Army Black Knights vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 23rd 2024
Preview and Prediction
It is a rare occurrence for an undefeated team to be considered the underdog in the latter half of November.
However, that is the predicament facing No. 19 Army as they prepare to take on No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday evening at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Army's head coach Jeff Monken acknowledged his team's underdog status. He pointed out that the Black Knights (9-0) have more players from Texas than any other state, yet none of them received a scholarship offer to play at North Texas.
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In comparison, Notre Dame (9-1) is a prestigious program filled with highly-rated four- and five-star recruits. Monken acknowledged the difference in pure talent between the two teams.
"It is extremely difficult to win a college football game, and even more so at Army," Monken stated. "Our players must embrace the fact that we have to execute our assignments and fundamentals at an exceptionally high level, better than anyone else. ...
"We must practice and play with absolute precision because if we don't, we will be humiliated. That is who we are. I accept that. However, that does not mean we lack talent. We have talented players on our team. But are we more talented than Notre Dame as a whole? No."
In terms of fundamentals, Army has been exceptional. They are one of only three undefeated FBS teams remaining, along with No. 1 Oregon and No. 5 Indiana, and they currently hold the longest winning streak in the nation at 13 games dating back to last season.
Notre Dame's head coach Marcus Freeman believes that Army's success has been hard-earned.
"I told my coaching staff that I believe this will be our toughest challenge to date," Freeman said.
The Fighting Irish enter this prime-time matchup with an eight-game winning streak, including a 35-14 victory against Virginia last week. They have outscored their opponents 380-114 so far this season.
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Riley Leonard leads Notre Dame with 1,789 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, as well as 641 rushing yards and 13 scores on the ground. Jeremiyah Love has contributed 720 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, while Beaux Collins has caught 30 passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns.
Freeman praised his team for their tenacity, as they have not trailed in the second half during their winning streak.
"It's about treating each play as the most important play of the game," Freeman explained. "That is a mindset. It doesn't matter what the score is - whether we are up or down. This play is the most crucial play of the game, and it takes effort and focus to maintain that mindset, right?
"It's not natural. It's natural to let up. It's natural to think, 'Okay, we have a lead, it's not that important. This play doesn't matter.' But the players on the field must have the conviction that this play is crucial in achieving the outcome we want in the game."
Army is led by Bryson Daily, who has thrown for 644 yards and seven touchdowns, and has rushed for 1,062 yards and 21 touchdowns. Kanye Udoh is the second-leading rusher with 856 yards and nine touchdowns.
Notre Dame holds a 39-8-4 advantage in the all-time series against Army, and they have won the last 15 meetings between the two teams. The teams have played 23 times at Yankee Stadium, with 22 of those games taking place at the original ballpark (1925-29, 1931-46, 1969) and one at the current stadium (2010).