Navy Football

“Duty, honor, country.” 

Every West Point cadet should understand the history behind General Douglas MacArthur’s words. They are as American as college football, hot dogs and apple pie. 

I’m sure plenty of people, while watching the game in person or on television, enjoyed their slice of Americana’s pie.    

They saw linemen fulfilling their pulling guard duties; they saw seniors playing in honor of the blood, sweat and tears of their classmates; they saw some of the future custodians of this country’s defense and possibly future presidential candidates.     

What they didn’t see was a Heisman Trophy candidate. Designing a run for the Heisman should be easy for the Army or Navy football-playing engineers.   

They’ve studied the art of building bridges, boats and war time’s big ships. But, something interesting happened since Vietnam. The days of Heisman-winning players from either Army or Navy started to decline. 

The nation’s best players shipped off to colleges that bought them boats and named bridges after them—allegedly.

It’s not good for Americana. 

The nation’s service academies combined should annually have at least one perennial Heisman candidate.

The last to win it from a service academy was Roger “The Dodger” Staubach in 1963.

He later led the Dallas Cowboys to five Super Bowl appearances. They won two of them. He was the MVP in one. 

On top of that, he was the first of four to win both the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP. Jim Plunkett, Marcus Allen and Desmond Howard are the other three. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times and is still a proud Navy Midshipmen and Vietnam vet. 

Speaking of Navy and ship, the fate of the U.S.S. Olympia provides a good analogy of military schools and the Heisman Trophy Award.

Just days before the ship was scheduled to be shut down on Nov. 22, 2010, officials announced they’d raised enough money. At Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pa., the U.S.S. Olympia was saved from being sunken. 

Officials raised enough money to make repairs. The National Historical Landmark was allowed to remain open, but its fate is uncertain. Its plight is similar to the Heisman Trophy prospects at Air Force, Army and Navy.

The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York has three Heisman Trophy winners in its history: They are Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946) and Pete Dawkins (1958). 

On Heisman Trophy Award Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Field in Philly, the Black Knights battled the United States Naval Academy. Philly is about half the distance between West Point and Annapolis, Maryland—home of the Naval Academy. 

All the pageantry from the cadets, whose military characters are as fine and close to stainless as can be, is still inspiring. 

The Midshipmen and the Knights, officers and gentlemen, battled for inter-service pride and bragging rights. Some of the futures of the world’s noblest figures, meanwhile, played a mere game of gridiron football. They battled to determine who’s stronger, weaker, prouder and unbending in honest failure and humble success. 

I guess it was Navy—all the above. No disrespect to Army, my father is a World War II veteran (Guam, Phillipines). No Air Force player has won a Heisman.  

Between the battlefields and shell-pocked roads, my brother, a tailback, played semi-pro football for the U.S. Air Force in Europe. I have two brother-in-laws who served in Vietnam. 

My military career, though, is like a freshman finding the way and the light. He finds his way to the end zone, running with the poetry of imagination. 

I appreciate the cadets and soldiers who prove they’re brave enough throughout their careers.

I’m brave enough to say the Army-Navy game, without viable Heisman candidates on display, could be for scary for television executives. Ratings matter.

The game was once played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day. Since 2009, they get it in on the second Saturday in December. This allows the game to avoid scheduling conflicts with the various conference championship games. 

Traditionally, it’s the last game of the season for both teams. By moving to the second Saturday, it’s the last game of the NCAA FBS football season.

It takes place the day of the Heisman Trophy announcement, and I think it’s a shame.

The game should either be moved up a week or back a week to allow for a player to be invited to the Heisman ceremonies. It’s almost like organizers have given up on the player’s opportunity to even be considered for the Heisman. 

It could be officials need to ensure Army numbers, instead of ensuring football victories.  The service requirement includes tours of duty in Afghanistan and officials don’t want the NFL tugging on any player’s heart. I understand that.

The academic requirements, height and weight limits, and the military commitment required have reduced the overall competitiveness of both academies. I get it. 

There is something I don’t get: After his required service in the Navy, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, Staubach joined the Dallas Cowboys. He had an 11-year career in the NFL. 

Why can’t others do it? You tell me.

Why is it since 1963, only the 1996 and upcoming 2010 games have seen both teams enter with winning records? Could someone please explain it to me?

I’m not asking for a Heisman candidate every year, it’s an unrealistic approach.  Not even the mighty SEC has a Heisman Trophy candidate every year.  Oh, wait, yes they do.  Tebow, Ingram and Newton have won “fall trophies.”

Last Saturday afternoon was a fall classic weather day where I was. I watched the 111th meeting of Army and Navy and it thrilled me. Broadcast around the world, the gray skies and gray cadets humbled and inspired me. 

