Option considered
Pirates’ change in defensive coordinators made with Midshipmen’s recent dominance in mind
No opponent has struggled to stop Navy’s triple-option offense more than East Carolina.
The Midshipmen have run roughshod over the Pirates, piling up yards and points at an astounding rate en route to winning six of seven meetings.
By far the most eye-popping performance came in 2010, when quarterback Ricky Dobbs directed a 76-35 destruction of East Carolina at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. It was a singlegame school record for points by the Midshipmen, who amassed 596 yards of total offense.
Fullback Alexander Teich rushed for 157 yards and Dobbs added100 as Navy scored on 12 of 14 possessions. Backup quarterback Kriss Proctor and backup fullback Vince Murray came on to score four touchdowns for the Mids, who finished with 521 rushing yards.
Thatwas first of many blowouts by Navy in the lopsided series, which resumes Saturday in Greenville.
In 2012, Navy returned to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and routed East Carolina. This time, record-setting quarterback Keenan Reynolds rushed for three touchdowns and threw for two more as the Midshipmen sank the Pirates 56-28.
Slotback Gee Gee Greene rushed for 131
yards and Reynolds added 81 for Navy, which scored on nine of10 possessions. The Midshipmenrolledup563 total yards, 512 of which came on the ground.
Navy and East Carolina met for the first time as members of the American Athletic Conference in 2015. Reynolds ran for 142 yards and five touchdowns as the Mids rolled 45-21. Fullback Chris Swain (123 yards and a touchdown) also had a big day as the triple option produced 415 rushing yards.
The Midshipmen were rude guests once again in 2017, the last time they traveled to Greenville. Quarterback Will Worth and fullback Shawn White combined for 309 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to lead a 66-31 destruction. Final offensive numbers for the Midshipmen that daywere 593 total yards and 480 rushing yards.
For those keeping score at home, Navy has averaged 66 points on the strength of 584 yards of total offense in its last three visits to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Mike Houston became the fourth East Carolina coach to get beaten badly by Navy since the series started in 2006. Last season, the Midshipmen amassed 468 total yards in a 42-10 pounding.
Aninability to stop quarterbackMalcolm Perry and Co. was particularly bothersome to Houston, who has an extensive background in triple-option football. Houston employed the offense during stints as coach at Lenoir-Rhyne and The Citadel.
However, Bob Trott served as defensive coordinator at East Carolina in 2019 and he was far less familiar with the tricky attack.
Houston decided to change defensive coordinators, and the hiring of Blake Harrell to replace Trott came with Navy in mind. Harrell served as Houston’s defensive coordinator for three seasons at The Citadel and was also on his staff at Lenoir-Rhyne.
“We’ve been preparing for this game as a staff since Coach Harrell was hired,” Houston said this week. “Certainly, a background and philosophy against the triple optionwas a big part of the process of the hiring of ournewdefensive coordinator. I very much respect Blake’s knowledge as it relates to defending the triple.”
Houston noted that two other defensive assistants — Roy Tesh and TrippWeaver — also have extensive experience going against option offenses.
“We have more people in the room that have experience versus this style of offense and that’s proven valuable already,” he said.
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo believes East Carolina will do a much better job defending because of the revamped coaching staff.
“I thinkHarrell is a really good defensive coordinator and he’s going to have a good plan,” Niumatalolo said this week. “Coach Houston has seen the option a ton. There’s no doubt those two guys will have their team ready. They knowoption football.”
Harrell previously served as defensive coordinator at Kennesaw State, which employs a triple-option system similar to Navy’s. That’s because coach Brian Bohannon is another Paul Johnson disciple, having been his assistant at Georgia Southern, Navy and Georgia Tech.
“Any time you get a chance to see a certain offense every day in practice, it helps you be familiar with how they’re trying to attack you,” Harrell said. “It’s all about understanding what they do andwhy they do it.”
Harrell was hired at Kennesaw State to replace BrianNewberry, wholeft tobecome defensive coordinator at Navy. Those two had developed a relationship after meeting at clinics and Newberry recommended Harrell to Bohannon.
“Coach Newberry is a great football coach, a great friend and an even better man,” Harrell said. “He’s been a great sounding board over the years, one of those guys you like to talk ball with. Coach Newberry was instrumental in helping me get the opportunity atKennesawState.”
Newberry also believes Harrell will have East Carolina much better prepared.
“Obviously, being at Kennesaw and The Citadel, he had to defend the option every day in practice,” Newberry said. “He’s a guy that’s going to understand some of the finer points and nuances about how to defend a team that runs the option.”
Houston and Harrell said East Carolina devoted practice time to triple-option defense during spring camp and preseason practice. After Sunday practices, the coaching staff keeps the offensive scout team on the field to drill the type of triple-option plays run byNavy.
“You can never replicate what they do, but at least we had a decent look for our defense Sunday night,” Houston said. “We at least resembled Navy formationally and with some of the motions and stuff.”
Navy’s offense sputtered through three games, showing some signs of life during the second half at Tulane before totally tanking against service academy rival Air Force
Dalen Morris returned as starting quarterback last Saturday night and directed a much more productive attack as Navy defeated Temple 31-29. Niumatalolo praisedMorris for making correct checks at the line of scrimmage, getting theMidshipmen into the right play and distributing the ball.
Now the Midshipmen must show some consistency. Houston has been around long enough to know the best method of defending the option is to possess the football.
“Being productive offensively is going to be a big factor in this game,” he said. “Offensively, we have to maximize possessions. You’re going to have limited possessions going against a triple-option team. We’ve got to limit the number of three-and-outs and take advantage of any positive field positionwe get.”
While at Lenoir Rhyne and The Citadel, Houston routinely brought his offensive staff to Annapolis to learn more about the triple option from Niumatalolo and Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper, calling them “cutting-edge innovators of this offense.”
Houston made it clear no opponent is ever going to “master” defending Navy and believes the key is limiting big plays and preventing time-consuming drives.
“Defensively, you hear coaches say stop the run,” he said. “That’s not really realistic with an option football team.”
After spending 11 years of his career practicing against the triple-option, Harrell has learned how important it is for the defense to create negative plays.
“You have to win on first down and put them in long-yardage situations,” he said. “You have to keep them off schedule.
“If they get into second-and-medium or third-and-short, they’re in their comfort zone. If you get them behind the chains, you have a chance to get them off the field.”