre Dame’s Logan Diggs (22) is congratulated as he walks off the field after the Notre Dame vs. North Carolina NCAA football game Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.

► Watch these four players work when Navy visits No. 8 Notre Dame

Fullback Isaac Ruoss gets a lot of touches and a lot of big-play chances for the Navy offense.

Irish items

 

♦ Saturday will be the 94th meeting between Navy and Notre Dame dating back to 1927, the most with any other school for the Irish. 

♦ Notre Dame leads the series 79-13-1 and has won three in a row. 

♦ The longest winning streak in the series for Notre Dame was 43 games (1964-2006). Since then Navy has beaten the Irish four times (2007 in 3ot, 2009, 2010 and 2016).  

♦ Before the COVID pandemic wiped out the scheduled 2020 meeting that was to open the season in Dublin, Ireland, Navy and Notre Dame had met in 93 consecutive seasons, which was the longest intersectional rivalry college football. 

♦ Notre Dame will be the second top 10 and fourth top 25 opponent for the Midshipmen this season. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo has beaten five AP top 25 teams in his 14 seasons in Annapolis.  

♦ Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams ranked third in FBS with 261 all-purpose yards last week against North Carolina. 

♦ With last week’s victory, the Irish have won 50 games over the past five seasons (2017-21) marking the third time in program history that has been accomplished, the others being 53-8-1 from 1988-92 and 52-9-1 from 1989-93. 

8/7/2020: Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN/ Pictured, Navy and Notre Dame players stand together for the playing of the Navy Alma Mater following the Irish home win over the Midshipmen last season. The two teams will not meet in 2020, breaking a streak of 93 seasons. Navy players and Notre Dame players stand together for the playing of the Navy Alma Mater following Notre Dame's 52-20 win over Navy in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.

Who's going to play?

NOTRE DAME TWO-DEEP

OFFENSE

Quarterback

17 Jack Coan | 6-3, 223 | Graduate

12 Tyler Buchner | 6-1, 215 | Freshman

Running back

23 Kyren Williams | 5-9, 199 | Junior 

25 Chris Tyree | 5-10, 190 | Sophomore

Field receiver

0 Braden Lenzy | 5-11, 182 | Senior (hopeful, concussion)

21 Lorenzo Styles Jr. | 6-1, 195 | Freshman

Notre Dame’s Braden Lenzy (0) runs as Kyren Williams (23) blocks for him during the Notre Dame vs. North Carolina NCAA football game Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend.

Slot receiver 

3 Avery Davis | 5-11, 202 | Graduate 

29 Matt Salerno | 6-1, 199 | Senior 

Boundary receiver

4 Kevin Austin Jr. | 6-2, 215 | Senior 

16 Deion Colzie | 6-5, 207 | Freshman 

Tight end

87 Michael Mayer | 6-5, 251 | Sophomore

85 George Takacs | 6-6, 247 | Senior

Left tackle

76 Joe Alt | 6-8; 305 | Freshman

79 Tosh Baker | 6-8, 307 | Sophomore

Left guard

73 Andrew Kristofic | 6-5, 295 | Junior

52 Zeke Correll | 6-3, 295 | Junior

Center

55 Jarrett Patterson | 6-5, 307 | Senior 

52 Zeke Correll | 6-3, 295 | Junior

Right guard 

62 Cain Madden | 6-3, 310 | Graduate 

56 John Dirksen | 6-5, 306 | Senior 

Right tackle

75 Josh Lugg | 6-7, 305 | Graduate  

79 Tosh Baker | 6-8, 307 | Sophomore

DEFENSE

Vyper defensive end

7 Isaiah Foskey | 6-5, 260 | Junior 

9 Justin Ademilola | 6-2, 255 | Senior 

Defensive tackle

57 Jayson Ademilola | 6-3, 280 | Senior 

99 Rylie Mills | 6-5, 283 | Sophomore 

Nose guard

41 Kurt Hinish | 6-2, 300 | Graduate

56 Howard Cross III | 6-1, 275 | Junior 

Notre Dame’s Kurt Hinish (41) and Clarence Lewis (6) try to stop North Carolina's Sam Howell (7) during the Notre Dame 44-34 win over North Carolina in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, in South Bend.