Army scored a touchdown against Navy for the first time since 2006. Hurray for the underdog. But Navy proceeded to return a fumble for 98 yards at the end of the second half. 

Army was about to score a touchdown to make the score 17-14 at halftime.

By then, from the Pacific Ocean to the Hudson River—red, white and blue had watched the game. But, the game would've been more intriguing if it had a Heisman Trophy candidate. 

Oh, well, it seems the Heisman talent will not stay afloat like the U.S.S. Olympia.

Does either military academy really care?

No. I think, um, duty, honor and protecting the country is more important—I get it. 

That’s how it should be, but a little Heisman talent every now and then on a military roster wouldn’t hurt—would it?

If this wasn't a ticket seller's dream scenario, I don't know what is. The game is played in San Diego, where the Aztecs play their home games and, according to ESPN, there is a large Naval base in the city. Does this translate to a good game? I think yes, and here's why:

The Aztecs have a very exciting offense to watch. Ryan Lindley slings the ball all over the field, and receivers Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson have stepped up as reliable targets for the young man at quarterback. Freshman Ronnie Hillman benefits from opponents focusing so much on the pass, as he rushed for over 1,300 yards in his first year. San Diego State has a rep as an average team that beats the other average teams and loses to better opponents.

Navy, 8-3 before Saturday against Army, is continuing to run the option attack well and plays solid defense. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs has become a passing threat, on top of his great ability to run the football. 10 passing and 13 rushing touchdowns makes him a multi-dimensional threat behind center.

Worth note: Navy lost to Air Force this year, and San Diego State was able to beat Air Force. This is significant because Air Force runs a heavy option attack somewhat similar to Navy. San Diego State has plenty of time to watch tape from that game and should be ready for Navy's offense.

Prediction: Navy should win this one. Neither school has impressive wins on their records, but I think Navy will head in confident in their offense. If the Aztecs can keep Navy from controlling the clock and running up and down the field, this game should be close at the end.

Navy-24, SDST- 17

This loss wasn’t supposed to happen.

The team came in high, riding a three-game winning streak, showing some improvements and looking to continue developing a young new quarterback.

Most experts were picking the team to win. The experts said they were too big, too strong, and too athletically gifted to lose to such an inferior and smaller opponent.

The experts said the team’s strengths would automatically slow down and limit the opponent and ultimately force a favorable outcome for the more talented school.

And then it happened…the “superior” team lost to Navy in truly embarrassing fashion.

Sound familiar?

No, I’m not talking about Notre Dame’s loss to the Midshipmen last Saturday, but currently undefeated and No. 6 ranked Missouri’s loss to the Naval Academy in last year’s Texas Bowl.

Moreover, the parallels between Missouri’s loss to Navy last season and Notre Dame’s recent loss to the Midshipmen are eerily similar.

Like Notre Dame, the Tigers came into their contest as 6.5 point favorites over Navy but found themselves in a world of hurt once they stepped onto the field.

Like Notre Dame, Missouri gave up 35 points and lost by three scores, leading to a whole multitude of questions about the program, its coaches, and its players.

Missouri came into the game with the 12th-best rushing defense in the nation and gave up 385 yards on the ground (18 more than Notre Dame) as well as 515 total yards (77 more than Notre Dame).

Is there something we can learn from Missouri’s loss to Navy at the end of last season?

There are three major lessons:

1.) Navy is a good team

2.) Examine how Missouri and Notre Dame lost

3.) This loss can be overcome

Navy is a Good Team

Some have called my recap of the loss to Navy and my subsequent defense of the Midshipmen as a quality team as mere “sugarcoating.”

Allow me to be frank in response.

If we stopped looking at the name on the front of their jersey, stopped looking at them as “under-sized” and condescendingly far less talented, stopped judging them by their label as a service academy, and just looked at their performance on the field, it becomes obvious that Navy is a good team.

I’m not talking them up like they are a great team (if you’re not great, then you’re going to lose to bad teams once in a while, which Navy has done in the past), but they have proved enough on Saturdays that they should at least be respected as a legitimate opponent.

How many times do they have to play competitively against teams with far superior talent until we admit this? How many more BCS teams do they have to beat before we stop pretending like they are in the same class as bumbling MAC teams?

I say if we put this team in the Big East or Big 12, I guarantee would they make some noise. Maybe they won’t ever approach 10-win seasons, but they’re not going to be at the bottom of those leagues.

So if you’re willing to admit that Navy is a good team (or at least not terrible) then Notre Dame’s loss does not look as surprising.

