Vote for the Navy Football Play of the Year

The award circuit for college football may be over now that the Bowl games are in full swing, but here at Pitch Right we're honoring the best players and plays of the season. Today we're starting the voting for the best play of the year for the 2007 Navy football season with five plays I've felt should be in the discussion. Think I missed a play worthy of mention? Just mention it below and I'll gladly consider it, and be sure to vote for the play of the year on the sidebar to your right.

Play of the Year (Nominations)

"The Leap"

The already iconic image of Ram Vela flying over Armando Allen's head to disrupt Evan Sharpley and Notre Dame's offense on a 4th down play that may have given Notre Dame it's 44th consecutive win over Navy. The play was so much more than just the critical stop that pushed the game into overtime, but a play which swung the game's momentum decidedly in Navy's favor after Notre Dame stole momentum midway through the 4th quarter. It's come to symbolize the never say die attitude that is a hallmark of this Navy program, and the triumph of the guy who they thought was too small or too slow to play Division I-A football.

Bobby Doyle to Jarod Bryant

In a game filled with big plays and game changing moments, this one stands out to me as the most memorable. There was Buffin's interception and Jarod's 35 yard run in which he seemingly made every Duke player miss in the open field, but none of it would have been possible had reserve slotback Bobby Doyle (a former QB at Chardon High in Ohio) not thrown a picture perfect pass to backup quarterback Jarod Bryant for the two point conversion. Not only did it tie the game at 43, but it helped to save a season that seemed to be rapidly heading for disaster.

Bullen Does It Again

Taken as statistics only, an outside observer may have seen Joey Bullen's kicking career at the Naval Academy as decidedly average. But for periods of inconsistency and even losing his job for much of the 2006 season, Bullen always proved himself in the clutch and came through when the game was on the line. As incredible as his 44 yard field goal as time expired to beat Duke was, maybe more incredible is how the former backup came in almost stone-cold to redeem himself and prove that it wasn't just the starters who don't quit.

Off to the Races

Up 24-20 with just over nine minutes left in the game, Navy needed a score to keep Air Force at arms length and make it a two possession game. With a defense that had struggled and an Air Force offense determined not to be defeated for a fifth straight year, the Mids got a much needed lift when Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada accelerated past the entire Air Force defense en route to a 78-yard touchdown run off the option. The play put Air Force into panic mode, and helped lead Navy to it's fifth consecutive win over the Falcons.

Not One Step Back


Resiliency. We talked about it so much in the course of the season, but there is no more perfect example of it than in the final play of Navy's 46-44 overtime win at Notre Dame. After four quarters and three overtimes the 2007 Navy football team was not about to let it's best chance in year's pass them by. Need I say more?


Be sure to check in tomorrow afternoon when I present my individual awards for the 2007 Navy football season.

Merry Christmas

I'm peacing out until next Friday. Headed to Siberia (aka Buffalo) for Christmas. Crank up Handel's Messiah, watch a bowl game, and eat a honey glazed ham. Seriously, does it get any better? Have a blessed Jesus' Birthday.

Never Stopped Fighting

There's a lot you can say about the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl. There's the blown touchback call, the sloppy field conditions, and the Navy ball control mistakes which ultimately lead to a Utah win. There was a tough game for one of Navy's football's most dynamic players of all time, the Utah halftime adjustments, and the struggles of a coaching staff to adjust to calling a game without their former leader. But I don't want to talk about that stuff right now. I want to talk about a team which never stops fighting.

I want to talk about Zerb Singleton and Adam Ballard and Irv Spencer. I want to talk about Matt Wimsatt, Antron Harper, OJ Washington, and the rest of a senior class which has distinguished itself amongst the most winningist classes in the Academy's history. I want to talk about a group of guys who came into the Academy when there was still a good deal of uncertainty surrounding the program, and the team which developed from that. I love this team. I love everything about it. They're gritty but not to a fault, there resilient but they can still get the job done. They embody every cliche you could throw at them and much much more, and they've made the 2007 football season one of, if not the most memorable season in decades. And even though for the second straight year I unfortunately thank them the day after a heartbreaking loss, it by no means diminishes everything they've accomplished in their four years at Navy, and the greatness which surely awaits them in the coming years.

I think this program is in good hands. I'm going to miss Reggie slicing through opposing defenses or Irv coming out of nowhere to lay the wood, but I know that the program is as strong as it's ever been and that there is a another class ready to step up the plate and take on the challenge. There are so many good things to talk about, so many exciting and new story lines to look into. As we head into the off season we look froward to another season of recruiting and spring practices, and of the perpetual hope which comes with the changing of the seasons. But even as we do so we fail to forget the players who brought us to this point, and we thank them for the enjoyment they've given us over the past four year, and for the service they are about to render for the good of our country.

In the darkened hours of this morning Irv Spncer gave an interview for a postgame report in which he said that Navy football isn't about the coaches or the ups and downs of the college football landscape, but rather about the players who make up the small fraternity they call the brotherhood. I'm grateful to have been able to watch the class of 2008 take it's place in Navy football history, and excited to watch the next set of players take their rightful place on a team and a program which has never, and will never stop fighting.

You guys are freaking awesome.

Quite obvious, If you ask me...

...that this was a touchback.

P-Bowl: Second Half Live Blog

Halftime Thoughts: Well, we're ahead. Barely. Still, I've got to give Navy's defense a lot of credit, especially Irv Spencer, Ross Pospisil, and Ram Vela. We've been seeing Utah really run the ball aggressively inside, but also try to get the running game going on the edges using some fakes and misdirection. As far as the offense goes, we just need to eliminate mistakes. Too many false starts for starters, but I don't need to tell you that the back breakers we're Reggie's fumble and the missed 50 yard field goal. I loved Coach N's intensity with the sideline reporter, and you know he's gonna do everything to win this game not only for the seniors, but for the program. I'll do my best to get back to everybody's thoughts, but if I'm slow on the posting forgive me.

11:00- Dude, was that Greg flying on the kickoff coverage? FDD?
11:05- Great job again by the? Navy D, especially the line to force a three and out. Time to pull away...
11:12- Back by popular demand...ESTABLISH THE FULLBACK! Eric Kettani goes in for a touchdown after a brilliant Navy drive to put the Mids up 17-7. The offense is starting to feel it, and now the defense really has some energy too. Look for Utah to try to get aggressive on this next series.
11:20- I will never make a dumb joke about Ross Pospisils name again. He is awsome.
11:24- Not a very good job of making his reads on that last drive, but I won't get too picky. Still, if we're gonna win this game we can't do it running standard triple option the rest of the way. I hope Coach Jasper is trying to set something up.
11:35- Yea, so Greg Thrasher was being held on that touchdown run...
11:40- I don't know what's going on, but Reggie continues to have a very, very tough game. You hate to see it because he's carried this team in the past, but if he makes a few plays in this game Navy is in a much more comfortable situation. Now Utah has the momentum and I have a very bad feeling.
11:43- Hernandez has had two fingertop grabs that have gone for big yards.
11:45- I Love BYU.
11:49- Austin Collie is my hero.
11:52- I hate football.
11:55- Why are we blitzing so much? Honestly...
11:59- Did Ketric Buffin not want to hit Johnson, Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. 21 unanswered points. Geez. Nothing more to say.
12:10- I was just joking about hating football. How about Coach N to call the fullback option on the two point conversion, just like PJ did against ND? Alright, real test here. We need a stop.
12:15- We gotta do something about the underneath pass...
12:19- Greg Thrasher just missed a chance at being the biggest hero ever.
12:20- I hate Brian Johnson. He however is a good player.
12:23- SHOULDA BEEN A TOUCHBACK
12:30- Losing a Bowl game like this really bothers me. You want to seniors to win so badly, and you want the program to make a statement. You figure it shouldn't be this way, that Navy should want and need this game more, but unfortunately it just hasn't turned out like that for the second year in a row. I think we saw some promise today, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but I can’t help going to bed tonight with a bit of a sinking feeling for those seniors who have invested so much in this program.
12:39- Zerb Never Quits.
12:41- ZERB NEVER QUITS
12:43- Mutherfarking turf.
12:45- This team never quits. I think we will be ok next year.

Poinsettia Bowl Live Blog: Half Numero Uno

9:05-Damn Pitt and Duke. Just what you'd expect from two teams which lost to Navy in football. Also, damn technology. I'm recording VHS because I'm still living in 1998 and have no idea how to operate a DVD recorder.
9:10- Frankly, this is why I hate basketball. The last five minutes in a game take a half an hour. Disgusting.

9:14- Overtime? WTF ESPN? There are a million regular season basketball games and only one P-Bowl. Screw the World Wide Leader.

9:20- Navy with a horrible initial series and UTah moving the ball...Oh yea, this basketball game still has 4 mins to go in overtime, which means we'll be lucky to see the Navy game by the start of the second quarter. I'm bagging the live blog until I can actually see it.

9:30- Reggie Campbell is my boy, but he's having a horrible start. Drops a touchdown pass and then fumbles at the three. Looks like we just gave away easy points...

