Navy Football

The Armed Forces Bowl usually matches up one of the service academies against a team from Conference USA or the Mountain West. In 2013, the Navy Midshipmen take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.

But being a service academy hasn't meant much as far as success in this bowl goes, considering Army, Air Force and Navy are a combined 2-3 both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) in the bowl.

The Midshipmen and Raiders meet Monday, Dec. 30 at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the TCU campus in Fort Worth in a bowl that has gone to the dogs the past five games.

Point spread: Navy opened as seven-point favorites; the total was 56.5, according to the line updates and matchup report provided by OddsShark.

OddsShark computer prediction: 33.8-31.8 Navy Midshipmen

Why the Blue Raiders can cover the Armed Forces Bowl spread

Middle Tennessee took a step up from the Sun Belt to play in Conference USA this season and proved itself worthy by winning eight games for the second consecutive season, going 6-2 in conference play. The Raiders started 3-1, then lost three games in a row—several in blowout fashion.

But Middle Tennessee bounced back to win its last five games in a row, scoring at least 42 points four times in that span. Offensively, the Raiders are nicely balanced, averaging 208 yards per game (YPG) on the ground and 207 yards through the air.

And while the MTU defense allowed over 404 YPG, it also held its last four opponents to 21 points or less.

The Raiders thought they got jobbed out of a bowl bid last year, and they should be stoked for this one. If the Armed Forces Bowl betting odds history repeats itself, the underdog Raiders could follow the last five underdogs to cover the spread here.

Why the Midshipmen can cover the Armed Forces Bowl spread

Navy returned 13 starters this season, which is a lot for a service academy. Earlier in the season, the Midshipmen beat a Big Ten team (Indiana) and an ACC team (Pittsburgh) and almost won again at Notre Dame. And since that loss to the Irish, Navy has won its last four games, including another victory over rival Army, to make a bowl for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons.

Powered by its option attack, Navy ranked second in the country by averaging 322 YPG rushing. In the process, quarterback Keenan Reynolds set a new FBS record with 29 rushing touchdowns.

This is a veteran squad that's beaten expectations almost weekly this season, going 9-3 ATS and 5-1 ATS in its past six.

Smart Pick

Like everybody else that goes up against Navy, Middle Tennessee will have to concentrate on stopping the Midshipmen's option attack. For teams that haven't seen it before, or teams that just aren't too good defensively, this can be a nightmare.

Then again, Navy is only 1-3 both SU and ATS in four bowls under Coach Ken Niumatalolo, averaging 24 PPG.

So, it can be done.

Middle Tennessee is out to prove that not only did it deserve a bowl bid this year, it was worthy last year, too. Take the Raiders and the points.

Trends:

• Underdogs have covered in the past five Armed Forces Bowls.
• OVER is 7-3 in the past 10 Navy bowl games.
• Navy is 5-1 ATS in its past six games in 2013.
• Middle Tennessee is 1-6 ATS in its past seven games away from home.

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark. Follow us on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.

Navy has beaten Army 11 straight times, but they covered the spread just four times during that run of domination. They lay 12.5 points in the annual clash that gets the full attention of college football bettors Saturday ahead of bowl season.

Point Spread: Navy opened as 10-point chalk, but that number had been bet up to -12.5 by Friday afternoon. The total was 51.5. (Line updates and Army vs. Navy matchup report.)

Odds Shark computer prediction: 34-23 Navy

Why Army can cover the spread

They scored a ton in their last game and played Navy tough a year ago in a 17-13 loss, and they stayed within two touchdowns of Stanford early in the season. Getting nearly two touchdowns here in the Philly cold (and the forecast calls for lousy weather) is a lot.

Why Navy can cover the spread

They have the superior roster and have been beating up on Army for more than a decade (11-0 straight up). In the past 10 games, the average score is 31-10. They are 5-1 against the spread in their past six games overall.

Smart Pick

If both teams score at the same pace they did in their previous games, the smart money could be on the OVER 51.5. Army scored 42 points against Hawaii, but they forgot to play defense and gave up 49. Navy, meanwhile, dropped 58 on San Jose State, while also forgetting about defense by allowing 52 points.

However, the past seven Army-Navy games have all played UNDER the total, according to the Odds Shark college football searchable database.

Betting trends

• Navy is 5-1 ATS past six games overall
• Past seven meetings played UNDER the total
• Army 0-11 SU past 11 seasons vs Middies

Note: All spread and odds data powered by Odds Shark—follow on Twitter for injury updates and line move updates.