Big defensive end

95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa | 6-3, 268 | Graduate

31 NaNa Osafo-Mensah | 6-3, 250 | Junior 

Mike linebacker

40 Drew White | 6-0, 228 | Graduate 

52 Bo Bauer | 6-3, 233 | Senior 

Will linebacker

27 JD Bertrand | 6-1, 230 | Junior

32 Prince Kollie | 6-1, 222 | Freshman 

Rover linebacker

24 Jack Kiser | 6-2, 224 | Junior

10 Isaiah Pryor | 6-2, 217 | Graduate

Boundary cornerback

6 Clarence Lewis | 6-0, 193 | Sophomore 

11 Ramon Henderson | 6-1, 190 | Sophomore 

Field cornerback

5 Cam Hart | 6-3, 205 | Junior

28 TaRiq Bracy | 5-10, 177 | Senior 

Free safety 

2 DJ Brown | 6-0, 200 | Senior 

22 Justin Walters | 6-1, 188 | Freshman

Strong safety

3 Houston Griffith | 6-0, 202 | Senior 

10 Isaiah Pryor | 6-2, 217 | Graduate

Nickelback

28 TaRiq Bracy | 5-10, 177 | Senior  

11 Ramon Henderson | 6-1, 190 | Sophomore

SPECIAL TEAMS

Place-kicker

39 Jonathan Doerer | 6-3, 197 | Graduate 

91 Josh Bryan | 6-0, 183 | Freshman

Punter

19 Jay Bramblett | 6-2, 197 | Junior 

39 Jonathan Doerer | 6-3, 197 | Graduate 

Long snapper 

65 Michael Vinson | 6-2, 230 | Senior 

44 Alex Peitsch | 6-1, 210 | Sophomore 

Holder

19 Jay Bramblett | 6-2, 197 | Junior 

30 Jake Rittman | 6-3, 210 | Senior

Kickoffs

39 Jonathan Doerer | 6-3, 197 | Graduate 

91 Josh Bryan | 6-0, 183 | Freshman

Kick returner

25 Chris Tyree | 5-10, 190 | Sophomore 

21 Lorenzo Styles Jr. | 6-1, 195 | Freshman 

Punt returner

23 Kyren Williams | 5-9, 199 | Junior

29 Matt Salerno | 6-1, 199 | Senior 

NAVY TWO-DEEP

OFFENSE

X-wide receiver

80 Mark Walker | 6-2, 203 | Jr.

87 Jayden Umbarger | 6-0, 190 | So.

Left tackle

67 Bryce Texeira | 6-2, 282 | Sr.

60 Mattie Conlon | 6-2, 290 | Sr.

Left guard

71 Joshua Pena | 6-2, 269 | So.

73 Lirion Murtezi | 6-3, 307 |  So.

Center

69 Darrellson Masaniai | 6-2, 318 | So.

OR 68 Pierce Banbury | 6-2, 288 | Sr. 

Right guard

68 Pierce Banbury | 6-2, 288 | Sr. 

OR 73 Lirion Murtezi | 6-3, 307 | So.

Right tackle

66 Kip Frankland | 6-1, 280 | Jr.

61 | Jamie Romo | 6-5, 275 | Jr.

Z-Wide receiver

3 Mychal Cooper | 6-5, 221 | Sr.

82 Zachary Kuhlman | 6-1, 193 Jr.

Slot back

0 Chance Warren | 5-10, 190 | Jr.

29 Daniel Jones | 5-9, 187 | So.

Quarterback

1 Tai Lavatai | 6-2, 210 So.

7 Xavier Arline | 5-9, 176 So.

Slot back

25 Carlinos Acie | 5-9, 190 | Sr.

2 Tyger Goslin | 5-11, 191 | Sr.

Fullback

37 James Harris II | 6-0, 230 | Sr.

OR 32 Isaac Ruoss | 6-1, 220 |Sr.

DEFENSE

Left end

95 Jacob Busic | 6-4, 250 | So.

51 Nicholas Straw | 6-2, 230 | Jr.

Nose guard

90 Donald Berniard | 6-0, 267 | So.

OR 97 Clay Cromwell | 6-3, 292 | So.

Defensive tackle

94 J’arius Warren | 6-1, 257 | Jr.

92 Deondrae Williams | 6-0, 274 | Sr.

Raider

51 Nicholas Straw | 6-2, 230 | Jr.

55 John Kelly III | 6-2, 227 | Sr.

Striker

1 John Marshall | 6-2, 204 | Jr.

47 Tyler Fletcher | 6-3, 210 | Fr.

Mike linebacker

54 Diego Fagot | 6-3, 240 | Sr.

46 Jianni Woodson-Brooks | 6-0, 220 | Fr.

Navy's Diego Fagot is expected to make a lot of plays from his linebacker spot.

Will linebacker

57 Johnny Hodges | 6-2, 228 | Jr.

46 Jianni Woodson-Brooks | 6-0, 220 | Fr.

Field cornerback

16 Jamal Glenn | 5-11, 181 | Sr.

5 Michael McMorris | 5-9, 173 | Sr.

Free safety

18 Rayuan Lane | 5-11, 180 | Fr.

14 Joshua Adams | 6-0, 198 | Jr.

Bandit

15 Eavan Gibbons | 5-10, 191 | So.

9 Taylor Robinson | 6-0, 195 | So.

Back corner

5 Michael McMorris | 5-9, 173 | Sr.

3 Elias Larry | 6-0, 170 | Sr.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Place kicker

43 Bijan Nichols | 6-1, 211 | Jr.

11 Evan Warren | 5-10, 176 | Jr.

Kickoffs

11 Evan Warren | 5-10, 176 | Jr.

47 Daniel Davies | 5-10, 179 | Jr.

Punter

90 Riley Riethman | 5-10, 170 | Fr.

47 Daniel Davies | 5-10, 179 | Jr.

Long snapper

92 Ethan Nguyen | 6-1, 195 | Fr.

49 Byron Rhodes | 5-11, 185 | Fr.

Holder

47 Daniel Davies | 5-10, 179 | Jr.

2 Tyger Goslin | 5-11, 191 | Sr.

Punt returner

0 Chance Warren | 5-10, 190 | Sr.

28 Amin Hassan | 5-7, 160 | Fr.

Kick returner

24 Maquel Haywood | 5-8, 170 | Fr.

28 Amin Hassan | 5-7, 160 | Fr..