9:35- Damn you Omar Nelson and your compliments on the opponent's play.

9:37- Sounds like Utah is keying in on the toss sweep. Time to go to the fullback trap

9:38- Bout damn time ESPN...What the hell, that wrapup took forever, lets get going will ya!

9:41- Man they are running it down our throughts. Gotta get something going.

9:43- Man a Brian Johnson overthrow just saved us. We brought five guys on a blitz and got stoned, but forced a punt. Still 0-0.

9:45- My ESPN just went dark. No kidding...

9:49- Is there a reason we keep running the sweep?

9:51- Time to see what Coach Jasper is made of. My guess is he's trying to set something up, but he's being very deliberate about it. Also, Bobby Doyle needs to improve his blocking for next year.

9:54- Don't understand the call to go with Bullen from 50. It's fine when your up 21 against Army with no time in the half left, but now?

10:00- I'm seeing some good stuff from our defense, but Utah looks like they're going to score. I'm excited for some of our young players. Vela made a helluva play on a hook and latter try.

10:05- Shitatzu. Utah's offense is operating real well as Mack goes in for a touchdown. 7-0 Utes. It should be 7-7, but we won't hold it against Reggie.

10:06- Alright, we need something to work on offense. The pass looks like it's there, but Utah is doing a good job of slicing through and getting penetration. Look for maybe a reverse or a trap coming up. Let's keep these guys honest Coach Jasper. Defense is holding in there despite giving up the score...

10:13- TOUCHDOWN NAVY! Great job by Ivin Jasper calling the play, although Holtz actually made a good point about rhythm when calling plays from the booth. I think this score will really energize the team though. Navy has had some chances to stop Utah on defense, now we just need to work on getting third down stops. It's important that we get a chance to score before the half as Utah will get the ball first in the second half.

10:22- Ram got away with a facemask on Johnson, but Navy forces a three and out and we're about to get the ball back. Great job by the Navy D! Ross, Ram, Irv, all these guys are flying to the football tonight. When we talk about a more athletic defense this is what we mean, guys that can get lateral in a hurry!

10:30- Fourth and 2. I think going for it is a good idea, we'll have to see what the play is. I'm putting my money on a midline option.

10:39- Good kick by Joey, but we left them too much time. Utah is going to do some trickeration here ya gotta think.

It’s Business Time: Poinsettia Bowl Pre-Game Live Blog

Welcome aboard (DING!)* and thanks for showing up! I'm counting you down to the 9 PM EST start of the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl between Navy and Utah, complete will random thoughts, insignificant anecdotes, and lots of criticism directed at things completely beyond my control. Oh yea, and did I mention I'll be live-blogging the football game as well? Sweet deal if you ask me.

First order of business. College Football Live did a fairly good job today in lead-up to the game, complete with a cut-in to Rece Davis on the USS Midway in San Diego. Rece will be calling the action tonight on ESPN. It's a good thing too, as Rece is one of the most knowledgeable and insightful on-air personalities the world wide leader has on its payroll. Unfortunately he will be paired with two of the least knowledgeable and insightful personalities of ESPN college football in Lou Holtz and Mark May. Alright, so maybe Mark May is a bit insightful, and Coach Holtz must have some knowledge from all those years of coaching, but let's be honest; listening to these two discuss Navy football is like listening to the eight year olds down the street talking about which kids' brother can beat up the others'. After all, can we possible forget Lou Holtz's discussion of, uh, your not going actually make me explain this to you, are you?



Needless to say, the last time these two teamed up to call a Navy game things got a bit off topic. From Mark May;s strangely homosexual fascination with Eric Kettani's dressing habits to Lou Holtz's attempt to explain the "wishbone" with a sandwhich in his mouth, the Navy-Pittsburgh broadcast of October can be summed up in three concise words. What. The. Hell. Dude...

Ok, so that's four, but you get my drift. Well, I'm off to go eat something which will potentially shorten my life by a matter of weeks, but after the break I'll get you caught up on how the pundits are seeing this one play out.

5:55- Just got off the phone with my buddy, and he's informed me of several relevant Vegas odds going into the game.

2:1 Reggie Campbell Scores a Touchdown
4:1 Mark May makes a reference to Eric Kettani's tailor
20:1 Rece Davis slips up on the pronunciation of Coach Niumatalolo's name
50:1 PhatPhelix is sighted on national television wearing a rather large sombrero
8672:1 O.J. Washington lines up wide in a go-cart, later explaining that it was his objective to just "take everyone out."


6:05- I’m watching ESPN in anticipation for this P-Bowl preview I keep hearing about, but all I’m seeing is the Tuna’s manboobs.

6:25- It seems like everyone and their mother is going with Utah to win this game, including our friend Brian at Inthebleachers.net, who picked Utah to win 48-31. At least he may be in the right scoring range, as a number of previews I've seen have this game in the high twenties and low thirties. I'm going with the Mids in this one, in a game which will see both teams break the 30 points mark and the winner approaching 50 or more.

7:15- So I'm watching Sportscenter just to see what I can see and BAM, they come out with this Jason Grimsley unsealed statement story like it's a matter or life and death. Turns out Pete Incaviglia took amphetamines in the 90s. While this may seem like an insignificant nothingness on your sports radar, it basically shatters my childhood perception of the Orioles teams of the 1990s. You see as a kid growing up in the 90s in Maryland I loved the Orioles, and even remember a time when they didn't flat out suck. For some reason, I always remember my father saying stuff about Pete "stinky inky" Incaviglia. Turns out stinky inky was a cheater. You gotta wonder how bad this guy woulda been had he not used the 'amps. Why am I telling you this? Because I'm bored and we all need to kill time.

7:19- DING! Check out this preview for another Navy pun. Did that guy just call him Coach Tim Niumatalolo?



(H/T: MWC Podcast and Blog)


7:35- I'm digging up random previews for your enjoyment, so stay with me. Eric from SOS previews the game and (shocker) likes Utah. What's unique about his preview is the lovely history lesson he includes to begin:

Of course, you're probably aware that a Poinsettia is a Christmas "flower". But how did it get its name? It is named after the first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett. The poinsettia is native to the west coast, hence the bowl game being named after a Pacific flower. It also could go by other names such as Mexican flame leaf, Christmas star, or Winter rose.

Which brings up the question on everyone's mind. Is it PoinsettA or PoinsettIA?


*For every hastily made and poorly constructed Naval pun I or the ESPN team of commentators make tonight, $1 will be donated to the "Buy Chris Spielman an actual pair of dress pants and shoes" fund.

Why McShay Is Wrong

To be perfectly honest I was going to abstain from posting this week on account of trying to get myself in the Christmas spirit and enjoying the break between semesters, but after a week of attempting to do such I realized I had to break my silence and my boredom by coming up with something at least marginally intelligent to say.

And what better way to do so then by taking a shot at one of these so called "experts" we're always complaining about? I only kid (well, kinda) on the ripping part, although one of the story lines I'd like to address is the questionable job of breaking down this game that I've seen a number of services do. Case in point, the report I saw this morning on ESPN.com by Scouts Inc. director Todd McShay. I dislike Todd McShay for several reasons. For starters he's predictable and unimaginative in his scouting reports, and often falls into the trap of stereotyping different "kinds" of players. God forbid you ever have a white wide receiver, even one who ran a 10.63 in H.S., because McShay will undoubtedly say something to the effect of "lacks ideal speed" or "separation ability." But alas, I digress, and as much as I like Jordy Nelson I've come to talk about McShay's scouting report for the Poinsettia Bowl, and not for the All-American receiver they call the "People's Champ."

As far as the preview goes, I think McShay is first of all the wrong guy to be doing it, and question why ESPN couldn't get one of their exclusively college football guys to break it down. You can just tell McShay sacrifices facts in exchange for something to say, as he points out Navy will make a "yearly" trip to the Poinsettia Bowl for the second time in it's existence. Last I checked Navy didn't play in the Poinsettia Bowl in 2006, and won't play there in 2008. That hardly qualifies as a "yearly" event if you ask me. But I didn't break my silence to quip about Mr. McShay's hyperbole, and instead want to focus on the comments he makes regarding why Utah will win.

I think he invests too much in whatever advantage Utah may gain from the extra time to prepare for Navy. Considering that these are student athletes with exams to take, the actual time these players have to prep for Navy outside of watching film really isn't much longer than your typical bye week going into a game with Navy. How did teams with extra time to prepare do against Navy this year? Well, let's take a look:

Temple: 361 rushing yards allowed, 439 total yards allowed, 30 points allowed.
Pittsburgh: 331 rushing yards allowed, 497 total yards allowed, 38 regulation points allowed.
Delaware: 342 rushing yards allowed, 506 total yards allowed, 52 regulation points allowed.
Notre Dame: 257 rushing yards allowed, 338 total yards allowed, 28 regulation points allowed.
North Texas: 572 rushing yards allowed, 680 total yards allowed, 63 regulation points allowed.
Army: 287 rushing yards allowed, 294 offensive yards allowed, 31 regulation points allowed.

