Greg McElroy predicts Navy-Notre Dame rivalry game winner in Week 11

The Navy vs. Notre Dame matchup features contrasting styles, key defensive battles, and turnover trends shaping Saturday’s rivalry game.

ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy breaks down and picks the winner of the Week 11 rivalry game between Navy and Notre Dame. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Notre Dame will meet Navy on Saturday night in a matchup that pits two programs with opposite offensive philosophies. The Fighting Irish are coming off a 25-10 win over Boston College, while the Midshipmen enter at 7-1 after a 31-17 loss to North Texas.

Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr leads an offense averaging more than 460 yards per game, including 274 through the air. Running back Jeremiyah Love has powered the ground attack with 894 yards and 11 touchdowns, while wide receiver Jordan Faison has emerged as Carr’s most reliable target.

For Navy, quarterback Blake Horvath has accounted for 926 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the nation’s No. 1 rushing offense. The Midshipmen average 317.3 yards per game on the ground, using their trademark triple-option system to control tempo and possession.

Notre Dame’s Defense, Turnover Margin Make It the Favorite Against Navy

On ESPN’s Always College Football podcast, analyst Greg McElroy broke down the matchup and predicted a decisive Notre Dame win. He emphasized how the Irish’s speed and discipline on defense could neutralize Navy’s strengths.

“Navy has the No. 1 rushing offense in the entire country going up against Notre Dame’s 11th-ranked rushing defense,” McElroy said. “They’re built to control the clock, limit possessions, and win with disciplined, assignment-sound football. They want to keep the ball out of your hands and shorten the game.”

McElroy praised Notre Dame’s defensive consistency, especially its ability to force turnovers. “They’ve been extremely opportunistic — top three in the country in takeaways. And it’s not random luck,” he said. “They’ve made a habit of it over the last six or seven games, recording 16 interceptions during that stretch.”

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) has 894 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 141 carries this season. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Offensively, McElroy pointed to Notre Dame’s ball security as another reason for confidence. “Notre Dame has protected the football well all season long,” he noted. “The turnover margin is heavily in their favor.”

He closed his analysis with a clear prediction. “If Navy can keep a clean sheet — if they can avoid mistakes — maybe they hang around,” McElroy said. “But I don’t think they will. I think Notre Dame runs them out of the gym.”

The Fighting Irish will host Navy on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.