The federal government shutdown is a very real, very serious situation that has impacted the lives of folks, directly and indirectly, all over the nation. Its impact is set to reach the collegiate football world as the service academies have been forced to suspend activities.

On a myriad of levels, this is something that would make the college football landscape take a legitimate loss. The losers would include the student-athletes, the institutions, the communities surrounding the events and, of course, the opponents set to square off with service academies.

While many call the shutdown political posturing, there is also some serious political football being played by the department of defense, as Greg Couch of Fox Sports and Mike James of The Birddog both point out.

The game squarely in the cross-hairs is Air Force at Navy. A big-time affair, set to air on CBS at 11:30 a.m. ET, for 30 minutes of nothing but service academy football. A game that would showcase both programs and give the student-athletes a chance to compete for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. The athletes just want to play ball, the coaches just want to coach, and fans just want to see the teams play.

In the grand scheme of things, there is so much more to lose if the game is not played, based merely on posturing and a public relations play from the Department of Defense. The folks in Annapolis are expecting a record crowd for the contest, and as Couch points out in his story that includes a quote from Navy AD Chet Gladchuk, the supporting cast around the game will also be hurt:

Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk told the Annapolis Capital that if the game — built up as an event honoring the 1963 Cotton Bowl team — isn’t played, it will cost the Academy $4 million. 

“That this thing has tentacles that reach to Annapolis is truly disappointing,” Gladchuk told the paper. “It would be absolutely devastating if this game cannot be played. It would be a tremendous setback for an awful lot of people, and we can’t even calculate the total cost.’’

A football game has its own economy. And it’s a microcosm, really, of what can happen to the nation’s economy during the shutdown.

It is a big deal, especially due to the fact that not playing the game is a push rooted not in money but in a PR play. The Department of Defense does not want to "look bad" even as the funds for the game do not come from the government itself on Navy's side. Where Air Force is concerned, The Gazette points out that conference money and even private funding could be substituted if that would give the Falcons the green light. 

Yet here we sit a few days away from the big game, and there's no word as to whether or not the teams will be allowed to play. Scott Strasemeier at Navy points out that the schools and the game itself will be held hostage until Thursday, midday.

And, on the back end of things, looking more long-term, other collegiate teams could end up impacted should the service academies be grounded this week and beyond. If Army does not play Boston College, the Eagles miss on a game. The Duke Blue Devils are already eyeballing the game scheduled against Navy for October 12 with caution.

As a Mountain West member, a prolonged suspension of activities not only would stop the Falcons from competing against Navy, one of its biggest rivals, but it would impact conference play as well. On the field, that gets into trying to reschedule games, if at all possible, plus figuring out contingency plans for games such as next Thursday's San Diego State at Air Force contest.

From an inventory standpoint, it also means not delivering on the television contract that supports the league itself.

There will be a lot of folks made to lose out if these teams are parked. However, as Mike James points out at The Birddog, Navy has played through shutdowns before, so that is a positive sign from a historical standpoint. Each shutdown is unique, and given the hyper-politicized nature of the current situation, it will be interesting to see how the Department of Defense plays its cards.

With all intercollegiate athletics suspended, the issue goes beyond just the highly visible football. If they choose to force the service academies to the sidelines, plenty of people will be forced into an unfavorable spot, and as Couch points out, that's a microcosm of what the shutdown can do nationally.

2012 was an impressive year for Navy football. The Midshipmen won eight games, recaptured the Commander-in-Chief trophy with victories over Air Force and Army and finished the season by playing in a bowl game.

Now, Navy’s coaches, players and fans look ahead to next season to see if the team can build on that positive momentum. The hope is that the Midshipmen can exceed the accomplishments of last season and be even more successful in 2013.

But is that goal realistic? Can Navy exceed eight wins this season?

There is reason to be optimistic with the direction the team is headed under head coach Ken Niumatalolo.

The Navy offense was led last season by Keenan Reynolds, a true freshman from Antioch, Tennessee. Reynolds showed an impressive comprehension of Navy’s triple-option offense and handled the pressure of leading the team well as a freshman.

He also showed the ability to make plays with his arm, often scrambling outside the pocket and throwing the ball downfield when a play had broken down. If Reynolds continues to grow and mature in his sophomore season, he will give the Midshipmen an opportunity to compete in any game.

Another reason for optimism at the Naval Academy is that this could be one of the stronger defensive teams the Midshipmen have had in recent years.

Navy will be thin in the front seven, but the defensive secondary is a talented and experienced group. Parrish Gaines, Chris Ferguson and Wave Ryder are all defensive backs with a great deal of game experience. Defensive coordinator Buddy Green will rely heavily on these three to lead the defense.