As you can see from the numbers above, the notion that extra time somehow equates to better play against the triple option is bogus. In fact, if you want to draw a conclusion about playing better against the triple option it would almost certainly have to be based on having played it before, as both Notre Dame and Army (which play Navy every year) fared the best defensively of the bunch. These numbers aside, bowl history does not support McShay's notion as well. For instance, Boston College, which played Navy on December 30th last year and thus had more time for prep work outside of the practice field, gave up 322 rushing yards and 403 total yards to Navy. And that BC defense was no slouch either, finishing the regular season amongst the top defensive teams in the country. Once again, if you go back to 2004 and 2005 and take a look at Navy bowl games against similar Mountain West conference teams, we see the Mids come in as an underdog expected to fall short of their average offensive production during the regular season, only in both cases to exceed it. The point, I believe, is rather simple. The bigtime scouts and "experts" have a tendency to fall back on general talking points, and fail to accurately do even simple research that seems to suggest a point contrary to the one they come in with. It's especially dumbfounding to me how he and many other scouts can pick Navy to score 27 points on the basis of the aforementioned premise that Utah's defense will Benoit from extra time. Not only has Navy scored more points in all their games against teams with extra time to prepare this season, but done so against defenses of similar or greater ability.

I'm a firm believer in that you just can't trust statistics, especially in a bowl game and especially when your playing out of conference. If McShay and the other "experts" want to think Navy's offense will struggle against Utah then they ought to just come out and say they think it's because of Johnson's departure. That, at the very least, is a viable argument. If you're like me, you haven't wasted too much time breaking down this matchup, because, to be honest, you don't need to. I'm sure Utah fans will take exception to this statement, but we as Navy fans have seen this story line before both in 2004 and 2005. And while I don't mean to suggest that the 2007 Utah Ute's are the same team as the 2004 Lobo's or the 2005 Rams, one must also admit that this Navy offense is superior to both the Navy offenses which faced off against those teams. This should be a fun game to watch, but unlike what Todd McShay seems to think, I give Navy- on the basis of history- a much better chance in this one.

I Forgot to Mention- We're Playing a Bowl Game on Thursday

I will be live blogging this sucker starting a 1800 Thursday evening. Until them watch hockey and be a good American.

Navy Football: (Almost) All In

Congratulations Navy fans, you've just made it through the first week of a new era. And while were still only six days removed from Paul Johnson's resignation of the head coaching position to take up the same job at Georgia Tech, we've already started to come out of the cocoon of shock and befuddlement, instead embracing a new head coach and a very similar, proven coaching philosophy.

Before the season began, we heard a lot about one of those potentially cheesy strength and conditioning motto's that seem to reverberate through pro, college, and high school locker rooms across the country. This year the motto was "All In," both challenging and reflecting upon the commitment of Navy's players and coaches. Well, here we are in December, and despite the loss of the head coach and the pending loss of several top assistants, the Naval Academy football players remain all in, and the program is already on the road to recovery with a series of moves to continue to momentum that Paul Johnson began six years ago.

The situation I'm referring to is obviously with the coaching staff. I've been deliberate in watching this thing play out over the past week, but with the help of Bill Wagner and other's we're starting to get a good view about what the staff will look like for next year. As we've already established, and as we all surely know by know, Ken Niumatalolo was named Navy's 38th head coach on Saturday. On Monday after practice, Coach Niumatalolo confirmed to Wagner that former quarterbacks coach Ivan jasper will be promoted to offensive coordinator, while defensive coordinator Buddy Green will stay on as well. In addition to these two coaches, Navy is also expected to retain the services of a number of other assistants- among them Keith Jones (outside linebackers), Joe Speed (secondary), Danny O'Rourke (linebackers), and Dale Pehrson (defensive line.) Word on the street is that fullbacks Coach Chris Culton will stay on as well. Whatever the case may be, credit has got to be given to AD Chet Gladchuck, who despite losing Johnson has been able to retain his top two offensive assistants.

Basically, the entire defensive staff will stay, which contrary to some of my own words this year is probably a good thing. The last thing Navy's maligned defense needed after this year was to get introduced to a completely new staff, especially considering the lack of continuity we saw on the defensive side of the ball this year. I'm not saying there will be any "quick fix," but to have the same staff come back next season at least speeds up the process of the defense getting to where it needs to be. Not only that, but Buddy and his staff have been very good bringing in players on the recruiting trail over their tenure at navy, particularly coach Jones with regards to getting some terrific linebackers.

As far as the offensive staff is concerned, it's the whole good news/bad news situation. Obviously losing Paul Johnson- one of the few head coaches to call his own plays in major college ball- is a bad thing, while the losses of coach Monken and coach Bohannon deprive Navy of it's two best offensive recruiters and guys who have traditionally done very well in the south, particularly in Georgia. While Navy and Gerogia tech aren't likely to be going after very many of the same players (if any at all) I wouldn't dismiss their services as recruiters, especially considering the inroads coach Calhoun and his Air Force staff made in Georgia and the southeast last year. As we get closer to the offseason, this will be one of the more interesting story lines to watch. Another significant loss for Navy will be the departures of coach Spenser (assistant offensive line) and of coach Brass (strength and conditioning.) The loss of coach Brass is especially significant, as he's done a great job getting the players ready for the season over Paul Johnson's tenure. But like I said, it's not all bad news, particularly if it is true that coach Culton (fullbacks) has decided to stay. The big story here though is keeping coach Jasper, who like coach Niumatalolo has been a veteran assistant under Johnson and a guy who knows how to both coach players in the system and to make play calls and adjustments on the field. Coach Jasper won't replace coach Johnson in terms of his ability to see the game and make adjustments, but he'll do lot better job than any other guy out there.

With the coaching staff falling in line and looking in relatively decent shape, we now turn our attention to the players. Obviously, any time a program loses it's head coach there is concern about players leaving, but at a place like Navy this concern is magnified. Indeed, when I returned home last Friday and finally got a chance to check my email, one of the first messages I received was regarding the potential of a number of sophomores and freshmen to leave. while this was well before the situation was brilliantly stabilized by Chet Gladchuck and Ken Niamatololo, it still remains a concern that isn't likely to go away until the start of next season. One player Navy fans were particularly concerned with was quarterback Ricky Dobbs. Dobbs, while only a plebe, has been one of Navy's most impressive young players, showing incredible promise both on the practice field and on the JV squad. With a cannon of an arm, quick feet, and a knowledge of the system that likely surpasses the current Georgia Tech quarterbacks, Navy fans were more than a little concerned over the possibility of Dobbs following Johnson to Atlanta. When you take into account the fact that Dobbs is originally from Douglasville, Ga, it seemed like a forgone conclusion to some Navy fans that he would at least try to follow Johnson. While he wasn't shy about admitting the thought did enter his mind, Dobbs confirmed to Bill Wagner that he would be staying at Navy.

"At first, I thought if I went to Georgia Tech I would be at home. If Coach Johnson would have asked, I was gone. But the foundation I've established here... that is what made me stay....It started last year at NAPS. I would tell the guys that by the time we graduate here, we're going to make it to the Top 25.I told my classmates we would be the catalysts and that I would be the leader. I feel as though I need to try to fulfill that promise."

This is absolutely huge news, especially considering that Navy's other "quarterback of the future" - Robby Davis- decided to transfer to Woffard early this season. Not only does this show you that Dobbs is committed to the program, but it shows you he's willing to take on a leadership role, which is especially impressive for a freshmen. In fact, after my initial concern for the players, my fears are starting to be relived. It all goes back to something Matt Wimsatt said last week, when he talked about the importance of getting the younger guys to understand that Navy football does not play for Coach Johnson, and instead plays for each other and the Academy. It was after that point that I realized what an opportunity for leadership these young men had. It seems only fitting that at an institution dedicated to the development of leaders that the players, long cast in the shadow of "systems" and "schemes," should have the opportunity to communicate the importance of their program and to lay the foundation for the next generation of Navy football players. I don't know what's going to happen this offseason, and it may very well turn out that several promising players decide not return next season, but it's the statements I've read within the past week that have really put a smile on my face. We can't lose sight that this is a program we're talking about, and that the program went beyond Paul Johnson. Last week I wrote that I had faith in athletic director Chet Gladchuck, the staff, and the players themselves to continue to momentum established in 2003, and after what we've seen this week my faith has only been confirmed. We're exactly a week away from the Poinsettia Bowl against Utah, and despite the fact that the rest of the country has seemed to already lost faith in America's team, my excitement level couldn't be higher.

It's KN!

Ken Niumatalolo has been named Navy's next Head Coach.

Where We Go From Here: The Players

There are a lot of people out there who have been very cynical in regards to what Navy can do without Coach Johnson. This may be true, it may not be true, but I saw a quote from Athletic Dirtector Chet Gladchuck that I want to leave you with for the next week.

You take adversity and you capitalize on it. What a tremendous statement it will make when we take the field in that bowl game, when we show up in force in San Diego as a program that is unified, a program that is focused, a program that is dedicated to winning while properly representing the Naval Academy and the fleet. The coach didn’t beat Pittsburgh, the coach didn’t beat Air Force, the coach didn’t beat Notre Dame, the coach didn’t beat Army. The players in that locker room are the true victors. If they can sustain their mental toughness as they have exhibited on a number of occasions through this period, it will be nothing but full speed ahead.

I refuse to look at this situation as the bitter end of a five year run. Yes, such an outcome is possible, perhaps even likely with the leaving of Paul Johnson, but I still refuse to speculate on the fall of this very much rebuilt program. And as naive and idealistic as that may sound, It's what Coach Johnson would want us to know. It wasn't but a week ago that Coach Johnson affirmed this notion, saying "I didn't carry the ball once" in reference to what he's accomplished in his run at Navy. Chalk it up to coach speak, fine, but I have to admit that I've always had a problem with the fans who attributed everything to Johnson and never give the players their just do. You have to have faith in these guys and faith in the assistants who will stay. You have to have faith that Coach Johnson imparted to them the virtues of success, and that, even if only for a short time, such success can carry on even after his departure. If you can't have faith in that, I don't even know why you would take the trouble to call yourself a fan.

BEAT UTAH

How I Feel

Up to my head in exams. Computer broke last night, only days after the warranty expired. I was pissed this morning. Now I'm just freaking depressed.


Clint Sovie basically sums it up for me...

I should write something inspiring to attest to the legacy of the greatest college in college football, or at the very least a profanity laced post directed at the entire state of Georgia. But right now I just need to go kick some snow outside.

P.S.- You are all great fans.

Paul Johnson

When I was 14 years old I went to the Navy football camp with nothing more then the afterthought that Navy had been very bad for most of my life. I was the smallest kid in the group, and between dropping passes and getting burned in coverage for much of the camp, I wasn't really having that good of a time.

On the second to the last night a guy who I had never heard of addressed the high school players. They said he was Navy's Head Coach, but I have to admit that at the time I didn't even know his name. He spoke in a a typical southern accent, and talked about football, life, and God. When he spoke people listened, even 14 year old kids who could barely make their freshmen high school teams, much less dream of playing Division 1-A football. When he was done, I asked one of the other guys who that was. He looked at me quizzically, and told me it was a man named Paul Johnson.

I left the next day thinking nothing of it, that it must have been just another guy in the line of Navy coaches who fielded bad teams that my Father and I would watch once or twice a year at the stadium. I had no idea that I was only months away from following the team incessantly, and just a few years away from taking that passion and starting a blog.

Five years later I can't help but think back to that moment. I grew up a Navy fan, but I didn't become one until that day in the summer of 2003 when I heard Paul Johnson speak and it clicked, at least as much as it can for a local fan anyway. I will always be a Navy fan, that will not change. Not through coaching changes, not through losing seasons, and not even through being an Army ROTC cadet. But even I can't deny that as we move closer to the inevitable decision, that a very real and tangible experience of my fandom hangs in the balance with it.

The Paul Johnson Files

EDIT: Since writing this post Bill Wagner (the only journalist I trust at this point) has written an excellent blog post updating us on the situation at hand. Block quoting doesn't do justice to the work Mr. Wagner has put into tracking Johnson's movements, so head over to the Capital to get the full story. The short story is though that nothing is a done deal, and there are many factors standing in the way of Johnson leaving at this point.

Every year when I'm doing Q&A's with various blogs, I typically receive a question somewhere along the lines of "How long will Johnson be at Navy," usually followed by something akin to "When do you think he will leave?"

I've never really known how to answer those questions. After all, I've heard the man speak a grand total of one time (at a football camp in 2003) and only been face to face with him once ("uh, can I get your autograph") so how can I accurately judge a man's career aspirations? Unlike other Navy fans, I don't have a compendium of knowledge on his days at Hawaii or Georgia Southern, and aside from the usual message board chatter, I really no very little about the man outside of what I see on Saturday's.

The point is, I can't tell if we're nearing the end of Paul Johnson era at Navy, and unless you've got some actual, no BS-ing around "sources" I don't know if you can tell either. Yes, it is true that Paul Johnson met with his agent Jack Reale on Monday in Atlanta, and it is true that while down there he likely also met with representatives from Duke, SMU, and presumably Georgia Tech. Heck, it might even be true that Georgia Tech has made an offer to Johnson, although I personally would take anything Dennis Dodd of CBS Sportsline said with a grain of salt. Also within the past 24 hours, we've learned that Duke could be close to offering Johnson, which David A. of GoMids.com writes could be more dangerous for Navy fans then we may think.

So where are we at right now? Well, we're at a junction, obviously, but it's not an unfamiliar one. Coach Johnson entertained offers last year, and for the better part of a week we were being told (quite insistently at times) that our beloved Head Coach would be taking a job somewhere else. After all, with both the UNC and NCST jobs opening up after the 2006 season, it looked as though the born and bred Carolinian in Johnson would have to go fix one of those programs. Fortunately for us however it didn't work out that way, and when it was all said and done we still had our coach. This year, in my mind anyways, seems much to same, and if we've learned anything from last year it's that Paul Johnson's name will be popping up for jobs from now on. We've said it before, but I don't think we've realized it until now; it's part of the territory of having on-the-field success, and it’s something we as fans just need to deal with.

There are people out there (quite a lot actually) who feel it necessary to speculate on the nature of these openings, and to predict where Johnson will go. Aside from not being sure if he will go at all (remember, he *hearts* this job) I feel compelled to point out that just because someone says he's going somewhere doesn't mean he will. If that were the case, Johnson would be in Dallas right now, or at least so says Dennis Dodd. It's a waiting game, but it doesn't need to spent in perpetual anxiety. We'll likely know where the team stands within the next 48 hours, and, with or without Johnson, the team will have to move on and prepare for the Poinsettia Bowl.

I have faith in the program. I have faith in the staff and administration to not sit idle and watch the program sink back to where we were in 2001, and I have faith in the players, who always seem to get overlooked with the discussions of systems and coaches. But most of all, I have faith in Coach Johnson, and faith that he will try to do what’s best for both the program, despite wherever his own career may take him. And that, I think, is enough to keep me back from the edge everyone keeps talking about.

Navy to Play Utah in Bowl Game

The Navy Midshipmen (8-4) will meet the Utah Utes (8-4) in the Sand Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on December 20th in a matchup which will once again feature the Nation's top ranked rushing attack with a member of the Mountain West Conference.

Utah is an interesting team in that they started out the season at 1-3 but rallied to win seven of the last eight games, including games against Louisville, New Mexico, and TCU. The Utes also took a a very good BYU team down to the wire two weeks ago, but let the game slip away on a busted coverage late in the game. The Utes have played decently on offense this year, but it's their defense which has been the real story over the course of the season. The Ute's are 15th in total defense, and 38th in rush defense.

So far, Ute fans seem for the most part confident in their chances, much like the New Mexico fans in 2004 and Colorado State fans in 2005. I don't doubt that Utah is a good team and that this game looks evenly matched on paper, but once again I remind you that we have heard this talk before in respect to Mountain West teams. Utah may be better than the 2004 New Mexico Lobos or the 2005 Rams, but Navy has been traditionally very good given the extra time to practice before bowl games. So what are your thoughts on Utah? Do you like the matchup? Navy's chance? Leave your thoughts below.

Army-Navy Post Game Coverage

Ok, here's the deal. As you know, Navy just won it's sixth consecutive game over the Black Knights of the Hudson yesterday afternoon, as the Midshipmen piled on 38 points and (this is the big part) held Army to an amazing three points in a defensive effort I think we can all agree was the best of the season. Also as you also know (probably far too well by now) a host of rumors swirl around Coach Johnson, specifically in regards to the Head Coaching position at SMU. I've got to level with you in that I have no idea what's going on right now in respect to these rumors, and probably won't until after this week. For this and other (ie. finals) reasons, I'm going to be blogging at the pace of a one-legged turtle for this week, and probably won't get around to any comprehensive coverage of the actual Army-Navy game. For this I apologize, although I swear one of these days (and by that I mean within the next two weeks) I'm going to bust out a post of pure literary merit and write something somewhat meaningful on the rivalry itself. In the meantime, here are all the Amy-Navy articles I've managed to find in the course of the many "snack breaks" I've taken between writing papers today. Blogging will resume (albeit at the aforementioned pace) on Tuesday.

Print Media

Campbell Leads The Way As Navy Routs Army (Bill Wagner, Annapolis Capital)
Army Antics, Chatter Irritate Mids (Bill Wagner, Annapolis Capital)
Campbell Directs Mids To Victory (Bill Wagner, Annapolis Capital)

Big Plays Vault Mids Past Rivals (Bill Wagner, Annapolis Capital)

Navy's D Rises to Occasion (Bob Hough, Annapolis Capital)
Navy Takes The Sixth (Ron Snyder, Baltimore Examiner)
Right In Step (Sandra McKee, Baltimore Sun)
Bullen Gets A Good Bounce (Sandra McKee, Baltimore Sun)
Campbell Commands Centers Stage For Navy (David Steele, Baltimore Sun)
Campbell Conducts Himself Perfectly (Christian Swezey, Washington Post)

Photo Galleries

Washington Post
Baltimore Sun
CSTV

38-3

Reggie was electric. The defense played with purpose and emotion. And at the end of the day, Navy had set a new precedent in the 108th meeting of America's most storied football rivalry.

