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✦ ON PAPER BY DAN MURPHY sive numbers in the run game by sheer force of will. Navy finished last season fourth in the nation with 3,747 rush- ing yards. They were one of 11 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision to top 600 at- tempts, finishing fourth in that category as well with 694 carries. That's 261 more than the Irish in 2011. Navy's top two rushers NAVY RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE The Midshipmen's triple-option attack creates impres- Sophomore Noah Copeland excelled on special teams as a rookie last year, but will be asked to fill Alexander Teich's big shoes (2,122 yards and nine scores from 2009-11) at fullback this season. PHOTO COURTESY NAVY 2012. Greene ran for 501 yards and three touchdowns last season. Notre Dame's defensive front is led by senior linebacker from a year ago are gone. Quarterback Kriss Proc- tor and fullback Alexander Teich graduated and took 48 percent of the Midship- men's rushing yards with them. Sophomore Noah Co- peland (5-10, 205 pounds) is next in line to churn up yards from the fullback spot, but Navy will need to rely on its third option — senior slot backs Gee Gee Greene and Bo Snelson — to carry a bigger load in Manti Te'o. The All-American had a field day against the Midshipmen a year ago with 13 tackles. Sophomore de- fensive end Stephon Tuitt made seven tackles in one of his best performances of the year as well. Still, Navy's persis- tence earned them 196 rushing yards in that game. In a battle of team strengths, Navy's persistence allows them to put up impressive numbers in the ground attack. Advantage: Navy Trey Miller. In his lone start last year, Miller completed 5 of 13 passes for 33 yards with a touchdown against Notre Dame. He reportedly has more of an arm than Proctor and a couple of potentially strong targets, so those numbers should go up at least a little bit as a full-time starter. Navy's top receiver, 6-4 senior Brandon Turner missed NAVY PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Proctor's exit leaves the door open for junior quarterback the majority of training camp when he failed to pass a conditioning test in early August and won't be making the trip to Dublin. In addition, the Mids' next best option, Matt Aiken, hyperextended his knee, which will sideline him for the season opener. Notre Dame's secondary is weak at the corners with ju- nior Bennett Jackson and freshman KeiVarae Russell both making their first career start in Dublin. A pair of veteran safeties in fifth-year senior Jamoris Slaughter and senior Zeke Motta give the Irish the advantage in what is as much a battle of weaknesses as the running game is a battle of strengths. Advantage: Notre Dame leaving for Dublin when senior Cierre Wood was suspended for violating team rules. Wood rushed for 1,102 yards a year ago. Senior Theo Riddick and sophomore George At- kinson III will have to make up for that production during the first two weeks of the regular season. Both Riddick and Atkinson are good fits to thrive in the new receiver/running back combination position that should be featured in the Notre Dame offense this season. Veterans Matt Warrick (103 tackles in 2011) and Brye NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. NAVY RUN DEFENSE The Irish running back trio took a big hit the week before French (55 tackles) anchor a strong group of linebackers for Navy, but they'll have trouble making plays behind an undersized defensive line. The Midshipmen's starting defensive ends average 251 pounds, which leaves them 50 pounds lighter than each of the Irish offensive linemen. That size advantage should open up holes for a versatile crew of backs. Advantage: Notre Dame ing receiver this season. Senior tight end Tyler Eifert is expected to pick up the slack for first-round draft pick Mi- chael Floyd (who had 121 yards against Navy in 2011). Eif- ert made 63 catches a year ago and passed up the chance to join Floyd in the NFL for one more year in South Bend. Beyond him, Notre Dame has a pool of wide receivers that have yet to prove themselves. A trio of freshmen — Davonté Neal, Justin Ferguson and Chris Brown — made a strong impression in training camp and add to the options in the passing game. Navy finished 105th in pass efficiency defense in 2011. NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. NAVY PASS DEFENSE The Irish will have a new quarterback and a new lead- selves out of a rebuilding mode in special teams this sea- son. Notre Dame ranked 102nd in net punting and 112th in punt returns a year ago. Navy, 85th and 76th respectively, was not much better. The biggest question mark for the Mids this season is SPECIAL TEAMS To put it politely, both teams are hoping to pull them- at placekicker, where half a dozen freshmen competed to replace senior Jon Teague (10 of 15 on field goals in 2011). The Irish also lose their starter there, but senior Nick Tausch made 14 straight as a freshman and steps back into the top spot this season. Atkinson gives the Irish a bright spot on kick returns, and talented freshmen like Neal could make that unit even more lethal this year. Still, both teams are left with a lot to prove before one can claim to hold an edge in special teams. Advantage: Even Notre Dame. It's too early to place him on a hot seat, but he has yet to prove he can win consistently at Notre Dame. Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo built up some insurance with 27 wins in his first three seasons, but another 5-7 sea- son like 2011 will call him into question as well. After an embarrassing blowout in 2010, the Irish staff (es- pecially defensive coordinator Bob Diaco) figured out how to stop the option against two military schools last year. Navy won't be changing their approach this year, which means the X's and O's should fall in the same place. Advantage: Notre Dame COACHING Kelly is in coaching purgatory after a pair of 8-5 seasons at five-hour time difference and a trip across the Atlantic Ocean and Dublin makes a team's focus and discipline as big a factor as any in this matchup. The Irish are used to playing on a grander stage than Navy. INTANGIBLES Opening day is typically full of distractions. Throw in a While Aviva Stadium holds only a few more than 50,000 fans, the pomp and circumstance will make the venue seem bigger. Navy's technically the home team in this game, but the Irish will likely be the crowd favorite on Irish soil. Advantage: Notre Dame They lost safety Kwesi Mitchell (58 tackles, two intercep- tions), but return three starters for a more experienced group this season. None of them, however, have the com- bination of size and speed they'll need to stay with Eifert. Advantage: Notre Dame ✦ PAGE 4 PREDICTIONS Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 35, Navy 17 Jason Sapp: Notre Dame 42, Navy 13 Wes Morgan: Notre Dame 27, Navy 14 Dan Murphy: Notre Dame 31, Navy 16