The secondary has been one of the weaknesses of the defense in the past few seasons, but this year’s group should make Navy a tougher team to attack through the air.

However, even with a bright young quarterback and a talented defensive secondary, the 2013 schedule is full of challenges.

The Midshipmen only have five true home games on the schedule this season, with the sixth home game played at a neutral site against Army. With difficult opponents such as Pittsburgh and Air Force on the home schedule this year, it would be a major accomplishment if the Midshipmen can win all five of its games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

And even if Navy wins its home games, the true gauntlet of the schedule for the Midshipmen comes on the road.

Of the six road games Navy plays this season, five of them will be against opponents who were bowl-eligible last season. The only team that didn’t reach a bowl game was Indiana, which Navy defeated last season with an incredible fourth-quarter comeback.

In order for the Midshipmen to get to nine wins, they’ll likely need to win at least three games on the road. With the quality of the opponents, it’s difficult to see where those wins will come from.

One thing is certain: If Navy is able to exceed last season’s total of eight wins, it will be because the Midshipmen earned every single one of them.

In the current era of college football, coaching changes within a program often make national headlines. At most FBS schools, coaches come and go, and the rabid fan bases are fed a steady diet of spin as to why the new coach will make their team an instant contender for new-found glory.

Yet this is not the case at the U.S. Naval Academy, where a subtle change to its coaching staff this offseason will greatly affect the program without changing the overall look and feel of the product on the field.

Ashley Ingram, who enters his sixth season at Navy, has been elevated to Running Game Coordinator. Ingram's former role had him responsible for offensive centers/guards, which are pivotal pieces to a successful running game on any team, but he will now oversee that entire aspect of the offense.

On the surface, Ingram's ascent to Running Game Coordinator may seem trivial to some. Upon closer examination, however, the change could spell the expansion of an already potent running attack, which could, in turn, mean more trouble for those on the schedule for Navy.

For Ingram's part last season, Navy averaged 287.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked sixth in the nation among FBS schools. The Midshipmen ground game has averaged over 280 yards per contest in every season since 2009. Those are impressive numbers for any team, but they are even more impressive for one of the nation's service academies.

Grinding out tough yards in college football is a stout task for any team, but Ingram and the Navy staff have managed to do this at a school with a maximum enrollment of just over 4,500 students. The world-class education provided at the Academy means that admission standards are among the toughest in the country. As a result, Navy football staffers have the added challenge of recruiting a very select breed of student—one who is not only a football player but one who is also a future service member.

With all of the requirements that are needed to even be considered for admission to the Naval Academy—along with the rigors of integrating military service as a way of life—it is not hard to see what an amazing accomplishment it is to field a team at all, let alone one that is competitive at the highest level of college football. Still, Ingram and his counterparts at Navy have always managed to do just that.

If it takes a special kind of student-athlete to participate at Navy, the level of expertise for the coaching staff must also be exceptional. Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo is one man who possess such expertise, and under his leadership, Ashley Ingram flourishes.

In the announcement of Ingram's advancement on NavySports.com, Niumatalolo praised his assistant for being a great teacher and a tireless recruiter. He further expressed that Ingram was as good a football coach that he had ever been associated with.

Ingram is a football lifer. He hails from the football-rich South Georgia area, and is the son of a supremely successful high school coach, Alan Ingram. Ashley's older brother, Robert Ingram, is also a distinguished high school coach in Georgia. Ashley was also an accomplished college player as a four-year letter man at North Alabama.

Navy does not shy away from competition. Their offense is one that runs the football, no matter who the opponent is. Although there are many reasons why the Midshipmen shouldn't be on the same field as other FBS schools, they continue to remain competitive every year. Their players will not be going to the fame and glory of the NFL. They will go to the shores of foreign lands and the seas of far away nations to further the cause of democracy and freedom.

This season, Navy will continue to run the football, and they will run it well. They just have another tool in Ashley Ingram to help navigate the Midshipmen to the calm waters of the end zone. Get excited football fans, Navy football is setting sail for a college football stadium near you.

Navy (8-4) plays the second college bowl game of the day played on a Major League Baseball field when the Midshipmen take on Arizona State (7-5 5-4 Pac-12) Saturday at the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, starting at 4 p.m. EST/1 p.m. PST.

The game will be broadcast by ESPN2 with Dave Pasch calling play by play, Brian Griese as the analyst and Jenn Brown on the sideline.

Navy comes into the bowl game having won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, earned with wins over Air Force (28-21 in overtime in October) and Army (27-21 earlier in December in Philadelphia). For a service academy, this is the accomplishment that is remembered decades down the road.