And yet we brace for the week ahead, left wondering whether or not everything we've been denying to this point could really be true.

Talk to you all on Tuesday.

Stolen Goats

Must be Youtube day over ath Pitch Right. This tells the whole story...

1989 Army-Navy Game: The Winning Kick

Often times youngins like myself don't remember games from our early years. Thank God for ESPN Classic, which just finished showing the 1989 Army-Navy game this afternoon. Was this necessarily a smart time of year to take an afternoon off from papers and studying? No, but for a finish like this it was worth it.

Thursday Notes

Some notes for Thursday evening...

You may have noticed that I've been conspicuously quiet when it comes to all the Paul Johnson coaching rumors that are going on. This is partially due to the busy nature of schedule, but also because I don't think such speculation is very fair during the season, much less Army week. We can talk about valid scenarios once the season if over, but all we're hearing right now is internet rumormongering, and frankly that's not worthy of our time. Secondly, if you haven't heard Navy's very own Zerbin Singleton will be awarded the Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award during the ESPNU College Football Awards on December 6th, an event which you'll be able to catch on ESPN from 7:30-9:30. In addition to winning this award, Singleton has been named Brigade Commander for the second semester. Both of these are terrific achievements, and if you've ever met Zerb you can attest to the fact that there is no more deserving person for such an honor than he is. Lastly, if you haven't been checking out the articles leading up to Saturday's game, you may want to get on that. I've particularly enjoyed a recent article on the up-and-down career of Greg Thrasher, who had a huge game against Northern Illinois a few weeks ago. Lastly, and most importantly of course, BEAT ARMY!

Ominous Words from Bill Wagner

Via his Navy Sports Blog...

Kaheaku-Enhada, who sat out the home finale against Northern Illinois, seemed to be moving quite well in practice this week so perhaps this is much adieu about nothing. However, don't be shocked if he undergoes surgery during the offseason.

Personally, I'm worried. I don't want this to sound like a shot at him, but it seems like Coach Johnson always under-reports the injuries to the media. I know he's doing his job, but ever since that whole DeJuan Price fiasco a year ago I tend to take "week to week" to mean "out indefinitely." Am I just being cynical, or has anyone else noticed this?

Despite 3-9 Record, Army No "Gimme"

For the past five seasons the majority of Navy fans have penciled in the final regular season game of each year as a "W." Oh don't tell me you haven't done it at least once, after all we can talk about the greatness of the rivalry and all it symbolizes all day long (and certainly with good reason) but when it comes to the Army-Navy games of late, Paul Johnson and the Midshipmen have dominated. In fact, from the years 2002-2005 Navy outscored Army 176-54 in a series of games that for all intensive purposes were not even close. That was until last year when, in Robby Ross' final game, the Black Knights put on an inspired first half performance and came within several late offensive miscues of beating the Midshipmen. This year Navy once again comes in with a winning record and having already cliched a bowl game, while Army limps in with only three win on the year. Like last year, however, Army will be no "gimme" for the Midshipmen, who are looking to extend their winning streak over the Black Knights at six games.

Army is not a very good football team, but on Saturday they will be an extremely motivated football team, and when you couple that with their ability to at least be competitive this year with Navy's defensive struggles, you get a recipe for a closer than expected game, if not an outright upset. It's cliche, but it's true; you have to throw out the records in a game like this, and when you don't you risk overlooking an opponent with a lot to play for. And with a group of seniors who have never beaten Navy and the eyes of the nation upon them, I'd say that Coach Brock's group has a lot to play for.

Maybe Paul Johnson's "coach speak" is starting to wear off on me, but after what we saw last year I'm nervous about this game. Remember, last season Navy came into this game at 8-3, fresh off poundings of Eastern Michigan and Temple. The triple option was unstoppable, and it looked like Navy would coast to another big win over Army, just as the Mids had done each of the past four seasons. After all, Army limped into the game at a paltry 3-8, having dropped six straight and smack in the middle of what many fans would tell you was a football program in crisis. It made perfect sense then that for three quarters the team remained, for all intensive purposes anyway, deadlocked, in a game which probably resembled by-gone days in which each program was in it's glory or in it's misery, mostly depending on who you talked to in the stands. If last year wasn't a reminder to us that anything can happen when it comes to a rivalry like this, I don't know what is.

It's disconcerting to say the least if you're a Navy fan, especially considering the success Army had against the triple option last year, and the glaring fact that it was Navy's defense which won the game for the Midshipmen. That defense is of course long since gone, and despite an offense which is supposedly much better, the concern most Navy fans seem to be feeling today is whether or not Navy's defense can bail the offense out if Army's defense can effectively brickwall the triple option as it did last year. It's an interesting question, and on which I'm really not too sure about. On one hand you have to believe the offense will find a way to keep on doing what it's been doing, but with Kaipo-Noa not having played in three weeks you wonder if he'll be as sharp as he looked in the first half against North Texas. But, unfortunately for us, the problem may not be caused by Navy's offensive play, as when you take a look back at the tape last year it's clear that Army's defense just flat out out-played Navy in the first half last year. Some people have suggested Kaipo's nerves may have gotten the better of him in his first Army-Navy game last year, but to tell you the truth I think that's a cop-out. The reality is that Army's defensive line did a good job stringing out the triple option, and this begins with the play of the defensive end and the disruption of the initial read. In fact, if we look at stopping the triple option in terms of experience, then Army should have an advantage on most of Navy's 2007 opponents.

Once again, as I've found myself saying all season long, Navy "should" beat Army. Army has had some valiant games this season, but they're still 115th in the country in total offense, and 114th in the country against the run. Usually these are the kinds of numbers that jump out at you, but keep in mind the Black Knights are in a similar statistical situation as they were last year, and that didn't stop them from containing the triple option for much of the game. Who knows, Navy may come out guns a blazing and put up numbers reminiscent of 2002 or 2003, but if last year was any indicator, this game will likely start out slowly with both team's getting a feel for one another. Yet if Navy's offense can't get on track by the beginning of the first quarter, the Midshipmen endanger their chances by putting too much pressure on the defense, which, despite the favorable matchups against Army, is still susceptible to giving up big yards. Like last year, the Mids will have to play fundamentally sound defense, and not give up the big play to guys like Jeremy Trimble in the passing game. If the Midshipmen can do that and limit the time of Army's possessions, the offense, slow starting or not, should be able to carry the game. Anyway you look at it though, this game is far from a "gimme."

Breaking News: Army-Navy Still the Best Rivalry in College Football

If you've watched any college football over the past four days (and if you haven't may I be the first to say what the hell is wrong with you?) you've probably heard the word "rivalry" thrown around quite often. It was after all Rivalry "week," a weekend in which teams from around the country squared off against their cross state or traditional antagonist in games which, depending on the rivalry and the stakes at hand, made or broke those teams' seasons. Curiously lost in the discussion of border wars and iron bowls was Army-Navy, a game which, very simply, transcends the bonds of collegiate athletics with ease, and commands the attention and rooting interests of a Nation in an actual war for survival. It is a game that means much more than two universities or institutions, and embodies the highest examples of mutual respect, sportsmanship, and competition. It is, even in today's age of big time money making machines and conference championships, the Nation's rivalry, and one of the last vestiges of an event which I can only describe as absolutely American.

Yet not everyone feels the same way. Last year I penned a piece for the Fan House in which I asserted that the Army-Navy game was not only the best rivalry in college football, but arguably the best rivalry in sports. Period. Since that time I've heard plenty of chatter regarding what truly is the "best" rivalry in sports, with irate fans from Michigan and Ohio claiming their own cross state rivalry, as well as a fair share on snooty and condescending cosmopolitan types who inevitably claim that we jingoistic Americans neglect to feature the finest rivalries of premier league "futbol" or whatever they are calling soccer these days. Yet, even in the face of these arguments (some better than others) many of us are undeterred, and continue to point to that first Saturday in December as the most platonic example of what a rivalry should be.

With each team being some half a century removed from being in the National Title picture, it's not difficult to see why there are doubters in the conversation. Yet for as much is made about Michigan-Ohio State or Alabama-Auburn, at the end of the day those local rivalries are just that, local. Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive enough to think that people from around the country don't have rooting interests in those games, and by no means am I suggesting that such rivalries don't often have major implications on the college football postseason. But what happens when your not a fan of either of those schools, and when you couldn't care less about the implications of those games? The great thing about Army-Navy is that everyone has some kind of connection to the game, even if your not a graduate of one of the institutions or have some other proximal affiliation with the schools. With personnel from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps stationed around the world and often in areas of danger, I don't need to tell anyone that this game is anything but localized, and despite the certain fact that the eyes of the college football universe won't be trained on M&T Bank Stadium exclusively, it doesn't diminish the importance the game holds for the teams and their fan bases.

