Game Thread | No. 19 Army vs. No. 6 Notre Dame

No. 19 Army (9-0) vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) 

Yankee Stadium | 7:00 PM ET | NBC | Line: Notre Dame -14.0 | Total: 45.5

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Five Players To Watch

Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price
Army has only allowed one run of 20+ yards all season. They are masters at "bend, don't break", but they haven't faced running threats like Riley Leonard, Jeremiyah Love, and Price. That trio for the Irish has consistently produced explosive runs to break open games. Price leads the country in yards after contact per rush and can go from having a quiet day to breaking a big run at any moment. 

Army QB Bryson Daily
Daily is already over 1,000 yards rushing in eight games and he's been fantastic all season. His value truly showed itself when he was unable to play against Air Force and Army's offense was unrecognizable without him. He's a physical runner at 220 and carried the ball 36 times against North Texas. He'll have to have his A game to have success against the best defense Army has faced all season.

Notre Dame S Xavier Watts
Watts is having another All-American season and every week he makes winning plays to help propel the Irish to victory. Notre Dame's safeties will have to play a huge role in stopping Army's efficient offense and Watts will be counted on again to create havoc against an offense that hasn't made many mistakes thus far.

Army Edge Elo Modozie
Modozie has been Army's best pass rusher by a wide margin. He leads the team in sacks, pressures, and has the most potential to be a game wrecker for them up front. It's not a defense that causes a ton of negative plays (85th in havoc rate) and they'll need some of that to stop Notre Dame tonight.

Notre Dame WR Jaden Greathouse
Greathouse has emerged as the most consistent receiver for the Irish since the middle of the season, which is why having him stay healthy is very important for the offense. He went down with a shoulder injury against Virginia after a nice catch and run, but is not listed on the injury report this week. Army has some slot defenders who should be targeted frequently, so Greathouse and Jayden Harrison could both have big games.

Quotes of the Week

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman:
”Coach (Jim) Tressel used to say, they are three yards and a cloud of dust. That’s what they want. They are a vertical, physical, power-running team. They’re good with getting three yards, four yards, three yards, four yards, and if you don’t get them behind the chains, they’re going to continue to do it for 11, 12, 15-play drives. It’s so important to get some negative yardage plays and one-yard gains. We cannot allow them to stay in rhythm as they go down the field. We know it’s important, but now we have to find ways to do that on Saturday.” 

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock: 
“I don't know that Devyn Ford's injury has anything to do with the Aneyas' ascension. I think it's got a lot to do with Aneyas becoming more comfortable with our offense, with the structure of it, showing some dynamic ability on third down to not only do a good job in blitz pick up, but catch the ball out of the backfield and make some plays with it. What he's gotten, he's earned. And rightfully so.” 

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden:
“That’s the first thing we cautioned the staff and the players about on Sunday is to think there’s going to be a continuation. There’s not. This is a clean break. This is a different DNA — how they formation, how they are structured, where they want to attack the ball. So, it’s different. There’s certainly some crossover. I’m not saying that. But I’m saying overall the MO is different than Navy. That’s what our guys are trying to get used to right now: that speed, that tempo and where they’re trying to place the ball.”

Notre Dame WR QB Riley Leonard:
“It’s really cool. I think the coolest thing is we’re getting into late November and you’re in control of your own destiny. That’s something I haven’t been able to experience. Every day you wake up and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is cool.’ You have that motivation and that extra urge to go above and beyond - go the extra mile.” 

For Your Nerves 

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