Halloween Special: Notre Dame vs. Navy Preview
For the 99th time, Notre Dame and Navy will meet on a football field — only this time, neither team will be on home turf. The Fighting Irish and Midshipmen square off on Saturday, Oct. 31, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the first time in the series' century of history that the game has been played in New England. Navy is the designated home team, with the Rip Miller Trophy on the line as it has been every year since 2011.
No. 5 Notre Dame (6-1) arrives off a bye week, still stinging from a 28-24 upset loss at BYU on Oct. 17 that snapped a 16-game winning streak and cost the Irish their undefeated season and their No. 2 ranking. Navy (2-5, 1-4 American) comes in having lost three straight — to UTSA, North Texas, and a rough stretch that has buried a team many picked to contend for another conference title after an 11-2 campaign a year ago. On paper, it looks lopsided. On the field, against this particular opponent, Notre Dame knows better than to assume anything.
What Notre Dame wants different on offense
The Irish offense has had no trouble scoring in 2026 — Notre Dame ranked among the national leaders in points per game through its first six games — but BYU exposed real issues: third-and-long trouble, a run game that got bottled up for long stretches, and a few costly protection breakdowns on quarterback CJ Carr. Coming off the bye, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock wants to see three things look different.
First, a cleaner rushing attack. With Jeremiyah Love off to the NFL, the running back room has rotated through Nolan James Jr. and others, and the ground game hasn't had the same explosiveness that carried Notre Dame a year ago. Navy's defense won't be the test BYU's was, which makes this the game to get the run game humming again before November's gauntlet.
Second, sharper execution on early downs so Carr isn't facing the obvious passing situations that got him into trouble in Provo. Third, no more untimely drives stalling in the red zone — Notre Dame has been efficient there most of the season, but a trip or two went to waste against the Cougars. None of that is about facing Navy's defense specifically; it's about Notre Dame cleaning up its own operation against an opponent that, on paper, shouldn't punish mistakes the way BYU did.
What Notre Dame wants different on defense — against a truly unique opponent
Notre Dame's defense has been the backbone of the season, ranking among the national leaders in scoring defense, and even in the BYU loss the unit largely held up — it was the offense that let the Irish down in Provo. So "different" here isn't about fixing something broken; it's about readiness for a completely different puzzle.
Navy's option attack, now run out of head coach Brian Newberry's hybrid scheme blending Wing-T, triple-option and run-option concepts, doesn't look like anything else on Notre Dame's schedule. There's no NFL-style pro-style passing attack to prepare for — there's a quarterback in Braxton Woodson who can hand off, keep, or pitch on the same play, and a defense has to fit every gap and stay disciplined for four quarters or a single missed assignment turns into a long touchdown run. Notre Dame's defensive front — among the best Chris Ash has fielded in South Bend — wants assignment-perfect football: every player accounting for his option responsibility, no overpursuit, no freelancing. The other priority is tackling in space. Navy's slotbacks and fullback thrive on arm tackles and missed angles, so wrapping up low and finishing plays matters more this week than usual. If Notre Dame stays disciplined, it should have the speed and size advantage to shut the option down; if it doesn't, Navy has a well-earned history of making bigger, faster teams look foolish.
Notre Dame players to watch
Offense
CJ Carr, QB — The sophomore has been one of the country's most efficient passers and enters a favorable matchup to find his rhythm again after the BYU struggles.
Jordan Faison, WR — Notre Dame's leading receiver and a team captain; expect Denbrock to get him the ball early and often.
Jaden Greathouse, WR — Finally healthy in 2026 and a proven big-play threat opposite Faison.
Nolan James Jr., RB — The lead ball-carrier replacing Jeremiyah Love's production; this is a chance for him to have his breakout game.
Defense
Leonard Moore, CB — A rising star in the secondary who has made his share of plays on the ball this season.
Christian Gray, CB — A veteran, physical corner who has been a steady presence on the back end.
Boubacar Traore, DL — Notre Dame's top pass-rusher and run disturber up front, a problem even for an option scheme.
Jaylen Sneed and Drayk Bowen, LB — The linebacker duo responsible for staying home on the option's dive and keep reads; their discipline sets the tone for the whole defense.
Navy players to watch
Offense
Braxton Woodson, QB — A senior dual-threat triggerman who started against the Irish in South Bend a year ago. He's dealt with an ankle injury for parts of this season, and his health and explosiveness as a runner will go a long way toward determining how competitive Navy can be.
Jackson Gutierrez, QB — Woodson's backup has split time at quarterback this year and can move the option offense himself when called upon — Notre Dame has to prepare for both arms.
Jake Norris, TE — The senior tight end has been a focal point as Navy's staff has tried to get more production from the position in the passing game.
Defense
Navy's defense, under new coordinator Eric Lewis, has had a difficult season statistically, which is part of why the Midshipmen sit at 2-5. Still, it's a unit that plays with the physicality and tackling fundamentals service academy teams are known for, and it will be flying around trying to spring the upset of Notre Dame's season.
A rivalry unlike any other
Few series in college football carry the history this one does. Notre Dame and Navy have played every year since 1927, a run of 93 consecutive seasons that stood as the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in the sport until COVID-19 forced a cancellation in 2020. The series resumed in 2021, and Saturday's game is No. 99 on the all-time ledger.
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 82-13-1. From 1964 to 2006, the Irish won 43 straight meetings — still the longest winning streak by one team over another in NCAA history — before Navy finally broke through with a stunning 46-44 triple-overtime win in South Bend in 2007. The Midshipmen have beaten Notre Dame a handful of times since, most recently a 28-27 upset in 2016, but the Irish have won every meeting since, including a 51-14 rout in the snow at Notre Dame Stadium last November. Navy, in other words, has long been the opponent capable of the impossible against a program that usually has no business losing to it — which is exactly why Notre Dame never takes this game lightly, whatever the records say entering kickoff.
Why Notre Dame wins
Respect the history, but the 2026 version of this matchup favors the Irish about as heavily as it ever has. Navy is 2-5 and has lost three in a row, struggling with injuries and inconsistency at the sport's most demanding position to run an option offense from. Notre Dame, even fresh off its first loss, is still one of the most talented rosters in the country — a defense that ranks among the nation's best and an offense loaded with proven playmakers at receiver and under center.
The bye week matters too. Marcus Freeman's team gets a full two weeks to rest banged-up bodies, correct the issues from Provo and install a full week of option-specific defensive work, something most teams don't get the chance to do against Navy's scheme. Notre Dame also has real motivation: after its first loss in nearly two calendar years, this is exactly the kind of game a playoff-hopeful team needs to handle comfortably to rebuild momentum. And for all Navy's history of pulling off the improbable, the Midshipmen have not beaten the Irish since 2016, and this year's group simply doesn't have the explosive playmakers that past Navy teams used to spring the upset. Expect Notre Dame's size, speed and discipline up front to wear the option down in the second half, and for the Irish to leave Gillette Stadium with the win — and with a full head of steam heading into the stretch run of the season.
Go Irish!
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