Notre Dame takes these talents to iconic Yankee Stadium for their Shamrock Series game against undefeated Army. Our staff make their official predictions below.
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Bruce Straughan - Recruiting Insider
Score Prediction: 45-10 Notre Dame
People can talk all they want about how good Army appears to be but at the end of the day, it’s still Army. Army hasn’t played anyone of note yet so I don’t understand the hype around them.
Notre Dame’s Defense as we already know is elite and has really found their groove and has been consistently shutting down offenses ever since the NIU game. In fact, Notre Dame has only allowed a little over 10 points a game on average since the NIU loss. I just don’t see this Army team who loves to run be able to run on this DLine.
Notre Dame’s offense is averaging nearly 43 points a game following the NIU game. With Army’s very undersized DLinemen compared to Notre Dame’s OLine added to their secondary which is one of the best in the country, I just don’t see how Army will move the ball against this team. Notre Dame will win and it won’t be close.
Peter Mulroy - Associate Editor, First & Gold Podcast
Score Prediction: 31-10 Notre Dame
The recipe is there for this Notre Dame team: Run the football, and dare the opposition to throw over the top on your championship-caliber defense. And, if the Irish are to stir things up out of that cookbook, they should find themselves in line for another victory. Sure, the Black Knights pack a powerful punch of their own in the run game (and they pass a bit more this season as well), but if Riley Leonard and Co. can provide Al Golden’s unit with an early lead, it could spoil Army’s trip to the Bronx. Riding the emotions of this very special Shamrock Series, Notre Dame gets it done.
Liam Farrell - Associate Editor, Senior Football Writer
Score Prediction: 21-10 Notre Dame
The Notre Dame offense will get out to a fast start, but stall for the remainder of the game. Army will have a touchdown drive in one of their first two possessions, but the Irish defense will adapt to the Black Knights’ offensive attack as the game progresses. The final blow will be Notre Dame stopping Army on a lengthy drive in the redzone, and putting a late-game touchdown that extends their lead and puts Army’s undefeated season to rest.
Connor Regan - Long-Form Writer
Score Prediction: 38-13 Notre Dame
For the first time in decades, the Army-Notre Dame game actually has stakes. Unlike many of Notre Dame’s opponents this season, Army isn’t looking to just play spoiler, they’re hunting for a spot in the postseason and a chance to become the first 10-0 Army football team. The Irish have been in “win or go home” mode since week 2, and with a chance at the CFP closer than ever, the 9-0 Black Knights are now playing with the same stakes.
With all that said, Notre Dame is just too big, talented, and experienced to drop this game. If the Irish offense can score early and the defense can force Army into turnovers or a slow start, this should be a comfortable yet not resounding win for the Irish over their 4th-ranked opponent of the year. It may be tight in the first half, but Notre Dame should eventually pull away.
Noah Wehby - Writer
Score Prediction: 34-14 Notre Dame
The consistency of the Notre Dame offense is going to be vital in this game. Army is very good at limited possessions and eating clock. This means the offense won’t get as many possessions as they are used to. Notre Dame’s offense will have to be efficient in the possessions they get. On defense, it will be a typical academy-style game. Notre Dame is going to handle it well, as they did against Navy. Al Golden’s squad's biggest contribution to the game will be forcing turnovers, getting at least two. This put the offense in advantageous positions and break open this game.
Brenden Duffy - Associate Editor, Senior Staff Writer
Score Prediction: 35-24 Notre Dame
Nothing in this game would surprise me. I can’t help but think about how the Irish destroyed Navy’s triple-option attack. Overall, Army is a better team than Navy, hence the somewhat close score prediction.
Offensively, I think Notre Dame will find success running the ball. Army hasn’t faced a rushing attack as dangerous as Notre Dame’s. Expect the game to start slow, for both teams, but I think the Irish will capitalize on a worn-down Army defense in the second half.
Defensively for the Irish, this game should be all about stopping QB Bryson Daily. He is an elite runner who has put together a Heisman-worthy season, leading his squad to this 9-0 start. I think the Irish will garner enough stops to keep Army’s offense off the field as much as possible.
Both teams will be fighting for their playoff lives but Notre Dame’s talent level shines through, giving the Irish another notable win on the season.
Clayton Stohler - First & Gold Podcast
Score Prediction: 42-17 Notre Dame
At the end of the day, this is going to be a game where the most physical team wins. And that’s going to make for a tough start to this game. Army plays like they want to be there more than the other team, that’s been the case all year.
But there’s a major issue standing in the way. North Texas isn’t Notre Dame. And that’s the best team Army has played up to this point.
Irish end up shortening drives, making the most of their possessions, and pull away by the second quarter. ND will control the game from there. It’ll feel closer than it actually is, but the athleticism of ND continues to extend a team’s shelf life as they stay in “the zone” they’ve been in since week 2 came to its disastrous conclusion.
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Brady Burden - Social Media Manager
Score Prediction: 38-21 Notre Dame
This is a very important matchup for both teams as the regular season comes to an end and playoff rankings creep closer and closer.
Army is coming off a 14-3 win over North Texas, punching themselves a ticket to the AAC Championship game last weekend. The Black Knights offense is averaging around 35.2 points per game while the defense only gives up 10.3 points a game.
I think the Notre Dame defense creates an early turnover and capitalizes off the turnover with a score. The Army offense is spectacular early, but at the half Al Golden makes his adjustments and shuts down their offense. Notre Dame's rushing game is vital to the victory as Jeremiyah Love rushes for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. The passing game will be average but performs at a high level when needed.
The Irish dominate the second half and leave New York with a huge ranked win and are looking forward to finishing the regular season next weekend at USC for rivalry week.
Caleb Conrad - Contributor
Editors Note: Please welcome Caleb Conrad to The Irish Tribune team. Caleb will be joining the team to expand our men's and women's basketball coverage. With experience in the world of basketball, along with being an intern for Fighting Irish Preview -- published by a friend of the Tribune Phil Houk --, Caleb will be a great voice in our coverage to bring incredible reporting and analysis to Notre Dame fans who desire basketball content.
Score Prediction: 35-10 Notre Dame
Notre Dame has been playing consistently solid and has dominated their last five opponents throughout the whole game. Army likes to run the ball and chew the clock down. I think the Notre Dame defense will shut Army’s run game down early and force a lot of empty possessions. Riley Leonard and the Notre Dame offense will continue to play fundamentally sound and drive the ball down the field fairly easily against this Army defense. I believe Notre Dame will have the lead throughout the whole game and ultimately top Army by a score of 35-10.
What are your predictions for this highly impactful game, Notre Dame Nation?
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