Saturday Scrimmage Report: 8/18 Edition

Well, I just got back from another great morning down at the stadium, and as promised have the full report of all the action. Official press release from NavySports.com can be found right hyah.

We'll start off with the first team offense, and the very good news that quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada is out of his neck brace and managed to play two series'. It's a good thing to, because with Kaipo-Noa in the game the first team offense is almost unstoppable, as demonstrated by the fact that they took the ball right down the field on the first series for an early touchdown. The offensive line clearly got the best of the defensive line early in the game, and Adam Ballard ran extremely well in a style which could only be described as "gashing." Kaipo-Noa did not throw the ball often, but as was the case last week he looked comfortable in the pocket and put the ball right on the money. He clearly has a hold on the number one job. Most of the option plays were keepers or pitches to Zerbin Singleton, who had a fine game. Reggie did not touch the ball and saw limited action, although he did throw some very nice blocks. Shun White had (I believe) one catch but was otherwise not featured today. Ballard was the star for the first team offense, running 11 times for 80 yards, with 79 of those yards coming on the first series.

As for the number one defense, let's just say things improved once Kaipo was out of the lineup and Ballard was no longer the focal point. I was impressed by the defensive line as the the scrimmage wore on, especially as far as getting penetration into the backfield goes. There are still some issues that need to be resolved as far as the inside running game goes, but both Nate Frazier and Chirs Kahur Pitters were able to get into the backfield and cause some disruption. Nate also really impressed me on a screen in which the 285-lb sophomore ran down Eric Kettani after "feeling" the play develop (albeit ten yards downfield.) Pitch Right's pick for "surprise defensive player of the year" Matt Nechak had another solid outing with eight tackles, including two for a loss and a sack, while former basketball star turned safety Corey Johnson looked good in run support with ten tackles. Watching the defense play out there today got me thinking. I know there are some obvious concerns but I like that a lot of guys are getting reps in practice and I like our chances for the season. There is a good deal of sideline to sideline speed our there and in general the pursuit was outstanding. There was certainly some major hitting going, a point established early by Ketric Buffin, who amazes me with his ability to cut down much larger players in the open field. I'm also getting really excited about the linebacker unit, which I've maintained all offseason is still the strength of the defense. Matt Humiston and Michael Walsh look like they are going to be solid players on the outside this year. And speaking of linebackers, we've got some very talented and aggressive backups waiting in the wings, including guys like Tony Haberer and the aforementioned Matt Nechak.

Plebe Ricky Dobbs continued to impress, as he showed off precision accuracy and great elusiveness within the pocket. He threw a bullet to Mike Schupp who made a nice move to get into the endzone late in the scrimmage. Dobbs has been working with the second and the third teams, but for those of you keeping track of the quarterback competition for 2009, I think we've found our favorite. In fact, he may even move to third string before the end of camp. I hate to say this because I know how hard Troy Goss has worked, but I think his catch-22 continues considering how well Dobbs has been playing. As for Troy, well, he did show some real courage running the option today, and looked more aggressive running the football than I've seen in the past. However he and the other backup quarterbacks (including Dobbs) need to show better care in taking care of the football. I don't know what it was today but we seemed to have a lot of trouble on exchanges from center and to the fullback. These are basic tenants of the offense, and seeing the ball on the ground that many times is not encouraging.

Some more random tidbits: T.J. Thiel has quietly emerged as one of the better reserve receivers on this team, and could be putting himself in line for playing time this season... Speaking of wide receivers, plebe Mike Schupp showed off some good hands and athletic ability, although he did blow a blocking assignment on an early end-around...Plebe Wyatt Middleton is an explosive and aggressive player in the defensive secondary, and has great nose for the football... I thought he did an excellent job in run support today... Bobby Doyle took a real shot on the scrimmage and had to be directed off the field, but I sat at his table during lunch and he seemed to indicate he was o.k...Speaking of banged up slotbacks, I ran into our good friend Greg Shinego who thanked me for all the publicity and said he'd be ready for Temple on the 31st...Last week's star Andre Byrd was not in the lineup today, likely due to a problem with his paperwork going through the NCAA Clearinghouse...A fellow I was chatting with behind me during the play asked me if I had already graduated the Academy, to which I responded that I'm just a local fan who attends a nearby University. I bring this up because it's a far cry from when I met GoMids.com's David Ausiello, who pegged me as a freshmen in high school. Both of course are forgiven, as I know it's sometimes difficult to gauge the age of a, uh, vertically challenged individual.

At the Blue-and-Gold cookout after the scrimmage I was able to talk to some players and hear some interesting tidbits. First off I sat across from Nate Frazier at lunch and man let me tell you that guy enjoys his meals (as can be expected.) I don't think I heard more than a few words out of him the entire time. I sat next to Jordan Reagan, who confirmed that Greg Thrasher would be suspended for the first game because he "broke some team rules." Apparently, he's working with the scout team in the meantime. Eric Kettani was also nearby, and we chatted for awhile about the blog, the new Supe, and the fate of Army week. He said that as far as he knew, all the football players signed their "two-for-sevens."

Overall, most of the players did voice their disappointment that movement orders for Midshipmen have been cancelled for several of the away games. Most of the guys understood the need to improve discipline and were fine with several of the measures taken, but they couldn't get over not having a large contingent of Mids in the stands for Temple and Rutgers. In addition, a lot of the guys were worried about Army week, in particular the rumors that it may not exist anymore. I happen to share some of their concerns, and just hope that the Academy can maintain the outstanding support of the football program without having to sacrifice discipline. I'll have more thoughts on this particular matter early next week.