Later in the week we'll get to breaking down the matchups of this game, and sometime following the game I'll get around to writing a somewhat lengthy and long overdue post about myself and my own personal, albeit limited, experience with the rivalry, as well as where I plan to go with the blog itself in the coming months.

Until then (as if I had to tell you): BEAT ARMY

Fact or Fiction

Where have I been the past few days? Well, aside from trying to install a spread option offense for a six man, er, person football team that may or may not play a game on Thanksgiving, mostly I've just been hitting the books and taking some time off before we hit Army week in the coming days. Nevertheless, I found some time to steal a page from ESPN's notebook for a quick game of Navy football fact or fiction.

Northern Illinois's Offense Had As Much to Do With Navy's Defensive Improvement as the Defense Itself

Fact. This is a tough call to make because either way you slice it I think it's apparent that we saw improvement from the defense on Saturday. That being said it should be obvious by this point of the season that Navy's defense plays much better when it's against teams that play a more conservative style of offense, which the Huskies did on Saturday. Northern Illinois ran the ball 44 times against Navy, on an average of 3.4 yards per carry. As we all know, Navy's biggest defensive porblems have come against the pass, but NIU completed only 20 passes against the Midshipmen. So what does all this mean? It means that Northern Illinois ran the ball, and they did so in fairly predictable situations. For as bad as Navy's defense has been all year, they actually have played decently against inside rushing games (think Notre Dame) and that's exactly what we saw on Saturday. Of course it took some great efforts like Ross Pospsil's 20 taclkle day, but for one of the only times all season Navy's defense was simplified partially due to the nature of the offense the Mids were playing. Navy's defense played better on Saturday, that's a fact, but they did so largely because they were playing a team in which the matchups were much more favorable.

At leasts one Navy "senior" will be back next season


Fact. We learned late last week that both safety Corey Johnson and wide receiver Greg Sudderth are being extended academically through the Fall 2008 semester, while the status of FS Jeff Deliz still appears to be up in the air. Johnson is a guy who has a year of eligibility left, while the Mids will have go to the NCAA regarding Deliz and Sudderth, both of whom should be able to get an extra year of eligibility if indeed that's what they decide they want to do. In any case, I think it's fair to say that at least one of these "seniors" will be back next year, which, football-wise anyway, is a good thing.

Jarod Bryant is a More Decisive Runner than Kaipo-Noa

Fiction. This was one of those points that Scott Zolak was really trying to hammer down during the broadcast, but one which probably doesn't ring true. I say "probably" because you've got to realize that the two quarterbacks have different running styles, and that Jarod's is more conducive to called plays that don't feature as many option or read elements. Phelix did a great job breaking this down in his postgame over at the Bird Dog, and as his research shows 40% of the plays Navy ran were predetermined runs, while another 40% were one-read option plays that included a number of midline options (option to give or follow the fullback inside.) With 80% of the plays being called involving one read or less (as well as 9% of plays being pass attempts) it's easy to see why Jarod would look a lot more "decisive" at quarterback. This isn't to say that Jarod is not a decisive runner, because he is. He's quicker than Kaipo between the tackles and arguably has better vision inside, and used these assets en route to a 139 yard day on the ground. However when we're talking about being purely "decisive" it's apples and oranges because of the different strengths and weaknesses of each quarterback and the now prevalent fact that the offense does take on a different look and feel with Jarod at the helm. It's easy to say that Kaipo is less "decisive" than Jarod, but you have to remember he usually has an extra one or two reads when he's in the ballgame. So no, I don't think Jarod is necessarily a more "decisive" runner than Kaipo, but I also don't think that diminishes the job he's done in relief all season.

Hope everyone has a happy and restful Thanksgiving and enjoys some very exciting college football action over the next few days.

AAR: NIU at Navy

I spent the better part of two days trying to think of something insightful to say about this game, and actually even started to write the same old after action report that you've undoubtedly seen in every paper and Internet report you've read since Sunday morning. Basically, Jarod was efficient, the defense didn't suck as much as usual, and God gave Ross Posposil the virtue of hitting people. Hard. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?

Zerbin Singleton for President in 2008

Quite honestly. If Zerb isn't elected President some point down the road then we have all failed as Americans.

Talking NIU

I wish I had more time this week because I really would like to go into some details about Saturday's Navy-Northern Illinois game. Not only should it be another high scoring affair, but it will be senior day a hopefully a chance to reward for some of the hard working seniors who've helped to turn this program into a consistent winner. Unfortunately I won't be in attendance on Saturday, and I haven't had much time this week to write on the many plots coming into the game. That all being said, I'm not going to leave you totally in the dark, and thanks to Breezy from Red and Black Attack, we've got your NIU preview. I shot Breezy some questions the other day, and he's been kind enough to talk a little about his team and his thoughts for the game. As usual, there will be ample postgame coverage on Sunday and Monday. Until then, here's some thoughts to mull over....

Q: When this game first came out on Navy's schedule, a lot of Midshipmen fans thought it would be a good "measuring stick" game against what has been one of the MAC's best teams over the last several years. Yet the Huskie's have been down this year, and at 2-8have fallen to the bottom of the conference. In as many or as little words as you like, can you "fill us in" so to speak on what's gone wrong for the Huskies?

A: There are a lot of places to go with this question. First of all,there have been more injuries this year than any year Joe Novak has been coaching. He's said repeatedly in interviews that he's seen nothing like what has happened this year. We've had 13+ season-ending injuries and our defensive line has been hit the most, with 6 guys out for the season. Secondly, we almost have a non-existent senior class this year. All 4 of our captains are juniors and there are only 4seniors on the 2-deep, including our backup FS and the Kicker. It's clear to see that this team is very inexperienced and lacks veteran leadership. One thing representative of this is turning the ball over, and we have kept doing this consistently, as we rank 117th in the nation in turnover margin with a -14. It also doesn't help that we have a new offensive coordinator in Roy Wittke from ASU and it didn't seem like everybody was on the right page until last week's win vs Kent State.



Q: You mentioned the other day on your blog that Northern Illinois has experienced a plethora of injuries at the running back position, with leading rusher rusher Justin Anderson listed as "questionable" with a bum knee. QB Dan Nicholson also had to leave the game early last week after suffering a concussion. Will both of these players play, and what impact, if any, will their loss have on the tam if they don't?


A: I fully expect both Justin Anderson & David Bryant to play in this game. They have been dealing with injuries like these for a while now. I am more worried about Justin Anderson because of his punishing running style. He is more likely to get banged up early and have the speed back Bryant relieve him just like what happened in the last game. If they don't play, then there's nothing left in the cupboard,because all we have left is guys that haven't received a carry this season. With Dan Nicholson, he has gotten rocked a few times this semester and he consistently comes back and plays decent. Honestly,he can't get any worse with his 9-14 TD-INT ratio, and it seems the WRs are finally getting in rhythm with him at QB. God forbid our backup QB Ryan Morris comes in and plays. All he will do is hand the ball off over and over again, as he is a former walk-on with considerably less talent. Novak says Nicholson has a 75% chance he's going to play Saturday.



Q: Navy has been notoriously bad on defense this year, especially against teams which run more "spread" oriented offenses. Can you tell us a little about the Northern Illinois offense, including who the playmakers are and what kind of looks the offense gives?



A: Yeah, we don't run the spread so you can be a little less worried.We pretty much run a one-back balanced attack. We use a run-first orientated mentality and that has always been the case with Joe Novak as head ball coach. There's a lot of pre-snap motion and it seems like we are trying to get our TEs involved a lot more involved in the offense. Our huge playmaker right now on offense is WR Matt Simon.He always is consistently good and comes through with huge plays. One other player to look for (other than RB Justin Anderson of course),would be WR Britt Davis. He has been inconsistent all season, but has tremendous athletic ability and can make the tough catch. Also, look for RB Justin Anderson to come out of the backfield a lot and make some catches. Also our offensive line looked like a freaking bulldozer last Saturday so I would watch out. Those guys are hungry.



Q: Gearing up for Navy's offense can be a touch task for a team which doesn't face it on a yearly basis. What is Head Coach Joe Novak getting his team prepared, and do you expect the Huskies to have any success against Navy's offense?



A: All week HC Joe Novak's been saying that nobody is going to stop Navy's offense, and the best that we can do is slow it down, by controlling the ball on offense and obviously scoring a lot on that end too. That's what he has been preaching. The defense has been working hard on their assignments for defending Navy's offense. I doubt we stop you guys at all really. Well, we do have really good linebackers, so I'm pretty confident that we can stop your offense a few times. And you don't throw the ball, so our "Huskie Prevent D"isn't going to consistently give up yardage and let you guys come back if we take the lead early.


Q: I'm not sure if you're a prediction guy, but how do you think this game will play out?

