PERFECT STORM
Injuries, tough schedule could imperil Mids’ 14-game winning streak
Throughout America’s armed forces, one question has been posed repeatedly this week by service members with a rooting interest in the only major college football game played the second Saturday in December.
If Army can’t beat Navy this year, when will it?
It would indeed seem like an ideal set of circumstances has given the Black Knights an advantage going into today’s 117th meeting at M&T Bank Stadium.
Army West Point has not played since blowing out Morgan State, 60-3, on Nov. 19 — giving coach Jeff Monken three weeks to prepare his team for the matchup with Navy. The Black Knights are as healthy and rested as they have been all season.
Meanwhile, this marks the first year since 1941 that Navy has not had at least two weeks to get ready for its archrival. The Midshipmen played in the American Athletic Conference championship game last Saturday, meaning coach Ken Niumatalolo had only three practices to prepare Regular-season finale At M&T Bank Stadium Today, 3 p.m. TV: Chs. 13, 9 Radio: 1090 AM, 1430 AM Line: Navy by 5 INSIDE Oklahoma’s Mayfield, Westbrook soaking up the Heisman Trophy spotlight ONLINE Navy captains come to terms with sitting out against Army his team for its biggest game of the season.
To make matters worse for the Mids, last Saturday was especially painful. Navy got hammered by Temple not only on the scoreboard, 34-10, but also on the field, losing several players to injuries.
Record-setting starting quarterback Will Worth (broken bone in right foot) and top slotback Toneo Gulley (Lisfranc fracture in left foot) suffered season-ending injuries on the same play. Darryl Bonner, who has been Navy’s most explosive slotback this season, left the game with a concussion and will not be available today. Tyler Carmona, the team’s best blocking wide receiver, will sit out with a foot injury.
There was a look of shock and disbelief on the faces of Navy players and coaches as they trudged toward the home locker room at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium after the loss to the Owls. Even athletic director Chet Gladchuk was not his usual optimistic self, and was overhead muttering, “I bet the guys up the street will be licking their chops after this” as he walked off the field.
Gladchuk was speaking about the Black Knights, who no doubt watched on television as the Mids were dismantled.
Niumatalolo was asked about the circumstances that seem to favor Army.
“It’s true. We do have a ton of guys hurt. Obviously, we are coming off a devastating loss. And Army has a really good football team,” Niumatalolo said. “But we didn’t have any time to feel sorry for ourselves. We had to press forward and find a way to
rally. We’re banged up, but this is the Army game. Whoever is available needs to strap it up and roll.”
As a result of last weekend’s injuries, Navy will have a sophomore quarterback making his first college start against Army. Zach Abey, an Archbishop Spalding graduate who has made just three previous college appearances, will have fewer weapons at his disposal because of the loss of Gulley, Bonner and Carmona.
Gulley leads the team’s slotbacks with 427 rushing yards while Bonner has been a big-play threat, averaging 12.3 yards per touch. Carmona, 6 feet 4, 222 pounds, who in essence plays a tight end role in certain formations, had a 35-yard reception against East Carolina and a 47-yarder against Southern Methodist.
Navy’s injuries have prompted the West Point contingent to express newfound confidence about finally ending its 14-game losing streak in the series.
“I think this is the best chance we’ve had in a couple years. We’re definitely going to go in with a winning mentality,” Army linebacker Alex Aukerman told CBS Sports. “Two years ago, it was like, ‘If we play perfect, we can hang with them and win.’ It’s just slowly transitioning into, ‘This is our game to lose this year.’ ”
Not everyone on the Army side is swayed by the thought that Navy is suddenly vulnerable. The Mids (9-3) are still No. 25 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and have plenty of good players on both sides of the ball.
“I don’t buy into any of that stuff. Ken Niumatalolo is one of the best football coaches in the country, and he’ll have that team ready to play,” Monken said. “A year ago, we started a sophomore quarterback, Chris Carter, who had not played in a college football game until one game before Army-Navy. Chris played well and we had a chance to win that game. Now Navy’s in the same situation this season. I’m sure Abey will go in there and do a great job.”
Senior inside linebacker Jeremy Timpf, a rare two-year captain who is tied for the team lead with 88 tackles, agreed.
