Defense snaps Mids to full attention
Navy turns focus to stopping Memphis after getting routed by Hawaii in opener
Ken Niumatalolo spent considerable time on the defensive practice field this week.
Niumatalolo stood back behind the secondary in order to get a good look at how everyone was reacting to plays being run by the scout team. Every now and then, the 11th-year head coach would come forward to scold a particular defender or provide instruction.
Niumatalolo’s focus was expected after Navy was blitzed to the tune of 59 points and 522 total yards by host Hawaii in the season opener. Defensive staff members were already hard at work on fixing the various problems that cropped up during the 10-hour return flight from Oahu.
Speaking after practice on Wednesday, Niumatalolo said his intent was not to micromanage the defense, but did feel it was important to give that unit his full attention. He expressed confidence that defensive coordinator Dale Pehrson and the seven defensive assistants would get things corrected.
“We’ve got good coaches over there that know what they’re doing. We just have to Sophomore Evan Fochtman, right, the backup striker, had six tackles along with a sack in Navy’s 59-41 loss to Hawaii in the season opener last Saturday night. see what we can do to improve. We definitely need to improve. Our players know that and our coaches know that,” Niumatalolo said. “We can’t continue to give up 50-plus points. It’s going to be hard to win our league giving up that many points.”
Niumatalolo was asked if the issues against Hawaii were schematic, the result of missed assignments or simply a case of failing to make plays. “All of the above,” he responded. Today, 3:30 p.m. TV: CBS Sports Network Radio: 1430 AM Line: Memphis by 61⁄
One particular concern was Navy’s conversion defense. Hawaii converted 7 of 12 third down opportunities and all three fourth down attempts. The Rainbow Warriors punted just once.
“If we get them off the field on some fourth downs we give ourselves a chance. Not getting teams off the field on third and fourth down is like a turnover,” Niumatalolo said.
Senior Elan Nash, who starts at the outside linebacker spot known as striker, led Navy with eight tackles (seven solo) against Hawaii. Sophomore Evan Fochtman, the backup striker, had six stops along with a sack. Fochtman, an Archbishop Spalding graduate who was playing quarterback at this time last year, came up strong in pursuit and made a couple tackles at the line of scrimmage.
Inside linebackers Hudson Sullivan (seven) and Taylor Heflin (six) combined for 13 tackles.
“I think there were a few guys that played to the standard, but I wouldn’t say the defense as a group met the standard. Nobody played well enough to get a lot of accolades,” Pehrson said.
Pehrson was not about to panic after one game and sounded determined to field a sounder defense moving forward.
“It’s a long season. We’ve got to regroup and get better. I’ve got to coach better and the kids need to play better,” said Pehrson, adding that he did not feel personnel changes were necessary at this time. “We just have to do what we do better. We need to do it faster and harder and better.”
Things won’t get any easier for the defense on Saturday when Memphis invades Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Quarterback Brady White and the rest of the Tigers looked in midseason form in amassing 66 points and 752 total yards against overmatched Mercer, a Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
White, a transfer from Arizona State, completed 22 of 28 passes for 358 yards and five touchdowns. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder sat out the entire second half after leading the Tigers to a 56-0 lead at intermission.
Memphis returns an outstanding tailback in Darrell Henderson, who rushed for 1,154 yards last season despite sitting out the Liberty Bowl. The Tigers have another dangerous backfield threat in Tony Pollard, who has piled up 3,183 career all-purpose yards. Pollard, a record-setting kick returner, is the two-time American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year.