A: I believe that the new-found confidence after a win at home will travel to Annapolis and the Huskies will get this win in a shoot-out,41-38, barring any significant injuries on our offense.

Jarod Bryant Will Start Vs. Northern Illinois

...via report on Bill Wagner's blog.

Wednesday Linkage

NIU Coverage:

Coach Johnson Weekly Presser (Navysports.com)
Northern Illinois Poses Potent Threat For Mids (Bill Wagner, The Capital)
NIU Weekly Press Conference (NIUHuskies.com)
NIU Game Press Release (NIUHuskies.com)

Senior Day Coverage:

No Beating Around the Bush: Reggie Campbell (Bob Socci, Navysports.com)
Navy Profits from Slots (Bill Wagner, The Capital)

Also, for all our future scholars out there. Actually go to your classes, that way you don't hear about having a ten page paper due a whopping whole day before it's due.

EDIT: Also learn how to spell "Wednesday"

New Poll: Your Thoughts Wanted

I'm reconsidering my "the sky is falling" position when it comes to Navy's defense. As you know, there are two schools of thought when it comes to the present state of affairs, and I realize I've been on the side that's been very critical of both the players and coaches. I still think there is more than good reason to view the defense as a colossal disaster, but my question to you is whether or not you think my analysis of the defense has failed to take into account all the factors which have led us to this point, and if perhaps I've overlooked the most obvious factor that we are in fact dealing with a very young defense at a service academy. I could sit here and give you my reasons why I still think the defense should still be performing better than what we're seeing, but I thought it more productive to engage in a conversation about something which has at one point or another left us all searching for answers to a weekly question. Please leave your thoughts below, and yes, it's all for your reason to be that I'm just a blogger who has no idea what he's talking about.

Navy-North Texas: The Aftermath

First and foremost, obligatory reference to the insane final game statistics.

Speechless. Ridiculous. The Sky is Falling. OMG. What. The. Hell. Dude...

These are only a few mong the many printable sentiments echoed by fans during Navy's 73-62 victory last night over the North Texas Mean Green in a game which saw the highest combined point total by two teams in the modern era. Basically, If you like offense this game was like Christmas, and if you like defense you've probably already died of shame.

Emotionally speaking this game probably drove you absolutely crazy and most likely to the verge of rational incapacitation. My emotions watching this game went as followed:

Annoyed - Mad- Pissed - Somewhat relieved - WTF?!? - OMG - This is actually kinda funny- Hysterical - Violently Hysterical - Is this actually happening? - Relieved- Jaded- LOL and so on...

You get the point. Watching this game was like watching someone walk off a plank into shark infested waters only to jump back up on ship and do it again like ten more times. No wonder Paul Johnson looked noticeably shaken up after the game.

Fighting On

We'll get to the doom and gloom stuff in a second, but I don't think you can say enough about Navy's offense, in particular the mindset of the players. The word resilient certainly comes to mind, but at this point the Midshipmen offense is beyond resilient. It's not just a matter of scoring 74 points almost at will, but of doing so with the clear knowledge that anything less is a recipe to lose the game. The fact that Kaipo-Noa and the offense can keep a collective nerve with that knowledge is nothing short of incredible.

The numbers themselves are overwhelming; 680 yards of total offense, 572 yards on the ground, six different ballcarriers finishing with over 50 yards on the ground, and a whopping 10 yards a pop on the ground. For as good as Navy's offense has been in the past, these are really unprecedented numbers in terms of what Navy has done under Johnson.

But any discussion of record setting numbers has got to start with the offensive line. This was by far the best combined performance by the line all year, and in my opinion one of the best performances by an offensive line since Johnson has been here. If you get a chance I'd recommend going back and taking a look at the achieved feed, and you'll get a first hand account of what we mean when we talk about getting blockers to the second level. Antron had a particular awesome game, and got to the second level so quickly I nearly thought about writing Paul Johnson and requesting Antron be moved to slotback.

Speaking of slotbacks, how about the performances of Shun White and Zerbin Singleton? The two combined for 234 yards and four touchdowns, and that's not even factoring in Reggie Campbell, who, despite being banged up scored a touchdown on the ground and took a free kick back 73 yards for another score. Ok, on to the bad news...

"We've got to do something. We've got to make some changes...We've got to do something."
-Paul Johnson

There is very little I can even attempt to say about the defense, and even if there were anything to say, I don't even know where we'd begin. I, like Paul Johnson, am bordering on speechlessness, which to be frank is a difficult and alien position for a blogger like myself to be in. It's as if we held a convention on all the defensive struggles this year, and to kick it off we let a freshmen quarterback and what is essentially a high school coaching staff run up and down the field in one of those early basketball season exhibitions that features some D-I school beating up on a D-III school. Obviously we knew Navy would struggle with the spread, but I at least didn't expect the Mids to have that much trouble. It was, in many respects, the same old story. Missed tackles, guys out of position, and guys playing slow. Mostly though, guys just looked confused (especially the corners) and as easy as it is to say "we need to make a change" I'm really not sure how you go about doing that. For years we've prided Navy's defense on, at the very least, not allowing the big play, but all it took was watching one North Texas drive to see that wide receivers were running past the entire defense.

Yes, there is consolation in the fact that the defense only gave up 13 second half points, or the fact that they intercepted two passes, but let's be real here folks, the mere phrase "we gave up 46 first half points" does not bode well for a college basketball team, much less a football team. During the game I noticed a lot of fans calling for the head of Buddy Green, and as much as I think such speculation is premature, you can't help but look to him at times like these. We've all been saying the same thing again and again; nobody expects the defense to find the solution, but we should be expecting at least some improvement. That's what I think what makes this most recent performance so hard to digest, because after holding Notre Dame to 28 points in regulation last week, Navy's defense appeared to take a major step back against what is, by conventional wisdom anyway, a lesser team. Time will tell if this North Texas team is for real, but it goes without saying that this game had as much to do with Navy's defense just flat out not playing well as it did with North Texas playing their best offensive game ever. As far as Buddy Green in concerned I think you have got to give him another year, but if the defense can't make noticable improvements by next season, his job could be in trouble. And, for the record, it's not as if I'm the only one with these sentiments.

Turning Point

The turning point of the game came just before the half, when Navy scored with 1:16 left in the first half to cut the North Texas lead from 18 to 11. Navy’s defense then came up with a huge stop, forcing North Texas to punt the ball with only 24 seconds left. After a solid punt return Navy got the ball at midfield, and Kaipo-Noa proceeded to throw a fly pattern to Reggie Campbell, who caught the ball and ran out of bounds at the North Texas three. On the very next play Zerb took an option pitch and went into the endzone to cut the lead to only four points. Within the final two minutes of the half, Navy effectively canceled out North Texas’ earlier onside kick, and with the score right after the half the Midshipmen were able to take the lead. Fantastic game management by Paul Johnson and clutch play by both the Navy offense and defense.

This And That

I give credit to Todd Dodge and his offense, and to tell you the truth had Navy not been on the other end it probably would have been fun to watch his offense at work. Like Adam Ballard said in the postgame, this North Texas program may very well be something of a sleeping giant, and one has to think that in a couple of years Dodge will have this team back in bowl games and at the top of the Sun Belt standings. That being said, I think Dodge had a better defense at Southlake Carroll, and I'm not even joking on that one...Just when you thought Navy couldn't possibly play any more people on defense, we actually saw Jordan Reagan in the secondary yesterday. I just thought it was kind of funny, especially because when I asked him during the summer if he thought he'd see any playing time this year he was quick to reply "nope." He's a Carrollton guy, so at least the one time he did get to play it was in his home state. To bad he couldn’t come down with what looked like a sure interception just before the end of the first half. Irv Spencer is a legitimate beast and perhaps the only consistent bright spot on Navy's defense...Kaipo bruised his knee during the game, but Jarod Bryant came in to play most of the second half and did a fine job, rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown. Coach Johnson indicated in the postgame that Kaipo should be back next week...Speaking of Kaipo, the guy was money on all his throws (4-5 for 108 yards and a TD) and did an excellent job inviting the hit on the option and getting rid of the ball…Freshman defensive back Emmett Merchent returned two kicks, one going for 57 yards, in yesterday's game...Oh yea, Shun White is fast, Adam Ballard is a beast, and technically we still don't have the worst defense in the country…And did I mention we’re GOING TO THE Poinsettia Bowl!

Navy 74, North Texas 62

Holy crap that was weird.

The Weirdest Freaking Game You've Ever Seen Second Half Open Thread

Let's laugh our way to our highest offensive output to the season, and toast a glass to the worst defense since Cumberland allowed 222 to Georgia Tech in 1916. Leave comments below.

No Live Blog

We are experiencing MAJOR technical difficulties getting this feed. Sorry all.

More Podcasting

I'm on CFB Weekly again this week talking about Navy's victory over Notre Dame. I'm the first guest, so check it out.