A chance to play in a postseason bowl game and come out with a another win would be icing on the cake for the Midshipmen.

Starting with their win over Air Force, the Mids have won six of their last seven games, after an early season marked by disappointing losses to Notre Dame in Ireland, Penn State and San Jose State at home. 

The season looked bleak for Navy, which had a 1-3 record heading into its game with Air Force in Colorado Springs.

A spark was provided by the insertion into the lineup of freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds against the Falcons when junior Trey Miller was injured. The small, 5'11" but quick plebe from Antioch, Tenn., came in win nine minutes and three seconds remaining trailing 21-13 and helped Mids score 11 fourth-quarter points to tie the game, which Navy went on to win in overtime after a fumble recovery in the end zone by guard Jake Zuzek.

Reynolds started each game through the balance of the season, including the Army game, in which he demonstrated poise in a big-game environment and speed in evading Black Knight pressure in the backfield and engineered the winning touchdown. He has since started the rest of the season for the Mids.  

With Army leading 13-10 midway through the fourth quarter and the momentum with the Black Knights, who were desperately trying to break a 10-game losing streak to Navy, Reynolds hit Brandon Turner for a 49-yard gain down the right side and then ran for what proved to be the winning touchdown.

On the season Reynolds ran for a net of 628 yards and scored a team-high 10 touchdowns, while completing 58 percent of his passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns with only one interception.

Senior Gee Gee Greene at slot back was the leading ground gainer for Navy, with 765 net yards at an average gain of 7.1 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore fullback Noah Copeland netted 691 on the ground and five scores.

A key player to watch supporting the Navy option offense is versatile senior slot back Bo Snelson, who excels at blocking as well as running with the ball. Guards are key blockers in an option offense, and Navy has two big players in sophomore Zuzek, at 6'0" and 318 pounds, and senior Josh Cabral on the right side, at 6'3" and 297 pounds.

On defense Navy proved tough in the red zone against Army, limiting the Black Knights to a touchdown and forcing a field goal in four opportunities.

Senior inside linebacker Matt Warrick is the leading tackler for the Mids, with 41 solos and 84 total tackles. Tra'ves Bush had 82 tackles on the season from his "rover" position. Senior linebacker Brye French has 74 tackles, as does senior outside linebacker Keegan Wetzel. 

Arizona State comes into AT&T Park having won its two last games of the season, scoring a lot of points in a 46-7 win over Washington State and a 41-34 victory in the Sun Devils' rivalry game with Arizona. 

Prior to that they had lost four straight, to Oregon, UCLA, Oregon State and USC.

Todd Graham is in his first year coaching ASU after previously being the head coach at Pittsburgh in 2011, Tulsa 2007-10 and Rice in 2006. Graham graduated from East Central University (Ada, Okla.) in 1987 before moving up the coaching ladder with assistant jobs at East Central, West Virginia and Tulsa.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly has completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,772 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions.

The leading receiver is junior wideout Chris Coyle, who has caught 53 passes for 659 yards, an average of 12.4 yards per catch. 

The Devils have four backs who have run for more than 400 net yards on the season, led by senior  Cameron Marshall with 524 net yards, an average gain of 4.1 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior Marion Grace has rushed for 5.8 yards per carry while gaining 520 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. 

The ASU offensive line is not huge, with 6'3", 285-pound junior Kody Koebensky at center, but the right side has muscle, with guard Andrew Sampson at 6'4" and 301 pounds and senior tackle Brice Schwab providing size at 6'7" and 302 pounds.

OK, they are big, certainly a challenge for a somewhat undersized Navy defensive line typical of academy football.

On defense the Sun Devils like to rush the passer.

Brandon Magee at the weak-side inside-linebacker position is the leading tackler with 77 unassisted and a total of 104 stops. Magee also has 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Sophomore Carl Bradford at the "Devil" position has 10.5 sacks, as does 6'1", 267-pound Will Sutton from the tackle position.

Senior Keelan Johnson at field safety leads the team with five interceptions. The Sun Devils are listing a freshman, Jaxon Hood, at nose tackle who is large, at 6'0" and 295 pounds.

Watch for Navy to test the middle of the AU line with its big guards going against the freshman, who probably has not seen much option-run blocking.

This could be a touch challenge for Navy, which has lost four of its last five bowl games. Key on offense is if the aggressive Arizona State defense used to playing against passing teams can adjust to the Navy option play and the quick play of Keenan Reynolds. On defense expect Arizona State to come out passing and testing the Navy secondary.