Sure the physical dominance of Navy’s victory was disheartening, but there are better explanations and reasons as to why that happened besides the standard “Notre Dame lacked heart and emotion” or “Navy wanted it more”.

Notre Dame came in with a new coaching staff with six new starters on offense. The team also has been without their top three receivers and has a banged up starting running back. On top of that, the defensive game plan couldn’t have made it any more difficult for the team to succeed.

When you add all of those things up, is it really that surprising that this team would lose in convincing fashion to a quality rival?

A couple of bad turnovers and a poor defensive game plan will lead to a three score loss for inexperienced and injured teams who really aren’t that great to begin with.

Look at it another way: Oklahoma destroyed Iowa State 52-0, but then the Cyclones beat Texas in Austin the very next week.

Texas was just in the national championship game last year, has more talent than Notre Dame, and lost at home to a team I consider much worse than Navy.

There’s a difference between the Irish loss and the Longhorns loss this weekend, yet many of the Notre Dame fans are acting like the latter occurred.

And that’s mostly because those fans are unwilling to admit that Navy is a good team.

What Went Wrong for Missouri and Notre Dame?

Coaching

Both teams had relatively inexperienced coordinators, especially Missouri who was working with first-time coordinators on both sides of the ball.

Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator Charlie Molnar has a decade of experience at his position, but this is his first season with the big boys, so to speak.

Furthermore, Irish defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is in his second season as a defensive coordinator and is very young for his status in the college football world.

By all accounts, the Missouri coaching staff has gained a lot of experience and maturity and has learned how to improve their team since the embarrassing loss to Navy.

We will see if the Notre Dame coaches learn from their loss as well. 

Defensive Schemes

Both schools had massive problems with Navy’s spread option, although for different reasons.

Missouri ran a base 4-3, lined up all three linebackers inside the tackle box, and kept things vanilla for most of the game.

As a result, Navy took advantage and had a lot of success running outside on a pitch play and quarterback keepers around the tackles.

According to the Missouri blog Atomic Teeth, the Tigers game plan on defense was terrible and did not put the players in a position to succeed. Also, the players did not attack and instead tried to react, which led to confusion for defenders and big plays for Navy.

As Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said, “They’re (Navy) really efficient in what they do. They run it well and they’re going to keep doing it. We knew what they were going to do, but the thing is, they kind of take your instincts away from you.”

In comparison, Notre Dame ran a base 3-4 with the outside linebackers up at the line of scrimmage and the inside linebackers five yards off the ball, almost begging Navy to run the ball up the middle.

Which they did with ease.

In our discussion on how to stop the option, we believed that the defensive ends would be crashing into the B gap and taking out the fullback on every play. Instead, the defensive ends tied themselves up with the Navy tackles all day, leaving the middle linebackers (who were being blocked endlessly by Midshipmen linemen releasing downfield) to stop the fullback up the middle.

Replay the first long run for Navy on 3rd-and-1 during their first possession and you’ll see DE Kapron Lewis-Moore unblocked, prancing right by the fullback with the ball and trying to cover QB Ricky Dobbs. Both Irish middle linebackers were easily blocked as the fullback ran for a huge gain.

Even though Notre Dame ran a different defense than Missouri, the inability to put players in a position to succeed and to make adjustments were the critical problems shared by both schools. This also goes to show you how frustrating and lethal Navy’s offense can be.

Were the problems from lack of effort?

Atomic Teeth weighed in for Missouri after their loss asking, “Were the Tiger players over-confident going in? Did they loaf their way through an uninspired beatdown in a bowl they felt too good for? I don’t think so. First, you don’t lose to Baylor and get cocky. Ever. Second, a lack of effort did not seem to be the problem. There was a lack of direction and a lack of brains, but there was hustle.”

I thought Notre Dame could have played with a little more emotion (aren’t we saying his nearly every game?), but the problems for the Irish against Navy were schematic as much as anything.

I don’t think the Irish loss was a case of Notre Dame being pushed around as much as it was Navy running a dangerous offense against a dreadful defensive game plan. There were definitely opportunities where Irish defenders had a chance to make a play and failed, but Navy probably couldn’t have drawn up a better defensive scheme to attack than what Notre Dame employed.

Offensive Schemes and Young Quarterbacks

Missouri and Notre Dame faced a lot of the same problems on offense, especially since both schools run very similar spread offenses.

Both teams had young quarterbacks.

Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert was in his first year of starting and his strengths and weaknesses throughout 2009 were very comparable to Dayne Crist.

Both are big quarterbacks with strong arms and a ton of promise, but both went through periods where they would stop being effective quarterbacks and continually make bad decisions. The same complaints that Missouri fans were yelling about Gabbert are almost the same complaints we are seeing from Irish fans about Crist.

