2010 NCAA football preview: Navy
Enticing the best football players from around the country to come to your school can be challenging under any circumstances. While theoretically players should be attracted to a university's academic reputation and the strength of football programn, almost every school undoubtedly tries to show their players how much fun their school can be.
Coach Ken Niumatalolo does not have that luxury. Recruits for the Naval Academy are guaranteed being treated as the lowest form of life for the better part of a year. Sleep will be hard to come by with all the demands that the regiment, school, and football place on the players, and going out and blowing off some steam is not an option either (liberty is restricted). Unlike most football programs you can’t really take a lighter class load during the season either.
Even without the usually bells and whistles, Niumatalolo has succeeded in continuing the winning tradition that Paul Johnson started before he moved on to Georgia Tech. In his second year at the helm, Coach Ken, as he is called, led the Midshipmen to a 10-win season. With the players he has coming back in 2010, there is a strong chance that he could lead the team to back to back 10-win seasons for the first time in the history of the program.
Offense
It is no secret what the Midshipmen are going to do offensively. They are going to run it down your throat till you stop them, and then pass it just enough to keep you honest.
With Ricky Dobbs at quarterback Navy will have one of the best leaders the team has seen since the Roger Staubach days. Last season he ran the ball 315 times for 1192 yards and a NCAA record 27 rushing touchdowns for a quarterback. As a passer he will not win any awards, but the Midshipmen are not asking him to. The team should expect to see even better things out of him this year with the potential that he has as long as they can keep him healthy.
Since the team runs the triple option, Dobbs will not be the only one carrying the ball. Back for another year will be fullback Vince Murray. Last season Murray carried the ball 182 times for almost 1000 yards and six touchdowns. The team has a host of young running backs ready to step in including Alexander Teich, Gee Gee Greene, and quarterback Kriss Proctor.
Of course no running team can survive without a talented offensive line. Josh Cabral is a young talent that looks to lock down the left guard position for some time. The team’s tackles, Jeff Battipaglia and Matt Molloy, are smaller than your average major college football team's but they run this offense very well.
Defense
When a team runs the bowl like Navy does, the defense has to make sure that the score never gets out of reach. That especially puts pressure on the secondary to keep teams from making any quick strikes via the passing game.
Last season the defense was good if unspectacular, ranking 34th in the nation overall and 50th against the pass. The secondary as a whole worked well together combining for 13 interceptions and with three starters returning they should be even better. Strong safety Wyatt Middleton had four interceptions last season and will look to go out with a bang in his fourth year.
Where the defense could stand to get better is in the sack department; last year, the defense ranked 94th in the nation. End Jabaree Tuani returns to lead the front three; in just two years he has just four sacks though. In the 3-4 that the team runs the linebackers are just as active in the sack department. The Midshipmen will be forced to start three players with almost no experience in 2010.
The team should have no trouble continuing the winning ways that the Midshipmen have grown accustomed to as there is more than enough talent on offense for that. However, whether or not they reach 10 wins again may depend on how well the defense can stop the pass.
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