Thursday's North Texas Coverage

I apologize in advance, but there will be no "Scouting North Texas" segment today or tomorrow. Real Life is momentarily getting in the way, and, despite the fact that I'm sure this will end up all over the North Texas bulletin boards by this afternoon's practice, we are in fact talking about North Texas here. Translation? I can't cut into my normal work load to preview a Sun Belt team.

Long story short, they have a good pass offense, we have a bad defense, and if you put two and two together that could mean bad news for Navy. If you need more info, I'd go ahead and consult The Bird Dog.

I will however be live blogging the game on Saturday afternoon, so I invite everyone to at least check in during the action. If you're watching the game you'll be on the Internet anyway, so be sure to stop by. Until then, I'll mostly be posting links I come accross.

The Fear of God Other Stuff

Four days after the most amazing thing ever, fans and media members are still buzzing over Navy's 46-44 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But as Annapolis holds parades and the yard buzzes with "OMG dude did you see that," the Navy football team is back at work preparing for what figures to be another close, edge-of-your seat type game that could go either way.

North Texas.

This is of course your classic "trap" game. Navy, 5-4 and coming off of an incredibly emotional win, travels to Denton, Texas to take on a 1-7 team which has shown glimpses of ability this year, but has really yet to play a complete game. We see these games all the time, and under Paul Johnson the Midshipmen have done a good job preparing for seemingly "lesser" opponents off of big wins. But then again, we have really yet to see a win as big as what we saw on Saturday, and the mindset of the team coming off of the win is anyone's guess. The biggest challenge this week for the Midshipmen is going to be staying focused. Everyone wants to talk about the Notre Dame game- and rightly so- but as far as the team is concerned the most important game of the season becomes Saturday's matchup in Denton. The Mean Green, led by first year head coach Todd Dodge, are going to be hungry after a 1-7 start, and will have plenty of incentive to beat the team that just beat Notre Dame the week before.

I don't want to talk up North Texas too much, because (as I predicted in the off-season) the reality is they aren't a very good football team at this point in time, but are still more than capable of beating a Navy team that does not show up to play. Defensively, in particular, I worry about Navy’s ability to contain North Texas’ spread offense, which averages just under 300 yards per game through the air (12th Nationally.) The Midshipmen defense is going to have to play one of it’s best games of the season if Navy is to avoid another down to the wire finish. Fortunately, if there is any coach in the country who can make a 1-7 team seem like USC, it's Paul Johnson. Don't be fooled, Navy should beat North Texas, but then again just a couple of weeks ago we were saying how Navy should beat Delaware, and we all know how that ended.

Other Stuff: Adam Ballard, despite being a legitimate pro prospect at the fullback position, says that a possible future in the Marine Corps is right now more important than any chance at making an NFL roster...Wondering where Greg Sudderth was for the Notre Dame game? So was I, until I read on Bill Wagner's blog that the senior wide receiver suffered a season ending ankle injury in practice last week. Helluva shame for a guy who had been bothered by injuries for most of his career...Five Blog Poll voters, including myself, gave Navy a 25th place vote in the most recent poll if for no other reason than it seemed like a fun thing to do after Saturday's win...Finally, North Texas game notes.

North Texas Game to Be On TV...Kinda

Good news on the viewing front today, as it has come to my attention that the North Texas- Navy game schedule for 4 p.m. EST on Saturday will be available on video feed from two locations. Trey King of JumpTV Sports shot me an email earlier today letting us know that the game will be broadcast over both the North Texas Sports website and at CollegeSportsDirect.com. The game will cost $9.99 on a pay-per-view basis at CollegeSportsDirect.com, and will also cost $9.99 for a one-month subscription to the North Texas website. However, if you go with the North Texas website then you will be able to cancel your subscription up to a week after you sign up.

Tuesday Linkage

Coach Wyatt Explains Paul Johnson's Offensive Adjustments- Good reading for anyone interested in the X's and O's of the triple option or for anyone who ever wondered what the significance of the "tight" formation of the flexbone is all about. Scroll down until you see the pictures of the flexbone formation.

Video of "The Stop"- Awesome video of the final play and ensuing celebration from a Midshipmen at the game.

Highlights from the Game- Video highlights from numerous plays throughout the game, including Ram's sack.

John Feinstein on NPR

Coming Up Big: The Defensive Plays that Beat Notre Dame

As a commenter pointed out this morning, at this time last week I was less than convinced of Navy's ability to beat Notre Dame. In my defense, Navy's defense had shown very few signs of life this season, and the fact was that it didn't take a Gallup poll organizer to figure out that the vast majority of well informed Navy fans had their serious doubts going into the game. In fact, on the surface it would not appear as though Navy played a very good defensive game, giving up 375 yards and 44 points to an offense which had been previously ranked dead last in the country. But for those who watched this game and who have followed Navy's defensive struggles all year it was more than apparent that the very much embattled Navy defense made major strides against the Irish, and in the end came up big and helped deliver arguably the biggest win in Navy football history.

So often in big games we here that same cliche of "guys made plays" just thrown around. It's a cliche I've come to hate, but one which I can't help but find myself embracing when discussing Navy's timely defensive performance on Saturday. Let's face it, Navy didn't play a perfect defensive game by any means, but when the going got tough these guys never quit, and when the team needed stops the most the defense came up with them. On a day of big plays here are the three biggest from the defense:


Ram Vela Goes Superman




Only two days after the game the image of Ram Vela hurling himself over the head of Armando Allen has already reached iconic status, and rightfully so. Not only has his picture been in the sports section of every major newspaper in America, but the sophomore from San Antonio has already reached cult-hero status at EDSBS.com. Contrary to the captions in those papers, Ram didn't actually register a sack on the play (it was credited to Kahur-Pitters) but the disruption caused was enough, as the play itself gave the Midshipmen a much needed shot of momentum after he has previously whiffed on an easy sack minutes earlier that let the Irish back into the game. Oh yea, and it stopped what everyone thought was a sure fire, game-winning scoring drive for the Irish. To his credit, Ram never quit after the 4th and 14 conversion, and neither did Navy's defense.

Kahur-Pitters Take It In

In my mind, this was really the critical turning point in the game. Navy, trailing by one, had survived a missed Notre Dame field goal late in the third quarter, and as Kaipo-Noa and the offense took the field it looked as though the Midshipmen were going to be able to pull ahead. But Navy's drive stalled at the Notre Dame 29, and Joey Bullen was unable to connect on a 47 yard kick, giving the ball back to the Irish and swinging momentum back in favor of Notre Dame. I don't know about you, but I sure had a sinking feeling at that point, knowing that the offense may have just missed their one opportunity to take the lead. But to their credit, the defense never quit, and Michael Walsh and Nate Frazier crashed down on Evan Sharpley, in the process knocking the ball free deep in Notre Dame territory. Kahur-Pitters, who seemingly came out of nowhere this week to have a huge game, did a good job picking up the fumble and running it in to give Navy their first lead of the game.

The Stand

Navy's final defensive stop will forever be remembered as "the stand." In his post game comments, Coach Johnson told the media that he "sent the house" on the play, indicating that he blitzed all eleven defensive players. It was a gutsy yet calculated move, as Johnson guessed correctly that after failing to throw for the conversion on the previously called back play Wies would not risk throwing it again. The play was made possible by a great push by Nate Frazier up front and a fine job by Blake Carter crashing from the outside, forcing Travis Thomas to cut right back into a slicing Irv Spencer. Great call, great execution, and above all, the greatest defneisve play I have ever witnessed.

Putting It All Together

Last week, I echoed the words of Paul Johnson in saying that Navy's defensive struggles were not all physical, and that if the Midshipmen could just find a way to play with confidence then Navy would be successful against the Irish. This week we saw exactly that, as the Midshipmen defense fed off of the entire team's momentum and played with more tenacity and more speed than we have seen in week's past. Also critical to our understanding of Navy's defensive success are the negative plays forced. Navy had had just five sacks all year until Saturday, when the Midshipmen defense sacked Evan Sharpley a whopping four times for 35 yards. I thought the defensive line did an outstanding job the entire game, in particular Nate Frazier, who overcome weeks of criticism by stepping up and getting penetration in the backfield when it counted. Michael Walsh played a good game to, as did Kahur-Pitters. Wyatt Middleton, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a still undisclosed injury, was having an awesome game in run support, as was Blake Carter, who despite being out of position of a Notre Dame touchdown pass made some greta tackles to prevent long gains. And then there's Irv Spencer, who once again showed that when it comes to playing with fire and intensity, he's on par with the best linebackers of the Paul Johnson era. I could go down the entire list, but at one point another almost every member of Navy's defense made a play which, in it's own small way, helped build up the unit's confidence and contribute to the win. These efforts were no limited to just starters though. Darius Terry, who came in for an injured Kevin Edwards for several plays, made an excellent play to seal of Robby Parris from catching a touchdown pass, while Ross Pospisil and Emmett Merchent came in late in the game and were in on several big stops in overtime. After the Delaware loss, I questioned if Navy's defense was going to get any better this season. I know we need to keep it in perspective (especially against a struggling Notre Dame offense) but after Saturday evening I'm excited to see what the future holds for this young Navy defense.