Each signal caller threw two interceptions against Navy and seemed to get worse as the game wore on.

So far in 2010 Gabbert has become one of the better quarterbacks in the nation. We’ll see if Crist can take that next step the rest of this season or into his second year of starting.

Furthermore, both offenses had trouble dealing with the defensive schemes Navy threw at them (mostly due to ineffective QB play) and both teams stubbornly refused to run the ball, even though the Tigers and Irish were pretty successful when they did so.

Navy was also able to put pressure on both Crist and Gabbert without using a lot of blitzing, leading to a number of sacks and quarterback hurries in each game. Also, Navy dropped seven or eight defenders back to limit the passing games of Missouri and Notre Dame, and it worked.

The good thing is that Missouri has rebounded from the loss. Gabbert has matured and improved as a quarterback, while the Tigers offense is productive and one of the big reasons they are now undefeated.   

The Loss Can Be Overcome

We have to look no further than the Missouri Tigers to see that a big loss to Navy can be overcome.

It was just one game.

Notre Dame is a program that is 20-25 over the past three-plus years and got roughed up by a top 40 team. It happens.

Just look around at the other college football fans who aren’t really that astonished at the outcome from this loss to Navy for Notre Dame.

The Irish had one week to prepare for the tricky triple option (Ohio State had an entire offseason and almost lost, Missouri had an entire month and was beaten worse than Notre Dame), had some significant injuries and lined up with some seriously poor schemes on defense.

I fail to see how this proves that Brian Kelly is a bad coach or that that all hope in the future is lost. What’s more, some are acting like Notre Dame has been playing like they did against Navy for the entire season, which is definitely not true.

This loss to Navy was a stink bomb and it was ugly, but otherwise there have been some improvements defensively that should not be forgotten.

Now, if Notre Dame goes into the tank the rest of the way then there might be some problems, but this loss to Navy could be just an aberration on the way to a successful ending of the 2010 season and beyond.

We really don’t know what it means, but I do know that it was just one game.

Missouri got thumped by Navy in one game as well, but made the necessary adjustments, matured at some positions, and are ready to crash the BCS party this year.

This doesn’t mean that Notre Dame is going to reel off a bunch of wins through the rest of this season or in 2011, but the Tigers have proved that a loss to Navy, even a loss in which you’re dominated by the Midshipmen, is not necessarily a bellwether for where your program is headed.

Just exactly how Notre Dame responds to this loss to finish the season will likely be the more important gauge for where this program is and where it is going in the future. Let’s hope the Fighting Irish can learn something from Missouri and shake off a bad loss to the United States Naval Academy.

From the FanTake blog: One Foot Down

 

Follow on Twitter: @OneFootDown

Once upon a time, whenever the Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy got on the football field with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a Notre Dame victory was all but guaranteed.

For 43 straight years (dating back to when Heisman Trophy winner and Dallas Cowboy Hall of Famer Roger Staubach played for the Mids), Notre Dame owned this rivalry (if you could call it that).

Yesterday, in New Meadowlands Stadium, the two teams met for another epic battle. And when it was all said and done, the end result was another blowout.

However, if I told you beforehand that the final score would be 35-17 in favor of Navy, you would have laughed.

That was the final score in a rivalry where the balance of power has shifted in favor of the Naval Academy, with a once-proud Notre Dame football program clearly reeling.

The Navy offense sailed to over 430 yards against the Irish D, fueled by quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who ran for three touchdowns and threw for another, and its destroyer, fullback Alexander Teich, who ran for over 200 yards and caught Dobbs's only touchdown pass. 

Defensively, the Midshipmen never really allowed the Irish to get into the flow of things, harassing quarterback Dayne Crist all day, coming up with a sack and two interceptions. 

While this lopsided loss by Notre Dame underlies just how far this storied program has fallen, it should also serve notice that the Navy football program, once considered Division I doormats, can no longer be taken lightly.

For most who don’t follow Navy football, you would think the title of this article is no more than a pipe dream.  If there ever was a chance for Navy to go bowling with the big boys this is the year.  In both the AP and USA Today Pre Season Polls Navy is in the Top 40, so there is not a long way to climb for the Midshipmen.

Last season, the Midshipmen won 10 games for only the third time in school history and most were memorable.  They scored 63 in a game against Rice, they defeated their rivals Air Force and Army again, for the second time in three years Notre Dame fell to the Mids, and in their bowl game they trounced Missouri 35-13.  In fact even in defeat Navy received praise as they took the 6th ranked Ohio State to the brink in a 31-27 loss.

