Tommy Rees won't play for Notre Dame against Navy.
Tommy Rees won't play for Notre Dame against Navy. windycitizensports.wordpress.c

Notre Dame takes the field for the first time in 2012 as they play Navy in their season opener.

The Fighting Irish face the Midshipmen on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland. It's the second time in 16 years that the two schools are playing each other in Ireland.

The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS. If you can't to a TV, you can listen to a free live stream online at cbssports.com.

The betting line favors Notre Dame in this one. Navy is a 15-point underdog in their first game of the year, even though they have beaten the Fighting Irish in three of their last five meetings.

Notre Dame is favored for good reason, entering the contest ranked 24th in the nation, according to the USA Today Top 25 poll. They are looking to have their first double-digit win season six years. They went 10-3 under Charlie Weis in 2006, eventually falling to LSU in the Sugar Bowl.

The Fighting Irish will be undermanned, as a few of their star players have been suspended for the contest.

Tommy Rees won't suit up in this one. Notre Dame's starting quarterback has been suspended for the first game of the season, after being arrested at a party on May 3. Everett Golson will get the starting nod in his place.

Linebacker Carlo Calabrese will also be forced to sit, along with running back Ceirre Wood and cornerback Lo Wood.

Theo Riddick will get the chance to show what he can do with Wood on the bench. The running back is poised to have a good game against a defense that allowed over 186 yards per game on the ground in 2011.

Navy is led by quarterback Trey Miller, who has only started one game in his career. He'll look to utilize his triple-option attack.

Gee Gee Greene and John Howell lead Navy's ground game. They combined for 841 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Prediction: The Irish will be missing a lot of their best players, and Navy has shown in recent years that they are not intimidated by Notre Dame. The Midshipmen might not be good enough to pull out a victory, but they should be able to stay competitive and cover the point spread.

Predicted Score: Notre Dame 34, Navy 24

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