AT&T Park, right by the bay, should be a beautiful setting for the game, but the San Francisco forecast (via AccuWeather) calls for periods of rain and temperatures in low 50s.

Ken Kraetzer covers Army football during the season for WVOX 1460 in New Rochelle, N.Y., and American Legion press.

Navy and Arizona State each boast playmakers who only need one play to score.

Looking back at any football game, it’s easy to pinpoint a couple of plays that, if they would’ve gone the other way, would’ve changed its outcome. That’ll be no different in the 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Saturday.

Here are the Midshipmen and Sun Devils who are capable of making those one or two plays that give their team the edge: the most explosive offensive weapons to watch.

4. D.J. Foster (Arizona State, RB)

Foster is a solid halfback who’s rushed for 492 yards on 4.9 yards a pop this season, but he’s even more dangerous coming out of the backfield as a receiver. He’s second on the team in receiving yards with 522 and he averages 14.5 yards per catch—a number much higher than usual for a back.

Arizona State loves getting Foster the ball in open space, especially on screens, and allowing his athleticism to take over.

Fast Forward to 3:06 for TD

3. Keenan Reynolds (Navy, QB)

The 5’9” freshman couldn’t have been much better for Navy this season. On top of his 8-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Reynolds has scored 10 rushing touchdowns.

Since he took over the starting gig against Central Michigan, there hasn’t been a game in which he didn’t break off a run of at least 20 yards.

2. Marion Grice (Arizona State, RB)

Despite being fourth on the Sun Devils in carries, Grice averages a 5.8 yards a pop on the ground. And like Foster, he’s also a receiving threat.

On the season, Grice has compiled 926 yards from scrimmage and scored 17 touchdowns even though he’s only touched the ball 128 times—that’s 7.2 yards per touch and a score every 7.5 touches.

Fast Forward to 3:17 for TD

1. Gee Gee Green (Navy RB)

When Gee Gee Green sees green, he’s gone.

The 5’8”, 185-pound tailback leads the Midshipmen in rushing this season with 765 yards on a whopping 7.1 yards per carry.

Now, I already claimed Foster’s yards-per-catch average is incredible, but Green’s is even more impressive. He’s also Navy’s leading receiver with 303 yards on 17.8 yards per reception.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels

The football team of the United States Naval Academy began this season on foreign soil. In what was classified as a "home" game on the schedule, Navy faced Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland. The Fighting Irish seemed right at home in the "Land of the Irish" and dominated the Midshipmen in a 50-10 rout.

The next time Navy took the field, they were blown out of Beaver Stadium by Penn State in a decisive 34-7 victory for the Nittany Lions.

The Midshipmen were off to an 0-2 start and had lost its first two games by a combined score of 84-17. To say Navy's Head Coach, Ken Niumatalolo, was able to turn his team and the season around would be a major understatement.

Following its first two losses, Navy reeled off eight wins over its next 10 games to finish the regular season with an 8-4 record, including an 11th straight season with a win against Army. Now, the Midshipmen have an opportunity to add one more win to their season total with a game against Arizona State in The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on December 29.

Considering the way they have been able to finish the season and the look of the current roster, the future for Navy Football is very bright.

In the team's fifth game of the season, which was against rival Air Force, Navy's starting quarterback, Trey Miller, was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury. Coach Niumatalolo turned to his backup freshman quarterback, Keenan Reynolds, to lead the offense.

Reynolds led the Midshipmen to an incredible comeback in an overtime victory on the road against Air Force and he hasn't looked back since.

The freshman from Antioch, TN has quickly picked up Navy's option offense and brings the team an added dimension of being able to accurately throw the ball down field. Reynolds has thrown for touchdown passes in four of the seven games he's started this season.

Barring injury, Reynolds will continue to develop and make Navy's offense even more potent. Combine his growth with an offense that is expected to return key contributors at the fullback, wide receiver and offensive line positions, and the Midshipmen can be expected to produce a lot of points next season.

The Naval Academy will also return some major pieces to a defense that was much improved from a year ago. Eight of the team's 11 defensive starters are expected to be back next year, giving Navy's Defensive Coordinator, Buddy Green, one of his more experienced units in recent seasons.

The Midshipmen will have a difficult 2013 schedule, facing six teams that were bowl eligible this season, but Navy will have the talent to compete with those teams and has the potential to finish the season with as many as 10 wins.

With an impressive freshman quarterback and a team that appears to be finishing the season with a great deal of positive momentum, Coach Ken Niumatalolo clearly has this ship going in the right direction.