Coaches wait for 1 QB to seize job
Another week, another quarterback competition for Navy football.
The Midshipmen have used four different quarterbacks this season and none of the three still on the roster has seized the starting job.
Tyger Goslin won the open competition that began following the SMU loss on Oct. 31. However, the 5-foot-11, 181-pound junior did not distinguish himself and was pulled late in the third quarter of Saturday’s 10-7 loss to Memphis.
Freshman Xavier Arline came off the bench to run the offense the rest of the way and, though he showed some bright spots, he also had a glaring mistake and did not largely outperform Goslin.
Which brings coach Ken Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper back to square one in terms of determining a starter for this Saturday’s game against No. 22 Tulsa.
“If you’re still moving quarterbacks around at this point in the season,” Niumatalolo said, “you obviously haven’t settled on one.”
Dalen Morris, who has started five of eight games this season, remains in the mix. As was the case for the three weeks leading up to the Memphis game, those three are auditioning this week.
“We’ll go again this week and see how it goes. They all continue to keep battling. They’re all close, which makes it tough,” Niumatalolo said. “They’ve all gotten in there and done good things and bad things. One guy has not won the job, per se.”
Navy needs more consistency out of the quarterback position, Niumatalolo said. All three signal-callers have executed the offense decently for stretches, but mistakes — be it missed reads and checks, poor decision-making or turnovers — have killed drives.
Niumatalolo, in his 13th season at the helm, made it clear the offensive woes go beyond the quarterback. Offensive linemen have blown blocking assignments, while wide receivers have failed to get perimeter defenders on the ground.
However, the quarterback is the most important component of a triple-option attack because he is the conductor and plays such an integral role in the operation by determining where the ball winds up. Niumatalolo said inconsistent play at other positions further “illuminates” the inconsistencies at the quarterback position.
“We’ve been really inconsistent with our option game. Some of it’s the quarterback reads, some of it’s the line blocking, some of it’s the perimeter blocking,” Niumatalolo said.
However, Niumatalolo acknowledged Navy needs to improve at the quarterback position in order to upset Tulsa and beat archrival Army. He expressed confidence
that Jasper, who has coached the quarterbacks for 19 years, will identify the best option and get that person prepared.
“We’re an option team and right now we’re not a very good option team. It’s tough to do what we do when we’re not performing at that position,” Niumatalolo said. “All three of them still have work to do to meet the standard we want. All of them need to improve on their option mechanics.
Navy also needs its quarterback to become more of a legitimate running threat. Last season, Malcolm Perry set the Football Bowl Subdivision single season record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 2,017. This season, Navy quarterbacks have amassed 151 rushing yards, averaging just 2.9 per carry.
With two regular season games remaining, it is almost certain Navy will finish with the fewest rushing yards from the quarterback position in any season of the current triple-option era, which dates back to 2002.
Navy’s starting quarterback has led the team in rushing 12 times during that span, surpassing 1,000 yards in eight seasons. During that time, the Midshipmen have never gotten fewer than 900 rushing yards out of the quarterback position.
“Over the years, our quarterbacks have always been a big part of the offense. We’re just not getting that right now,” Jasper admitted. “The [quarterback] definitely needs to be more involved with the run game. This is a triple-option offense, and at some point, one of those other options has to be a threat. We’ve got to get more from either the keeper or the pitch.”
Perry was so dynamic he gained big yardage on plays that were not necessarily blocked well.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pound speedster was particularly dangerous when scrambling after dropping back to pass.
Jasper has grown tired of talking about Perry, whois nowplaying wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins. Thinking about Perry running wild last season is a painful reminder of what’s missing from the Navy offense.
“Last year, we got great production out
of that guy. This year, it’s been clear we’re not getting production from that position,” Jasper said. “We don’t have that guy back there anymore. I’m not going to say his name. I told myself not to mention that name anymore.”
Of the three quarterbacks on the depth chart, Arline has the most potential to develop into the running threat the team so desperately needs. The 5-foot-9, 165pound plebe has the speed, quickness and change of direction ability to do damage on option keepers.
“That’s definitely Xavier’s strength. He’s probably our fastest, most elusive quarterback,” said Niumatalolo, noting he thought Arline “played with some composure and had some nice runs,” against Memphis Saturday.
Arline started the second game of the season against Tulane and was not quite ready for prime time, which was understandable considering he did not start practicing until mid-August. Jasper said the Long Island native has come a long way since then in terms of understanding the offense and being able to execute the triple-option.
“You can see the talent is there, the ability to make plays. He’s getting a lot of reps in second huddle, is getting a lot better and a lot more confident,” Jasper said. “He’s growing and maturing. He’s ahead of the curve of where a lot of freshmen would normally be.”
Goslin and Arline both had critical turnovers that likely cost Navy valuable points against Memphis. Goslin tossed an interception after the Midshipmen had driven to the visiting team’s 17-yard line. Arline fumbled the snap from center on first down after Navy had crossed into Memphis territory, ending a promising drive in the fourth quarter.
“That one pick was critical. It may have been the turning point in the game,” Niumatalolo said. “Also, that fumble off the center-QB exchange was huge in the game.”
Jasper praised Goslin for the leadership he displayed on the sideline, saying he was very vocal and encouraging while challenging teammates in a positive manner.