2011-2012 Football Previews – 2011 Independents I-A Football – Navy Midshipmen
Once former head coach Paul Johnson took over and installed his option scheme in Annapolis – early in the last decade – the Middies ascended from laughingstock (11-45 from 1998-2002) to a streak of eight straight bowl games.
Independent 2011-12 Football Previews: Navy Midshipmen
Coach: Ken Niumatalolo
2010 Record: 9-4
Navy Gambling Odds from Sportsbook.com to win BCS: +5000
Navy Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2011 Schedule –>
Niumatalolo, now in his fourth season, has continued that trend, as Navy is perennially one of the best independent teams.
New in 2011, Navy has Notre Dame and BYU as fellow Independents, so the Middies may not hold that distinction any longer, but they will still be a solid ball-club. Still, Navy must navigate a tricky schedule and must also deal with significant attrition.
The first goal for Navy ought to be its aim to earn a bowl bid, which will be the Military Bowl in Washington, DC – provided the Middies can get to six wins.
Team Strengths
Within Navy’s multi-faceted option offense, more than one player in the backfield must have a big year in order to be truly successful. This time around, Navy can look to FB Alexander Teich and SB Gee Gee Greene for productivity on the ground.
The Middies’ quirky offensive line (starters rarely play above 270 lbs, which is tiny these days) will aid this process, especially C Brady DeMell and G John Dowd. There is only one new starter on the O-line and that is senior David Sumrall.
Defensively, Navy is very green, but the two stars that can be depended on are DE Jabaree Tuani and CB Kwesi Mitchell.
Senior LB Max Blue can also hopefully make more impact plays in 2011.
Team Weaknesses
To elaborate on what was just mentioned, Navy’s top four tacklers from 2010 (and six of the top eight) are gone. Tuani had 5.5 sacks last year, but virtually no one else returns that had a serious impact on a 2010 game. New faces must emerge in a hurry if Navy is to field its characteristically strong “D”. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Stud QB Ricky Dobbs also departs. He was an excellent running pivot for the option attack, but newcomer Kriss Proctor should also run the offense well.
Dobbs was a little more of a powerful, run you over-type scrambler, while Proctor thrives on finesse. But either way, Dobbs was still fantastic, so Proctor has a lot to live up to. Navy also loses its top receiver, in 33-catch man Greg Jones.
Although being a leading receiver for Navy is kind of like being a Democrat in Oklahoma.
2011-12 Navy Football Prediction: 6-6
The Naval Academy gets a few daunting tests this season. The Middies must travel to South Carolina, Rutgers and Notre Dame and they could conceivably lose all three of those games. Navy also draws Delaware in the first week of the season, who was the runner-up in the FCS and certainly is no pushover.
To top that off, Southern Miss and East Carolina – two non-AQ teams that are habitually winning and in bowls – also appear on the 2011 sked.
Niumatalolo runs a great ship along with former NC State defensive co-ordinator Buddy Green. Yet, the departures are acute this year, especially on defense. Navy’s game-plan is to chew clock with its offense and be stout on the other side of the ball, but the latter part of that formula is tricky if no impact players exist among the starters.
I think Navy will be in a bowl again in 2011, but it will get there by the most narrow of margins.
2011 Navy Midshipmen Schedule
9/3/11 3:30 PM ET DEL
9/10/11 7:00 PM ET @WKEN
9/17/11 6:00 PM ET @SOCAR
10/1/11 3:30 PM ET AIRFC
10/8/11 3:30 PM ET SOMIS
10/15/11 12:00 PM ET @RUTG
10/22/11 3:30 PM ET ECAR
10/29/11 3:30 PM ET @NOTRE
11/5/11 3:30 PM ET TROY
11/12/11 12:00 PM ET @SMU
11/19/11 4:00 PM ET @SJST
12/10/11 2:30 PM ET ARMY