One big reason this could happen is Navy's schedule for 2010.  Outside of the Notre Dame game Navy could or maybe should be favored in every other game.  They play three ACC teams but by no means is Maryland, Wake Forest and Duke the class of the ACC.  Navy's home schedule looks to be easy with opponents like Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, and Central Michigan to name a few.  An undefeated season is not an impossibility which is a must for Navy to go bowling with the big boys.

Of course Navy's success hinges on the man in the picture, Ricky Dobbs.  Dobbs in most circles is seen as a Heisman dark horse and for good reason.  Dobbs runs the option to perfection which is evident after setting the record for rushing touchdowns by quarterbacks with 27; he broke Tim Tebow's record. 

Dobbs however can throw the ball just as well throwing for over 1,000 yards last year.  That might not sound impressive, but consider the Mids ran for almost 4,000 yards in 2009.

Not only would this be huge for the program but big for college football.  Navy is starting to become a huge draw.  In all of Navy's bowl games they have sold close to and sometimes over 30,000.  If the unexpected happens and they win it would be a bigger story than Boise over Oklahoma.  Its hard not to root for a team like Navy, they are generally undersized, and the talent level is far lower on their sideline and most if not all will never play football after college ever again. 

The greatest thing about this is that back in 2000 Navy was one of the worst teams in the country.  The fact that just 10 years later this can even be discussed shows the amazing turnaround they have had.  Seven straight bowl games, two 10 win seasons, two wins over Notre Dame and seven straight Commander in Chief's trophies, they have come a long way since the 2001 0-10 season.  Numerous things need to go right for Navy to be in a BCS bowl game, and it all starts on September 6 against Maryland.

Follow Me on Twitter https://twitter.com/AndySnakovsky 

Could Ricky Dobbs win the 2010 Heisman Trophy? Could he join ranks with Roger Staubach, the only Navy quarterback to win this prestigious award?

If he duplicates last year's performance, I think he's got a chance, but his name hasn't surfaced on any of the Heisman watch lists.

Today, Las Vegas odds makers issued their list of Heisman hopefuls, and Dobbs' name was absent. They couldn't find a spot for him in their list of 25 candidates.

In 2009, Dobbs (6'1", 198 lbs) led Navy to one of their best records ever. The Middies finished 10-4, and capped off their season with a 35-13 Sun Bowl victory over Missouri.

WHY DOBBS DESERVES MENTION

Last year Dobbs broke the NCAA record, for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (27), and ran for 1192 total yards. He also passed for over 1000 yards, threw six touchdowns, and only threw three interceptions.

He did all this while missing the Wake Forest game, and hardly playing against Temple because of an injured leg. He had surgery for the leg after the season ended.

In a disappointing opening loss to Ohio State, Dobbs threw two touchdowns, and ran for two more. He also totaled 83 yards on the ground.

He engineered the 23-21 upset of Notre Dame in South Bend, but the Sun Bowl might have been his best game.

In the Sun Bowl (vs Missouri) he completed 9 of 14 passes for 130 yards, for one touchdown, and no interceptions. He also ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

Dobbs played great all year, and showed that he and his team, could play against some of the strongest in college football.

CAN HE REALLY WIN THE HEISMAN TROPHY?

Winning the Heisman, or getting recognition as a front-runner, has so much to do with the performance of one's team. If a front-runner leads his team to a championship, the contest is probably over.

With Navy's schedule, which seems watered-down to most BCS teams, winning the Heisman could be tough.

The Midshipmen only play three teams from a BCS conference, and none of them look like heavyweights (Maryland, Wake Forest, and Duke). They also play Air Force, East  Carolina, and Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame game is in the Meadowlands, and if a national television audience has reason to watch, Dobbs could get the kind of publicity he needs.

CAN NAVY HAVE A BIG YEAR IN 2010?

The success Navy has enjoyed in the past couple of years should continue in 2010. The chance of winning 10 games is good. The chance of making it into the top 25 is also good.

If they can get an opening win over Maryland, it's possible they'll get into the top 25, and be able to stay there for a while.

On offense they'll be quick and execute like only Navy can. It's a good bet they'll lead the country in rushing again.

They've also added a new dimension: They now have some size on the line.

The defense returns three players from the secondary, and all the front three returns.  It's the linebacker position that could cause concern.  Navy lost all their linebackers from 2009

The Midshipmen are going have to rely on Tyler Simmons, and group of what they consider solid replacements, to take over in 2010.

All of this, of course, is speculation. Nobody knows what's in store for Navy in 2010.  Last year, a lot of people around the program thought it was going to be a rebuilding year.

But one thing is clear: Ricky Dobbs has to be given some Heisman mention by somebody!