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Aer Lingus College Football 2023 Overview Sports News

Aer Lingus College Football 2023 Overview & Best Betting Tips

Blake RobertsBy Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 24 August 2023
Blake Roberts Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

The Aviva Stadium in Dublin will set the stage for a high-octane clash between two college football titans from the first division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) – Navy Midshipmen and Notre Dame Fighting Irish – in the renowned Aer Lingus College Football Classic 2023. The two teams will go toe-to-toe this Saturday at 2:30 PM ET. Also known as the Emerald Isle Classic, this will be the seventh edition of the tournament that has already hosted a clash between Navy Midshipmen and Notre Dame in two older editions.

Aer Lingus College Football 2023 – Previous Meetings

In 1996, Notre Dame beat Navy 54-27 at the Croke Park Stadium in Dublin in the third edition of the tournament. The fourth edition was conducted after a 16-year hiatus and featured the same two teams. Unfortunately for Navy Midshipmen, even the game’s outcome remained the same as they suffered a 50-10 loss at the Aviva Stadium.

The third clash between these two teams was announced in 2018 and was initially scheduled for 2020. However, the venue had to be changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually, the game was called off as Notre Dame chose to play an all-ACC schedule that season.

Aer Lingus College Football 2023 – Expert Overview

The clash between Navy Midshipmen and Notre Dame is expected to be one-sided, considering the latter’s domination in this fixture. The rivalry between these two teams became the longest-running uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football in 2019, as the two sides have played each other annually since 1927. The uninterrupted streak ended three years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the rivalry spanning beyond decades, the series record always favors Notre Dame. The team has a sensational 79-13-1 record against Navy Midshipmen. One of the most crucial wins for Navy came in 2007 when they won 46-44 in triple overtime and ended Notre Dame’s 43-game winning streak, which was the longest winning streak between two annual opponents in the NCAA’s Division I FBS Football history.

Last year, in the most recent encounter between these two teams, Notre Dame edged past Navy Midshipmen 35-32. This season, the underdogs are expecting a sweeping change across their program. The chapter under former head coach Ken Niumatalolo is closed, and a new reign has begun under the command of Brian Newberry. The new man in charge is expected to tweak the tactics and bring in a more diversified approach in offense.

Newberry might retain the team’s emphasis on the ground game but may want to introduce a more dynamic passing element. Navy Midshipmen’s new offensive coordinator, Grant Chestnut, has played a pivotal role in implementing these changes and orchestrating the much-needed evolution. Newberry’s plan against Notre Dame will be to maintain control of the clock and provide maximum rest to his defense. The key will be to find a fluid formation that catches their opponents on the wrong foot.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame are backed to win this encounter due to their gameplay and the prolific record they possess against their next opponent. After a decent first season, Marcus Freeman will be at the helm again for Notre Dame, and he will be wary of the new tactics that Navy Midshipmen’s new head coach could implement. The last time these two sides met, Notre Dame nabbed a very narrow 35-32 win. These two aspects will force Freeman to field a rigid and robust defense to thwart multifaceted attacks from Newberry’s side.

The Notre Dame defense has been an expert in stopping runs, but that will be a cause of concern for Navy attackers only if they rely solely on their primary method of attack, which was implemented last year. If the Navy’s new offensive strategy combines well with their ground game, it could cause great trouble for Notre Dame’s backline.

Aer Lingus College Football 2023 – Key Players

The offensive responsibility for Notre Dame may rest on the shoulders of one key player – Sam Harman. The talismanic quarterback has powered the team’s offensive department since he arrived from Wake Forest. He will be supported up front by Audric Estime. The experience and depth of Notre Dame’s offensive line will be one of the key aspects in determining the outcome of this game.

Navy Midshipmen will have to deal with Notre Dame’s effective attack and will turn to their reliable defensive players like DE Jacob Busic, LB Colin Ramos, and RB Daba Fofana. However, Newberry would not like his team to sit back and absorb punch after punch. The Navy’s 221-pound senior quarterback, Tai Lavatai, must make his presence felt in the attack. Before getting injured last season, Lavatai hit 50% of his passes with ten touchdown throws.

Aer Lingus College Football 2023 – Betting Tips

Navy Midshipmen’s surprise win over Notre Dame in 2016 highlights the mercurial nature of this encounter. However, since then, Notre Dame have won all the five games building up to this one. The margin of the previous win was quite small, but despite all aspects, Notre Dame are the strong favorites, and hence, they are backed by the odds at the best online football betting sites.

BetMGM is backing the favorites with Moneyline odds of -1400, while the underdogs, Navy Midshipmen, are +800 to win this clash. Unpredictability may make the Navy’s odds look quite lucrative, but the safest bet will be opting for Notre Dame.