Davis’ day leads Mids past Hoyas
Coach Ed DeChellis said something that struck a chord with members of the Navy men’s basketball team before Tuesday night’s game against Georgetown.
To paraphrase, the 10th-year head coach told his troops not to worry about the name on the front of the jersey and to focus on the opposing players.
Senior point guard Cam Davis poured in 28 points and hit some big shots in the second half to spark Navy to a 78-71 upset of Georgetown on John Thompson Court atMcDonough Arena.
“Really, really proud of our
guys. They really thought they could win the game,” DeChellis said afterward.
Davis made 10 of 15 field goals and 3 of 5 threes in equaling his career-high set last season against Army. Navy’s captain set the tone for his teammates in terms of playing with fearlessness throughout.
“I think the biggest thing it means for our program is that we’re changing the culture,” Davis said. “We’ve had a couple rough years in my time here, but we’re starting to develop a culture where winning is what we expect to do. We came in here
bad things. Oneguy has notwon 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 havework to do to meet the standard we want. All of them need to improve on their option mechan
ics.
Navy also needs its quarterback to becomemore 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 certainNavy will finishwith 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 blockedwell.
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, who is 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, 165-pound 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. Ar line fumbled the snap from center on first downafterNavy had crossed intoMemphis 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 positivemanner.