Well, that's about all to it. This scrimmage was not a whole lot different from the last one in what we can take out of it. The number one offense is going to move the ball, that much is apparent, but I think the defense is coming along. It will be really interesting to see how they do against a non-option offense, especially considering all the athletic ability in the linebacking corps and secondary. All in all, there is progress being made and guys working hard to solidify or push for positions, and the team is finally starting to come together.

I'll do my best to answer questions or give my thoughts if anyone has any comments.

Do "Inexperienced" and "Young" Mean the Same thing?

One of the most common points Navy football fans have heard this offseason is how "young" and "inexperienced" the defense will be entering the 2007 season. With only two starters returning, one figures there will be a considerable drop-off from the 2006 defense, and some have even predicted this year's defense could keep Navy out of a Bowl game. While I certainly would feel more comfortable as both a fan and a blogger knowing that David Mahoney, Rob Caldwell, Keenan Little, and company were back for one more year of havoc, I'm not losing any sleep over this year's defense. Call me blindly optimistic, but these things have a way of working themselves out, at least they do under the direction of Buddy Green.

I suppose this is a fairly subjective point, but I really don't see this year's defense as that "young." After all, there are only two sophomores in starting roles on the current depth chart, while the rest of the defensive starters figure to be upperclassman, including five senior starters. And don't forget that one of those sophomore starters, Nate Frazier, spent two years in prep school and is more or less a man-child, so even he isn't exactly "young." To me a "young" player is an 18 or 19 year old kid who in some cases has yet to physically mature while at the same time hasn't had the time or practice reps to be a consistent and reliable player at the FCS level. Of course there are always exceptions to this rule, but in general a junior or senior knows his job on the field much better than a freshmen. That's exactly why I'm not overtly worried about the new players Navy is breaking in on key spots on the defensive side of the ball. Let's use an example, one that I'm sure is very near and dear to all of our hearts. Navy's 2006 linebacker corps was one of the best in recent memory and maybe even in the entire modern era. This season, Navy must replace three of last year's starters, including four year starter David Mahoney, who if not for his service commitment, may very well be playing special teams in the NFL this coming year. With these losses, it's no surprise pundits have gone from saying this is clearly a strong point to clearly a week point on the team. I'm not going to argue this unit will be better in 2007, but I think fans are going to be surprised by the performance of the unit. Remember, it was not but a few years ago, after the graduation of the class of 2004, that Navy returned only three defensive starters on defense, including only one linebacker (David Mahoney.) The unit clearly figured to be down that year, but Rob Caldwell, Jacob Biles, and Tyler Tidwell all stepped up as first year starters to make the unit the strength of the defense. This year, I believe we have a similar situation. MLB Clint Sofie returns as the lone starter, and a good one at that. It's tough to accurately judge Sovie's 2006 season because A) He suffered some lagging injuries B) He played alongside a great group and C) By his own admission he was just "running around." He's as good as an athlete as Mahoney was, and he has that unexplainable nose for the football which, in my opinion, makes a great linebacker. Joining him in the middle, as we all know, will be Irv Spencer. Spencer was one of the most highly touted players out of high school to commit to Navy under Johnson, but was "stuck" behind a great player in Rob Caldwell for two years on the depth chart. Spencer has all the physical tools to thrive in this 3-4 system, and while he may not have the experience or leadership of Caldwell, it's not like he's just some freshmen stepping in. The same goes for the outside backers, who at this point figure to be seniors Matt Humiston and Matt Wimsatt. Wimsatt saw some time in 2006 while Tidwell was nursing a shoulder injury, while Humiston has looked impressive in spring ball. The point I'm trying to make is that, in respect to the linebacker corps, this is a well coached unit from the recruiting process (identification of talent) to the practice field. This year's group, in my opinion, could easily be the strength of the defense, despite not having ideal "experience."

The same could be said for the defensive secondary, which returns only one "true" starter in Rashawn King, who just happens to be the closest thing to a shutdown cover corner Navy will probably ever have. Yet, aside from the much hyped sophomore Blake Carter, Navy's secondary is a seasoned group with a similar amount of talent as last year's group. Jeff Deliz proved to be a solid tackler last year, and like Irv Spencer, has spent the last two year's behind a great player on the depth chart. Ketric Buffin, while only a junior, actually started a few games in 2005 and was set to be the starting rover last year before injuries sidelines him for much of the year. And how could we forget Greg Thrasher, who started several games at cornerback in 2005 before sitting out 2006 to concentrate on academics. Again, this unit looks "inexperienced" on paper, but aside from Carter, is far from "young."

Another point that's worthy of mention in this conversation is the general increase in talent the team has experienced the last few years. A perusal of the depth chart confirms that, as more and more sophomores are appearing on the three deep and in position to compete for starting jobs. Four or five years ago Navy almost needed starters to be seniors because guys needed time to develop. Now, as the balance of service academy recruiting has shifted into Navy's favor, we're starting to see guys come in a compete at an earlier time. While there is a valid concern over playing too many sophomores (remember Sovie's admission of not understanding the defense) one can't look past the availability of just pure talent.

In a ironic and slightly humorous way, I think Phil Steel said it best in his 207 preview when he wrote something along the lines of "the defense is clearly less experienced but could surprise." (It is ironic and slightly humorous because Phil writes that about every team he's not sure of.) I really think you have to put this defense in perspective, and take a look at the similar transition from the 2004 defense to the 2005 defense. Remember, Navy's defense is never going to be "lights out," and when all is said and done, the offense is still going to be the essential element to winning games. If Navy's 2005 offense (which returned two starters) could make up for the similar inexperience of the defense, I really don't see why this year's offense can't do the same. So to answer the initial question, no, "inexperienced" and "young" are not interchangeable, and Navy's 2007 defense is far from the latter.

(Picture from NavySports.com)