“I’m sure there are some external factors ARMY WEST POINT (6-5) @ NO. 25 NAVY (9-3) When: Today, 3 p.m. Site: M&T Bank Stadium TV: Chs. 13, 9 Radio: 1090 AM, 1430 AM Series: Navy leads 60-49-7 What’s at stake: Navy is trying to extend its historic winning streak to 15 games. Previously, the longest winning streak in the series was five games, accomplished twice by each side. Army is aiming to beat the Mids for the first time since 2001, while Navy is hoping to reach 10 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in progam history. The Black Knights are attempting to clinch their first winning season since 2010. Key matchup: Navy wide receivers Jamir Tillman and Brandon Colon against Army cornerbacks Elijah Riley and Jaylon McClinton. Don’t be surprised if Navy throws the ball a bit more than usual to loosen up a strong Army defense. The Black Knights, who have a formidable front seven, have done an outstanding job of containing the Mids’ ground game in recent years. Tillman might be the best player on the field, an NFL prospect who catches nearly everything thrown his way and does a great job of gaining yards after the catch. Tillman (6 feet 4, 212 pounds) and Colon (6-4, 223) present matchup problems for Riley (6-0, 193) and McClinton (5-10, 180), freshmen who were recruited as safeties. Players to watch: Navy quarterback Zach Abey and Army linebackers Andrew King and Jeremy Timpf. Abey is making his first career start in the biggest game of the year. The sophomore from Archbishop Spalding is facing an Army defense that is ranked fifth nationally in total yards allowed (288.9) and is led by King and Timpf, who have 88 tackles apiece. — Bill Wagner, Baltimore Sun Media Group at work, but I’m not going out there on Saturday expecting Navy to be any different than every other year. This is the ArmyNavy game. There are never any excuses out on that field. That’s what makes this game so special,” he said.
One would expect defensive coordinator Jay Bateman to have the Black Knights use some tactics designed to confuse and rattle Abey. Last year, Army routinely alternated defensive assignments that caused fouryear starting quarterback Keenan Reynolds to make some wrong reads.
“We’re not going to do anything different than we would have done against their starting quarterback. It’s up to their players to handle whatever we throw at them,” Timpf said. “We had a strong game plan in place before Worth went down with an injury and we’re going to throw the same game plan at this new quarterback.”
Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper insisted he would not scale back the game plan because of Abey’s lack of experience, but Niumatalolo said that has to be taken into account.
“Obviously, we have to tweak things for Zach and what he does. He’s been running the second huddle all season, so he knows what we do. We have to do what makes us successful, but we also have to play to his strengths,” Niumatalolo said. “I’m not a sports psychologist, so I can’t really get inside the kid’s head. Ivin and I will try our best to help him. All you can do is prepare him the best you can, give him stuff that he can do and hope he’ll be successful.”
Abey and the rest of the Navy offense will be challenged to move the ball against an Army defense that ranks fifth nationally in total yards allowed (288.9 per game). Timpf and fellow inside linebacker Andrew King (88 tackles) lead a unit that figures to be very aggressive in pressing the line of scrimmage.
“Tough, hard-nosed and well-coached. Whenyou watch that team on tape, it is very physical,” Niumatalolo said of the Army defense. “King and Timpf are as good of linebackers as I’ve seen all year. They’re just solid and no-frills. They will hit you in the mouth and attack on defense.”
Jasper said this week that Abey does not “need to be the hero” and feel like the offensive burden is on his shoulders. Niumatalolo noted the primary responsibilities of the quarterback have never changed during the triple-option era: Get Navy into the right play, distribute the ball properly based off reads and do not commit turnovers.
Although the losses have been significant, Navy still has a solid fullback tandem in Chris High and Shawn White, who have combined to rush for 904 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Dishan Romine (416 rushing yards), who left last Saturday’s game with an injury, will be the top slotback.
Navy will no doubt need to throw the ball to keep the Army defense honest, and wide receiver Jamir Tillman (35 catches for 582 yards) will be the primary target. The 6-4, 212-pound senior made big plays in the two previous Army-Navy games, turning a short pass into a 50-yard touchdown last season and scoring off a 9-yard strike in 2014.
Meanwhile, Army ranks second nationally in rushing offense with an average of 328.9 yards, a yard more than third-ranked Navy. Ahmad Bradshaw will start at quarterback for the Black Knights, but Carter also will play. Bradshaw is the team’s second-leading rusher with 644 yards and six touchdowns but has completed just 42.9 percent of his passes for 615 yards and four scores.
Bruising fullback Andy Davidson (6-2, 220), a converted linebacker, is Army’s leading rusher with 818 yards and nine touchdowns. Sophomore Jordan Asberry (367 yards, four touchdowns) is the most dangerous slotback. Senior wide receiver Edgar Poe is the go-to guy in the passing game, averaging almost 21 yards per catch. Poe made a huge impact in last year’s loss to the Mids with five receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown.