College Football Nation: Kriss Proctor
With 2011 in the rearview mirror, here is an early look at Notre Dame's 2012 opponents, with the game date and site in parantheses.
1. USC (Nov. 24, away): Matt Barkley's return makes the Trojans a trendy preseason national title pick and Barkley a likely preseason Heisman frontrunner. They host the Irish in the regular-season finale, and how sweet it would be for Notre Dame should they knock their rivals off with the highest stakes on the line.
2. Oklahoma (Oct. 27, away): Like the Trojans, the Sooners return their prized quarterback (Landry Jones) and will, at the very least, enter 2012 as the Big 12 favorite.
3. Michigan State (Sept. 15, away): Kirk Cousins and Keshawn Martin are gone, but the Spartans return four offensive linemen and plenty of production on the defensive side of the ball as they go for a third-straight 11-win season.
4. Michigan (Sept. 22, home): Denard Robinson and several key skill players likely return, but the Wolverines lose a lot on each line and will rely on several young players to fill the void.
5. Stanford (Oct. 13, home): Perhaps the biggest mystery entering 2012. We just don't know how much this team will drop off following the likely loss of Andrew Luck. Time will tell.
6. BYU (Oct. 20, home): Another wild card. Much will depend on the growth of dual-threat QB Riley Nelson and the Cougars' offense.
7. Purdue (Sept. 8, home): The Boilermakers finished 2011 with back-to-back wins for the first time this season and have a bit of momentum under Danny Hope. Some see them as a darkhorse Leaders Division contender in 2012.
8. Miami (Oct. 6, Chicago): The Hurricanes will likely be led by a defense that returns eight starters for Al Golden's second year.
9. Wake Forest (Nov. 17, home): Quarterback Tanner Price is back, but the Demon Deacons must eliminate the mistakes that cost them five of their final six games and two assistants their jobs.
10. Boston College (Nov. 10, away): The Eagles got better as the season went on and hope new offensive coordinator Doug Martin can bring the unit up to speed with the defense, which loses Luke Kuechly.
11. Navy (Sept. 1, Dublin): Can Trey Miller build off 2011, when he was forced in midseason for the injured Kriss Proctor?
12. Pitt (Nov. 3, home): New coach Paul Chryst will have his work cut out for him on a team with quarterback, protection and, at least in the past calendar year, coaching issues.
1. USC (Nov. 24, away): Matt Barkley's return makes the Trojans a trendy preseason national title pick and Barkley a likely preseason Heisman frontrunner. They host the Irish in the regular-season finale, and how sweet it would be for Notre Dame should they knock their rivals off with the highest stakes on the line.
2. Oklahoma (Oct. 27, away): Like the Trojans, the Sooners return their prized quarterback (Landry Jones) and will, at the very least, enter 2012 as the Big 12 favorite.
3. Michigan State (Sept. 15, away): Kirk Cousins and Keshawn Martin are gone, but the Spartans return four offensive linemen and plenty of production on the defensive side of the ball as they go for a third-straight 11-win season.
4. Michigan (Sept. 22, home): Denard Robinson and several key skill players likely return, but the Wolverines lose a lot on each line and will rely on several young players to fill the void.
5. Stanford (Oct. 13, home): Perhaps the biggest mystery entering 2012. We just don't know how much this team will drop off following the likely loss of Andrew Luck. Time will tell.
6. BYU (Oct. 20, home): Another wild card. Much will depend on the growth of dual-threat QB Riley Nelson and the Cougars' offense.
7. Purdue (Sept. 8, home): The Boilermakers finished 2011 with back-to-back wins for the first time this season and have a bit of momentum under Danny Hope. Some see them as a darkhorse Leaders Division contender in 2012.
8. Miami (Oct. 6, Chicago): The Hurricanes will likely be led by a defense that returns eight starters for Al Golden's second year.
9. Wake Forest (Nov. 17, home): Quarterback Tanner Price is back, but the Demon Deacons must eliminate the mistakes that cost them five of their final six games and two assistants their jobs.
10. Boston College (Nov. 10, away): The Eagles got better as the season went on and hope new offensive coordinator Doug Martin can bring the unit up to speed with the defense, which loses Luke Kuechly.
11. Navy (Sept. 1, Dublin): Can Trey Miller build off 2011, when he was forced in midseason for the injured Kriss Proctor?
12. Pitt (Nov. 3, home): New coach Paul Chryst will have his work cut out for him on a team with quarterback, protection and, at least in the past calendar year, coaching issues.
Consider the way Navy has lost this season and you will understand why coach Ken Niumatalolo says he has never been through a season quite so excruciating.
"Fortunately we have resilient kids, but the manner in which we’ve lost all our games -- it’s tough," Niumatalolo said in a phone interview. "I feel like we could easily be 6-1 right now but we’re not. When you lose by a total of eight points, it’s hard to swallow.
"We know we're going to be in close games. We’re not Alabama or LSU. We’re not going to blow people out. We’ve been on the other end of the stick in some of those games, but the ball hasn’t been dropping for us. In every way it matters, we lose. We’ve been a team that’s prided ourselves in not beating ourselves, and we’re just not doing that."
The Midshipmen (2-5) have lost five straight headed into their game at Notre Dame on Saturday and are in danger of missing a bowl game for the first time in nine seasons. After a year in which all the service academies made a bowl game for the first time in history, Army (2-5) also is in danger of missing a postseason game.
Navy is hoping for its third straight win over the Irish, but will have to do it without starting quarterback Kriss Proctor, who has an elbow injury. Trey Miller would make his first career start.
For Navy, the performance this season has been downright surprising. This is a team that generally wins nine games a season and has had incredible success for a service academy.
As Niumatalolo mentioned, Navy usually is involved in it share of close games, but generally wins them. The last time the Midshipmen posted a losing record in games decided by eight points or less was 2003 (1-2). The last time they were winless in games decided by that margin was 2002 (0-3). That was the last time they failed to reach a bowl.
This year, Navy is 0-4 in those games.
Special teams has been a particular area of concern. Navy has missed at least one kick (extra point or field goal) in six of its seven games this year, including four straight contests.
The defense also has struggled, ranking No. 95 in the nation in total defense and No. 119 in third-down conversion defense. The Midshipmen are allowing opponents to convert 57 percent of the time on third down. Red zone offense has been a problem, too. Navy moves the ball just fine but breaks down inside the 20.
Meanwhile, Army is having a tough time getting into close games. The Black Knights are hurting themselves, too. After being one of the best teams in the nation in turnover margin last season, they are one of the worst in 2011, having given the ball away 15 times. Third-down conversion defense ranks No. 115 as well.
Army still has service academy rivals Air Force (3-4) and Navy left on the schedule, along with Rutgers (5-2) and Temple (5-3). Navy has a slightly easier stretch to close the season after its game against Notre Dame: Troy (2-5), SMU (5-2) and San Jose State (3-4). The finale against Army could have bowl eligibility on the line.
“We’ve just got to find a way,” Niumatalolo said. “We need one to bounce off the backboard and go in for us. They’ve been rimming out. I have faith in our coaches and our players. We’re going to keep fighting. We’re not giving up.”
- Navy could not hold on to a 21-17 third-quarter lead on South Carolina and lost 24-21.
- A missed extra point in overtime against Air Force cost Navy, as the Falcons won 35-34.
- Navy had a 34-yard field goal blocked in the fourth quarter against Rutgers that would have given Navy the lead. Instead, Rutgers won 21-20.
- What appeared to be a touchdown was called an incomplete pass when the ball came loose on the goal line in a 38-35 loss to East Carolina. Navy missed a field goal with no time remaining.
"Fortunately we have resilient kids, but the manner in which we’ve lost all our games -- it’s tough," Niumatalolo said in a phone interview. "I feel like we could easily be 6-1 right now but we’re not. When you lose by a total of eight points, it’s hard to swallow.
"We know we're going to be in close games. We’re not Alabama or LSU. We’re not going to blow people out. We’ve been on the other end of the stick in some of those games, but the ball hasn’t been dropping for us. In every way it matters, we lose. We’ve been a team that’s prided ourselves in not beating ourselves, and we’re just not doing that."
The Midshipmen (2-5) have lost five straight headed into their game at Notre Dame on Saturday and are in danger of missing a bowl game for the first time in nine seasons. After a year in which all the service academies made a bowl game for the first time in history, Army (2-5) also is in danger of missing a postseason game.
Navy is hoping for its third straight win over the Irish, but will have to do it without starting quarterback Kriss Proctor, who has an elbow injury. Trey Miller would make his first career start.
For Navy, the performance this season has been downright surprising. This is a team that generally wins nine games a season and has had incredible success for a service academy.
As Niumatalolo mentioned, Navy usually is involved in it share of close games, but generally wins them. The last time the Midshipmen posted a losing record in games decided by eight points or less was 2003 (1-2). The last time they were winless in games decided by that margin was 2002 (0-3). That was the last time they failed to reach a bowl.
This year, Navy is 0-4 in those games.
Special teams has been a particular area of concern. Navy has missed at least one kick (extra point or field goal) in six of its seven games this year, including four straight contests.
The defense also has struggled, ranking No. 95 in the nation in total defense and No. 119 in third-down conversion defense. The Midshipmen are allowing opponents to convert 57 percent of the time on third down. Red zone offense has been a problem, too. Navy moves the ball just fine but breaks down inside the 20.
Meanwhile, Army is having a tough time getting into close games. The Black Knights are hurting themselves, too. After being one of the best teams in the nation in turnover margin last season, they are one of the worst in 2011, having given the ball away 15 times. Third-down conversion defense ranks No. 115 as well.
Army still has service academy rivals Air Force (3-4) and Navy left on the schedule, along with Rutgers (5-2) and Temple (5-3). Navy has a slightly easier stretch to close the season after its game against Notre Dame: Troy (2-5), SMU (5-2) and San Jose State (3-4). The finale against Army could have bowl eligibility on the line.
“We’ve just got to find a way,” Niumatalolo said. “We need one to bounce off the backboard and go in for us. They’ve been rimming out. I have faith in our coaches and our players. We’re going to keep fighting. We’re not giving up.”
Time to take a look back at Week 8 for the non-AQs:
Quarterbacks rule. In case you missed it, three quarterbacks had pretty awesome days on Saturday. Dominique Davis of East Carolina completed 26 straight passes. Kellen Moore of Boise State tied the NCAA record for career wins with 45. Case Keenum of Houston became the NCAA career leader for total offense, with the NCAA career passing mark and NCAA career touchdown passing mark in his sights. You can read more about their days here.
Southern Miss streaking. The Golden Eagles are off to their best start since 2000 after an impressive 27-3 win over SMU. They are ranked No. 25 in the coaches' poll, their first ranking since 2004, and have won five straight. Austin Davis has been impressive but so has the defense, which has made big-time improvements this season and has been a major reason this team is now the favorite to win the East Division in Conference USA. SMU came into the game with its high-powered passing offense, but Southern Miss totally shut down the Mustangs, who had season lows for points and passing yards (173). Southern Miss had two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. After it plays UTEP (4-3) Saturday, Southern Miss does not have a team left on the schedule with a winning record, making it conceivable the Golden Eagles could win out. Who would they face in the C-USA title game? The West is still wide open between Houston (7-0, 3-0), Tulsa (4-3, 3-0) and SMU (5-2, 3-1), but the No. 17 Cougars would have to be the favorite if they keep rolling. They get Rice this Thursday, but close the season with back-to-back games against the Mustangs at home, then at Tulsa on Nov. 26.
Bowl bound: Southern Miss and Houston are two of five non-AQs already bowl eligible (Boise State, ULL, BYU).
Next up on deck, with games this weekend:
Arkansas State (5-2) vs. North Texas
Toledo (5-3) vs. Northern Illinois (Nov. 1)
Ball State (5-3) at Western Michigan
Northern Illinois (5-3) at Toledo (Nov. 1)
Temple (5-3) vs. Ohio (Nov. 2)
Ohio (5-3) vs. Temple (Nov. 2)
TCU (5-2) vs. BYU (Arlington, Friday)
SMU (5-2) at Tulsa
* Eastern Michigan is 5-3 but the Golden Eagles need to get to seven wins because they have two wins over FCS opponents.
Disappointments: This has been a popular question during my weekly chats: Which team(s) have been the biggest disappointment. There are three on my list today: Fresno State, UCF and Colorado State. The Bulldogs had WAC nemesis Boise State out of the way this season, the perfect opportunity to win a league championship before moving on to the Mountain West. Instead, they have sputtered to a 3-5 start and just lost to Nevada. Fresno State needs to win three games to become bowl eligible. It should be able to get there, but nothing is a given with the improved play of Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State and San Jose State. Meanwhile, there were those who thought Colorado State had everything it needed to get back to a bowl game, with a young quarterback in Pete Thomas and 14 starters returning. But injuries have completed decimated this team, and the Rams are 3-4 and are going to need to pull an upset or two to get to six wins with UNLV, San Diego State, TCU, Air Force and Wyoming left.
Perhaps most disappointing of all, though, has been UCF. Here you have a program coming off the first Top 25 season in school history and a win over Georgia in the bowl game. Many thought that would give this program much-needed momentum and a building block for the future. Instead, the Knights dropped to 3-4 and 1-2 in conference last week after a loss to previously winless UAB, losing to a team that played its backup quarterback and backup running back. Starting quarterback Jeff Godfrey was benched in favor of Blake Bortles, who nearly led the Knights to a win. Now UCF might have a quarterback controversy on its hands, as coach George O'Leary has declined to say who would start Saturday against Memphis. The Knights have some tough games left and are going to need help to make it back to the C-USA title game.
The heartbreak: You have got to feel for Navy, one of the most snake-bitten teams in college football. Navy has lost four games this year by a total of eight points. The Midshipmen, Utah State and Indiana are the only three teams in the country to lose four games by eight points or fewer. The heartbreak continued Saturday in a 38-35 loss to East Carolina. The Midshipmen hung tough after losing starting quarterback Kriss Proctor (elbow) and had a chance to win in the closing minute. An apparent touchdown pass from Trey Miller to Matt Aiken was ruled incomplete, and then Navy missed yet another field goal. Aiken appeared to cross the plane after catching the ball at the 2, but the ball came loose as he hit the ground. Replay officials ruled Aiken did not maintain control as the reason for the ruling of an incomplete pass. Navy dropped to 2-5 and is in danger of breaking its eight-year bowl streak.
Helmet stickers
Mike Ball, RB, Nevada. Ball had a career-high 198 yards rushing and a touchdown on 26 carries in a 45-38 win over Fresno State. He had rushes of 35 and 41 yards, the two longest runs by any Nevada player this year.
Byron Hout, LB, Boise State. Had a career-high 18 tackles in a 37-26 win over Air Force. His tackle total is the most by a Broncos player since Korey Hall had 15 against New Mexico State in 2006.
Javonti Greene, RB, Eastern Michigan. Caught a 50-yard pass from Alex Gillett in the first quarter and scored on a 50-yard run midway through the fourth quarter for both touchdowns in a 14-10 victory over Western Michigan.
Bobby McCain, DB, Memphis. McCain had a 79-yard interception for a touchdown in a 33-17 win over Tulane. The interception gave the Tigers the lead for good in their first conference win since beating UTEP 35-20 Oct. 10, 2009.
Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky. Rainey ran for 206 yards and a career-high three touchdowns as the Hilltoppers won their first home game since 2008 with a 42-23 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. Rainey moved into fourth place on the WKU career rushing list with his performance -- the second 200-yard rushing game of his career.
Quarterbacks rule. In case you missed it, three quarterbacks had pretty awesome days on Saturday. Dominique Davis of East Carolina completed 26 straight passes. Kellen Moore of Boise State tied the NCAA record for career wins with 45. Case Keenum of Houston became the NCAA career leader for total offense, with the NCAA career passing mark and NCAA career touchdown passing mark in his sights. You can read more about their days here.
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AP Photo/Gail BurtonDominique Davis misfired on only five of his 45 pass attempts in East Carolina's win over Navy.
AP Photo/Gail BurtonDominique Davis misfired on only five of his 45 pass attempts in East Carolina's win over Navy.Bowl bound: Southern Miss and Houston are two of five non-AQs already bowl eligible (Boise State, ULL, BYU).
Next up on deck, with games this weekend:
Arkansas State (5-2) vs. North Texas
Toledo (5-3) vs. Northern Illinois (Nov. 1)
Ball State (5-3) at Western Michigan
Northern Illinois (5-3) at Toledo (Nov. 1)
Temple (5-3) vs. Ohio (Nov. 2)
Ohio (5-3) vs. Temple (Nov. 2)
TCU (5-2) vs. BYU (Arlington, Friday)
SMU (5-2) at Tulsa
* Eastern Michigan is 5-3 but the Golden Eagles need to get to seven wins because they have two wins over FCS opponents.
Disappointments: This has been a popular question during my weekly chats: Which team(s) have been the biggest disappointment. There are three on my list today: Fresno State, UCF and Colorado State. The Bulldogs had WAC nemesis Boise State out of the way this season, the perfect opportunity to win a league championship before moving on to the Mountain West. Instead, they have sputtered to a 3-5 start and just lost to Nevada. Fresno State needs to win three games to become bowl eligible. It should be able to get there, but nothing is a given with the improved play of Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State and San Jose State. Meanwhile, there were those who thought Colorado State had everything it needed to get back to a bowl game, with a young quarterback in Pete Thomas and 14 starters returning. But injuries have completed decimated this team, and the Rams are 3-4 and are going to need to pull an upset or two to get to six wins with UNLV, San Diego State, TCU, Air Force and Wyoming left.
Perhaps most disappointing of all, though, has been UCF. Here you have a program coming off the first Top 25 season in school history and a win over Georgia in the bowl game. Many thought that would give this program much-needed momentum and a building block for the future. Instead, the Knights dropped to 3-4 and 1-2 in conference last week after a loss to previously winless UAB, losing to a team that played its backup quarterback and backup running back. Starting quarterback Jeff Godfrey was benched in favor of Blake Bortles, who nearly led the Knights to a win. Now UCF might have a quarterback controversy on its hands, as coach George O'Leary has declined to say who would start Saturday against Memphis. The Knights have some tough games left and are going to need help to make it back to the C-USA title game.
The heartbreak: You have got to feel for Navy, one of the most snake-bitten teams in college football. Navy has lost four games this year by a total of eight points. The Midshipmen, Utah State and Indiana are the only three teams in the country to lose four games by eight points or fewer. The heartbreak continued Saturday in a 38-35 loss to East Carolina. The Midshipmen hung tough after losing starting quarterback Kriss Proctor (elbow) and had a chance to win in the closing minute. An apparent touchdown pass from Trey Miller to Matt Aiken was ruled incomplete, and then Navy missed yet another field goal. Aiken appeared to cross the plane after catching the ball at the 2, but the ball came loose as he hit the ground. Replay officials ruled Aiken did not maintain control as the reason for the ruling of an incomplete pass. Navy dropped to 2-5 and is in danger of breaking its eight-year bowl streak.
Helmet stickers
Mike Ball, RB, Nevada. Ball had a career-high 198 yards rushing and a touchdown on 26 carries in a 45-38 win over Fresno State. He had rushes of 35 and 41 yards, the two longest runs by any Nevada player this year.
Byron Hout, LB, Boise State. Had a career-high 18 tackles in a 37-26 win over Air Force. His tackle total is the most by a Broncos player since Korey Hall had 15 against New Mexico State in 2006.
Javonti Greene, RB, Eastern Michigan. Caught a 50-yard pass from Alex Gillett in the first quarter and scored on a 50-yard run midway through the fourth quarter for both touchdowns in a 14-10 victory over Western Michigan.
Bobby McCain, DB, Memphis. McCain had a 79-yard interception for a touchdown in a 33-17 win over Tulane. The interception gave the Tigers the lead for good in their first conference win since beating UTEP 35-20 Oct. 10, 2009.
Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky. Rainey ran for 206 yards and a career-high three touchdowns as the Hilltoppers won their first home game since 2008 with a 42-23 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. Rainey moved into fourth place on the WKU career rushing list with his performance -- the second 200-yard rushing game of his career.
Taking a look at the week that was in the non-AQs ...
The good: Marshall and Western Michigan pulled upsets on their AQ opponents -- the Thundering Herd beat Louisville 17-13 and the Broncos beat UConn 38-31. ... Boise State got its run game going in a 30-10 win against Nevada as Doug Martin went over 100 yards for the first time this season. ... New Mexico State beat New Mexico 42-28 - the first time in over 40 years that the Aggies have won three straight in the series. ... San Jose State scored the go-ahead touchdown on a pass with 54 seconds remaining to beat Colorado State 38-31. The Spartans have won back-to-back games for the first time in three years. … Louisiana is 4-1 for the first time since 1988 after Brett Baer hit a 26-yard field goal with no time left to lift the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 37-34 win against FAU.
The bad: The TCU pass defense continues to struggle. SMU beat TCU 40-33 in overtime, throwing for 349 yards in the victory. All of its offensive touchdowns came on passes. In all, TCU gave up more than 450 yards for the second time this season, and the Horned Frogs are out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in 47 weeks. ... Temple had a huge win against Maryland in Week 4, but the Owls fell flat at home against Toledo, dropping an important MAC game 36-13. All seven of their drives in the second half ended with a punt or turnover. ... Northern Illinois lost to Central Michigan 48-41 -- the third time this season the Huskies' defense has given up 40 points.
The heartbreak: Utah State is the poster child for broken hearts this season. For the third time, the Aggies lost a game in the closing minutes. This time, it happened against in-state rival BYU. Riley Nelson came off the bench to lead a comeback for the Cougars, engineering a 96-yard game-winnning drive with 11 seconds left for a 27-24 BYU win. His 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Matthews was tipped by Utah State defender Will Harris near the goal line. The Aggies blew a 24-13 lead, and were hoping for consecutive wins against BYU for the first time since 1973-74.
Meanwhile in Annapolis, a penalty flag helped decide one of the biggest rivalry games in college football. Navy erased an 18-point fourth quarter deficit behind quarterback Kriss Proctor, who had a 7-yard touchdown run and 5-yard touchdown pass to Gee Gee Greene with 19 seconds left in regulation. Alexander Teich ran in the 2-point conversion and the game went into overtime. Proctor put Navy up first in the extra period on a 1-yard touchdown run, but was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for getting in the face of an Air Force player. The extra point was blocked. Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson answered with a 1-yard touchdown run of his own and the Falcons made their extra point to win 35-34 and get a leg up in the competition for the Commander-In-Chief Trophy. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo was incredulous after the game, "I would hope the referees would have said something like, 'Settle down,' in that situation," he said. "It's too critical a call to make. I hope those guys can sleep well tonight."
Idaho nearly pulled the upset at Virginia, but the Vandals failed on their 2-point attempt in overtime and lost 21-20. Coach Robb Akey decided to go for the win in the extra period, but Brian Reader had his pass batted down. "My only disappointment was that we didn’t make the play at the end of the game," Akey said.
Case Keenum watch: Keenum threw for 471 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-42 win against UTEP, the 15th time he has reached 400 yards in his career. He now ranks third on the NCAA career pasing list, and needs 1,482 yards to break the mark held by Timmy Chang. Keenum is averaging 401 yards passing a game. If he keeps that pace up, he will break the passing record at UAB on Nov. 5.
Helmet stickers
Alex Carder, QB, Western Michigan. Carder threw for a career-high and program record 479 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-31 win against UConn.
Harry Peoples, WR, Louisiana. Peoples had 12 catches for 176 yards in a win against FAU. His 12 receptions tied the mark Brandon Stokley set against Louisiana Tech in 1995 for most catches by a UL receiver at Cajun Field.
Brady Amack, LB, Air Force. Amack amassed a career-high 23 tackles (11 solo), a sack and two tackles for loss in the Falcons’ 35-34 overtime victory at Navy. Amack’s tackle total ranks as the sixth-highest in school history and tied for the most in Mountain West history.
Matt Christian, QB, New Mexico State. Christian went 16-of-27 for a career-high 296 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 42-28 win at New Mexico. Christian also rushed for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He had 397 yards of total offense and accounted for five of the six Aggie touchdowns in the game.
The good: Marshall and Western Michigan pulled upsets on their AQ opponents -- the Thundering Herd beat Louisville 17-13 and the Broncos beat UConn 38-31. ... Boise State got its run game going in a 30-10 win against Nevada as Doug Martin went over 100 yards for the first time this season. ... New Mexico State beat New Mexico 42-28 - the first time in over 40 years that the Aggies have won three straight in the series. ... San Jose State scored the go-ahead touchdown on a pass with 54 seconds remaining to beat Colorado State 38-31. The Spartans have won back-to-back games for the first time in three years. … Louisiana is 4-1 for the first time since 1988 after Brett Baer hit a 26-yard field goal with no time left to lift the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 37-34 win against FAU.
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AP Photo/Matt StrasenReceiver Darius Johnson and SMU ripped TCU's pass defense in a 40-33 overtime victory.
AP Photo/Matt StrasenReceiver Darius Johnson and SMU ripped TCU's pass defense in a 40-33 overtime victory.The heartbreak: Utah State is the poster child for broken hearts this season. For the third time, the Aggies lost a game in the closing minutes. This time, it happened against in-state rival BYU. Riley Nelson came off the bench to lead a comeback for the Cougars, engineering a 96-yard game-winnning drive with 11 seconds left for a 27-24 BYU win. His 13-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Matthews was tipped by Utah State defender Will Harris near the goal line. The Aggies blew a 24-13 lead, and were hoping for consecutive wins against BYU for the first time since 1973-74.
Meanwhile in Annapolis, a penalty flag helped decide one of the biggest rivalry games in college football. Navy erased an 18-point fourth quarter deficit behind quarterback Kriss Proctor, who had a 7-yard touchdown run and 5-yard touchdown pass to Gee Gee Greene with 19 seconds left in regulation. Alexander Teich ran in the 2-point conversion and the game went into overtime. Proctor put Navy up first in the extra period on a 1-yard touchdown run, but was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for getting in the face of an Air Force player. The extra point was blocked. Air Force quarterback Tim Jefferson answered with a 1-yard touchdown run of his own and the Falcons made their extra point to win 35-34 and get a leg up in the competition for the Commander-In-Chief Trophy. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo was incredulous after the game, "I would hope the referees would have said something like, 'Settle down,' in that situation," he said. "It's too critical a call to make. I hope those guys can sleep well tonight."
Idaho nearly pulled the upset at Virginia, but the Vandals failed on their 2-point attempt in overtime and lost 21-20. Coach Robb Akey decided to go for the win in the extra period, but Brian Reader had his pass batted down. "My only disappointment was that we didn’t make the play at the end of the game," Akey said.
Case Keenum watch: Keenum threw for 471 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-42 win against UTEP, the 15th time he has reached 400 yards in his career. He now ranks third on the NCAA career pasing list, and needs 1,482 yards to break the mark held by Timmy Chang. Keenum is averaging 401 yards passing a game. If he keeps that pace up, he will break the passing record at UAB on Nov. 5.
Helmet stickers
Alex Carder, QB, Western Michigan. Carder threw for a career-high and program record 479 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-31 win against UConn.
Harry Peoples, WR, Louisiana. Peoples had 12 catches for 176 yards in a win against FAU. His 12 receptions tied the mark Brandon Stokley set against Louisiana Tech in 1995 for most catches by a UL receiver at Cajun Field.
Brady Amack, LB, Air Force. Amack amassed a career-high 23 tackles (11 solo), a sack and two tackles for loss in the Falcons’ 35-34 overtime victory at Navy. Amack’s tackle total ranks as the sixth-highest in school history and tied for the most in Mountain West history.
Matt Christian, QB, New Mexico State. Christian went 16-of-27 for a career-high 296 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in a 42-28 win at New Mexico. Christian also rushed for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He had 397 yards of total offense and accounted for five of the six Aggie touchdowns in the game.
Here are the non-AQ players of the week, as selected by each conference. The independents are selected by a national panel of writers.
C-USA
Offense: Case Keenum, QB, Houston. Threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cougars to a 38-34 win over UCLA in his first game since tearing his ACL last year.
Defense: Cordarro Law, DL, Southern Miss. Had eight tackles (two solos) and added two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in Southern Miss’ win over Louisiana Tech.
Special Teams: Robert Kelley, PR, Tulane. Set a school-record for kickoff return yards in his first game for the school, with 213 yards on seven returns.
Independent
Offense: Kriss Proctor, QB, Navy. Ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard scoring sprint on the third play from scrimmage, in a win over Delaware.
Offense: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame. Recorded a career-high 12 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to USF. Floyd set the school record for career receptions and now has 183.
Defense: Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU. With his team trailing 13-6, Van Noy caused a fumble that he also recovered, taking it 3 yards into the end zone for the decisive score in a 14-13 win over Ole Miss.
Special teams: Jon Teague, K, Navy. Set a career and Navy record with a 54-yard field goal. Teague added a 36-yard field goal and was 4-of-5 on extra points.
MAC
East Division
Offense: Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple. Had 20 carries for 147 yards and tied a career-high with three touchdowns in a win over Villanova. Pierce became the third player in Temple history to record 10 games of 100 yards rushing.
Defense: Chris Jones, DT, Bowling Green. Had tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and safety in a win over Idaho.
Special Teams: Travis Carrie, PR, Ohio. Had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 44-24 win at New Mexico State.
West Division
Offense: Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois. Threw a career-high five touchdowns and ran for 80 yards and a score in a 49-26 victory over Army on Saturday.
Defense: Nathan Ollie, DT, Ball State. Had four tackles, including two sacks, in a 27-20 win over Indiana.
Special Teams: Ryan Casano, PK, Toledo. Made all three field goals and seven extra points for 16 points in a 58-22 win over New Hampshire.
Mountain West
Offense: Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State. Completed 28-of-34 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 5 Boise State to a 35-21 win over No. 19 Georgia.
Defense: Nordly Capi, DE, Colorado State. Set a new NCAA single-game record with four forced fumbles in a 14-10 victory at New Mexico. His fourth forced fumble of the contest helped the Rams preserve their first conference victory. He added seven tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks .
Special teams: Greg McCoy, KR, TCU. Set a new TCU single-game record with 229 kick return yards a 50-48 loss at Baylor. His total ranks fourth in Mountain West history.
Sun Belt
Offense: T.Y. Hilton, WR, FIU. Had 283 all-purpose yards, 12 shy of his own school record, in a win over North Texas. The 283 yards were the most by any player in the country in Week 1.
Defense: Eric Russell, DB, Middle Tennessee. Led the team with 13 tackles, including 11 solo, and got his first career sack in a loss at Purdue. He also had an interception and was the main kick and punt returner for the team.
Special Teams: Hendrix Brakefield, P, Western Kentucky. Averaged 44.6 yards per kick on eight punts in a loss to Kentucky. Of his eight punts, three went for over 50 yards -- including a 58 yarder. He also had two punts downed inside the 10.
WAC
Offense: Bryant Moniz, QB, Hawaii. Moniz completed 20-of-33 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown while adding a career-high 121 rushing yards on 14 carries with three more scores in a win over Colorado.
Defense: Paipai Falemalu, DL, Hawaii. Had six tackles (five solo), including three for a loss, in a win over Colorado.
Special teams: Taveon Rogers, KR, New Mexico State. Returned four kickoffs for 177 yards -- including a 97-yard touchdown -- in a loss to Ohio. Rogers had a total of 259 all-purpose yards.
C-USA
Offense: Case Keenum, QB, Houston. Threw for 310 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cougars to a 38-34 win over UCLA in his first game since tearing his ACL last year.
Defense: Cordarro Law, DL, Southern Miss. Had eight tackles (two solos) and added two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in Southern Miss’ win over Louisiana Tech.
Special Teams: Robert Kelley, PR, Tulane. Set a school-record for kickoff return yards in his first game for the school, with 213 yards on seven returns.
Independent
Offense: Kriss Proctor, QB, Navy. Ran for 176 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard scoring sprint on the third play from scrimmage, in a win over Delaware.
Offense: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame. Recorded a career-high 12 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to USF. Floyd set the school record for career receptions and now has 183.
Defense: Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU. With his team trailing 13-6, Van Noy caused a fumble that he also recovered, taking it 3 yards into the end zone for the decisive score in a 14-13 win over Ole Miss.
Special teams: Jon Teague, K, Navy. Set a career and Navy record with a 54-yard field goal. Teague added a 36-yard field goal and was 4-of-5 on extra points.
MAC
East Division
Offense: Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple. Had 20 carries for 147 yards and tied a career-high with three touchdowns in a win over Villanova. Pierce became the third player in Temple history to record 10 games of 100 yards rushing.
Defense: Chris Jones, DT, Bowling Green. Had tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and safety in a win over Idaho.
Special Teams: Travis Carrie, PR, Ohio. Had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown in a 44-24 win at New Mexico State.
West Division
Offense: Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois. Threw a career-high five touchdowns and ran for 80 yards and a score in a 49-26 victory over Army on Saturday.
Defense: Nathan Ollie, DT, Ball State. Had four tackles, including two sacks, in a 27-20 win over Indiana.
Special Teams: Ryan Casano, PK, Toledo. Made all three field goals and seven extra points for 16 points in a 58-22 win over New Hampshire.
Mountain West
Offense: Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State. Completed 28-of-34 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 5 Boise State to a 35-21 win over No. 19 Georgia.
Defense: Nordly Capi, DE, Colorado State. Set a new NCAA single-game record with four forced fumbles in a 14-10 victory at New Mexico. His fourth forced fumble of the contest helped the Rams preserve their first conference victory. He added seven tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks .
Special teams: Greg McCoy, KR, TCU. Set a new TCU single-game record with 229 kick return yards a 50-48 loss at Baylor. His total ranks fourth in Mountain West history.
Sun Belt
Offense: T.Y. Hilton, WR, FIU. Had 283 all-purpose yards, 12 shy of his own school record, in a win over North Texas. The 283 yards were the most by any player in the country in Week 1.
Defense: Eric Russell, DB, Middle Tennessee. Led the team with 13 tackles, including 11 solo, and got his first career sack in a loss at Purdue. He also had an interception and was the main kick and punt returner for the team.
Special Teams: Hendrix Brakefield, P, Western Kentucky. Averaged 44.6 yards per kick on eight punts in a loss to Kentucky. Of his eight punts, three went for over 50 yards -- including a 58 yarder. He also had two punts downed inside the 10.
WAC
Offense: Bryant Moniz, QB, Hawaii. Moniz completed 20-of-33 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown while adding a career-high 121 rushing yards on 14 carries with three more scores in a win over Colorado.
Defense: Paipai Falemalu, DL, Hawaii. Had six tackles (five solo), including three for a loss, in a win over Colorado.
Special teams: Taveon Rogers, KR, New Mexico State. Returned four kickoffs for 177 yards -- including a 97-yard touchdown -- in a loss to Ohio. Rogers had a total of 259 all-purpose yards.
The good: No.5 Boise State thoroughly and convincingly beat Georgia 35-21, picking up a critical first win over the SEC. But the Broncos were not the only to win a non-AQ vs. AQ game. Houston beat UCLA 38-34; BYU beat Ole Miss 14-13; Hawaii beat Colorado 34-17 and Ball State beat Indiana 27-20. The MAC now has eight wins over the Big Ten in the last three years. The Cardinals have also beaten Indiana twice since 2008, a huge first win for new coach Pete Lembo.
Speaking of firsts ... New Temple coach Steve Addazio picked up his first win, 42-7 over Villanova. Bernard Pierce ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. New Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren also picked up his first win when the Huskies beat Army 49-26.
The great escape: UTEP barely escaped Stony Brook, 31-24 in overtime. The Miners trailed 24-10 in the third quarter but Nick Lamaison keyed the comeback -- throwing three late touchdown passes, including the winner in overtime. Lamaison ended with 365 yards in his first career start. ... Wyoming also needed a last-second touchdown to escape Weber State. Brett Smith threw a touchdown pass to Robert Herron with 22 seconds left to give the Cowboys a 35-32 win. Weber State led for most of the fourth quarter before seeing its upset bid slip away.
The heartbreak: Utah State and Middle Tennessee felt all sorts of heartbreak after their down-to-the-wire games came up just short for them on Saturday. The Aggies had the defending national champions down for nearly the entire game. But Auburn scored twice in the final 2:07, thanks in part to an onside kick the Tigers easily recovered. Utah State lost 42-38, but if anything came out of the loss -- the nation got its first glimpse of poised true freshman Chuckie Keeton, who impressed everyone with his play in the game. You can beat Auburn won't soon forget him. Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee had its game-tying 47-yard field goal attempt against Purdue blocked and lost 27-24. The Blue Raiders led 24-17 with 9:26 left in the game, but could not hold on long enough to win. Purdue scored 17 points and gained 192 yards in the fourth quarter. "It kicks you in the gut right now, you're sick to your stomach that you lost the game," Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill said. ... New Mexico hung with Colorado State for the entire game but lost 14-10 because a familiar foe came back. Turnovers. The Lobos had three of them. Last season, New Mexico finished the season with a minus-12 turnover margin. ... Western Kentucky gave it a valiant effort against Kentucky, putting a scare into the Wildcats before losing 14-3. The Hilltoppers had more first downs and more total yardage, but also committed more penalties and turnovers in the loss. ... TCU also saw its win over Baylor evaporate when Aaron Jones kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:04 left for a 50-48 win. Casey Pachall threw an interception to end the game. Much already has been made of the uncharacteristic defense TCU played. But contrast the end of this game with the Rose Bowl. TCU got a huge defensive play to help win the game when Tank Carder batted down the 2-point conversion attempt late in the game. But the Horned Frogs could not make one stop on Baylor's game-winning drive.
The young guns: In the week leading up to the opener against Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes was asked who reminded him of his 17-year-old starting quarterback, Nick Isham. “Greg Brady,” Dykes said. Isham, a true freshman born in 1993, asked the Bulldogs sports information director, “Who’s Greg Brady?” Isham might be young, but he gained his first game experience against Southern Miss, going 20-of-36 for 176 yards in a narrow 19-17 loss. Keeton, Brett Smith of Wyoming and Rakeem Cato of Marshall were the two other non-AQ true freshmen to make starts and both looked poised behind center despite their teams' losses. Keeton went 21-of-30 for 213 yards, while Cato was 15-of-21 for 115 yards in a rain-shorted day against West Virginia. Smith went 27-of-41 for 294 yards and three touchdowns, but the first pass of his career was intercepted.
Helmet stickers
Boise State defense. The Broncos absolutely dominated up front in a win against Georgia. The defensive line had six sacks and constantly harassed Aaron Murray. The Bulldogs had just 13 first downs and were never much of a threat.
Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois. The Huskies quarterback threw a career-high five touchdown passes and ran for another in a 49-27 win over Army.
T.Y. Hilton, FIU. Hilton opened a win over North Texas with a 62-yard kickoff return that he almost broke for a touchdown. On the next drive, he scored on a 60-yard reception on the first play. He had 180 all-purpose yards in the first quarter and finished the game with 283 all-purpose yards, 12 shy of his own school record.
Case Keenum, Houston. In his return from an ACL injury, Keenum looked like he was back to his old self, throwing for 310 yards and two touchdown passes in a win over UCLA. He went past the 300-yard mark for the 26th time in 38 career starts.
Bryant Moniz, Hawaii. Moniz threw for 5,000 yards last season but he helped the Warriors beat Colorado with his legs. Moniz ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns -- the most rushing yards by a Hawaii quarterback since Glenn Freitas had 122 yards and four touchdowns against UTEP in 1995.
Kriss Proctor, Navy. Much was made over what Proctor would face this season -- taking over for Ricky Dobbs at quarterback. But he did more than fine against Delaware, running for 176 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-17 win. He also threw his first career touchdown pass.
Speaking of firsts ... New Temple coach Steve Addazio picked up his first win, 42-7 over Villanova. Bernard Pierce ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. New Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren also picked up his first win when the Huskies beat Army 49-26.
The great escape: UTEP barely escaped Stony Brook, 31-24 in overtime. The Miners trailed 24-10 in the third quarter but Nick Lamaison keyed the comeback -- throwing three late touchdown passes, including the winner in overtime. Lamaison ended with 365 yards in his first career start. ... Wyoming also needed a last-second touchdown to escape Weber State. Brett Smith threw a touchdown pass to Robert Herron with 22 seconds left to give the Cowboys a 35-32 win. Weber State led for most of the fourth quarter before seeing its upset bid slip away.
The heartbreak: Utah State and Middle Tennessee felt all sorts of heartbreak after their down-to-the-wire games came up just short for them on Saturday. The Aggies had the defending national champions down for nearly the entire game. But Auburn scored twice in the final 2:07, thanks in part to an onside kick the Tigers easily recovered. Utah State lost 42-38, but if anything came out of the loss -- the nation got its first glimpse of poised true freshman Chuckie Keeton, who impressed everyone with his play in the game. You can beat Auburn won't soon forget him. Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee had its game-tying 47-yard field goal attempt against Purdue blocked and lost 27-24. The Blue Raiders led 24-17 with 9:26 left in the game, but could not hold on long enough to win. Purdue scored 17 points and gained 192 yards in the fourth quarter. "It kicks you in the gut right now, you're sick to your stomach that you lost the game," Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill said. ... New Mexico hung with Colorado State for the entire game but lost 14-10 because a familiar foe came back. Turnovers. The Lobos had three of them. Last season, New Mexico finished the season with a minus-12 turnover margin. ... Western Kentucky gave it a valiant effort against Kentucky, putting a scare into the Wildcats before losing 14-3. The Hilltoppers had more first downs and more total yardage, but also committed more penalties and turnovers in the loss. ... TCU also saw its win over Baylor evaporate when Aaron Jones kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:04 left for a 50-48 win. Casey Pachall threw an interception to end the game. Much already has been made of the uncharacteristic defense TCU played. But contrast the end of this game with the Rose Bowl. TCU got a huge defensive play to help win the game when Tank Carder batted down the 2-point conversion attempt late in the game. But the Horned Frogs could not make one stop on Baylor's game-winning drive.
The young guns: In the week leading up to the opener against Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes was asked who reminded him of his 17-year-old starting quarterback, Nick Isham. “Greg Brady,” Dykes said. Isham, a true freshman born in 1993, asked the Bulldogs sports information director, “Who’s Greg Brady?” Isham might be young, but he gained his first game experience against Southern Miss, going 20-of-36 for 176 yards in a narrow 19-17 loss. Keeton, Brett Smith of Wyoming and Rakeem Cato of Marshall were the two other non-AQ true freshmen to make starts and both looked poised behind center despite their teams' losses. Keeton went 21-of-30 for 213 yards, while Cato was 15-of-21 for 115 yards in a rain-shorted day against West Virginia. Smith went 27-of-41 for 294 yards and three touchdowns, but the first pass of his career was intercepted.
Helmet stickers
Boise State defense. The Broncos absolutely dominated up front in a win against Georgia. The defensive line had six sacks and constantly harassed Aaron Murray. The Bulldogs had just 13 first downs and were never much of a threat.
Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois. The Huskies quarterback threw a career-high five touchdown passes and ran for another in a 49-27 win over Army.
T.Y. Hilton, FIU. Hilton opened a win over North Texas with a 62-yard kickoff return that he almost broke for a touchdown. On the next drive, he scored on a 60-yard reception on the first play. He had 180 all-purpose yards in the first quarter and finished the game with 283 all-purpose yards, 12 shy of his own school record.
Case Keenum, Houston. In his return from an ACL injury, Keenum looked like he was back to his old self, throwing for 310 yards and two touchdown passes in a win over UCLA. He went past the 300-yard mark for the 26th time in 38 career starts.
Bryant Moniz, Hawaii. Moniz threw for 5,000 yards last season but he helped the Warriors beat Colorado with his legs. Moniz ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns -- the most rushing yards by a Hawaii quarterback since Glenn Freitas had 122 yards and four touchdowns against UTEP in 1995.
Kriss Proctor, Navy. Much was made over what Proctor would face this season -- taking over for Ricky Dobbs at quarterback. But he did more than fine against Delaware, running for 176 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-17 win. He also threw his first career touchdown pass.
Can service academies make history again?
August, 17, 2011
8/17/11
1:00
PM ET
By
Andrea Adelson | ESPN.com
They are fierce rivals, yes, but everybody who coaches at and plays for a service academy understands the difficulty of making a bowl game. So it should come as little shock that they applauded what happened last season -- when Army, Navy and Air Force all made bowl games for the first time in college football history.
"All three are phenomenal places. Each one has their own niche that our country badly needs," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. "We’re fortunate to have each one of these academies. When they all have winning seasons, that’s pretty cool stuff."
Now the big question -- can they do it again and again?
"There are no guarantees in this, but I think that’s a realistic outcome when you look at who we are and our schedules and how well we’re playing," Army coach Rich Ellerson said. "It’s not hard to visualize that."
Navy and Air Force have been playing at high levels in recent years. The Midshipmen have been to eight straight bowl games; Air Force to four straight. It had been Army that lagged behind. But Ellerson has changed the culture at West Point, taking his Black Knights to a bowl game for the first time since 1996.
Is that enough to get the momentum going for Army? On paper, it appears that Army has the longest shot of the three service academies to make it back to a bowl game.
The defense lost six starters, including all-important nose guard Mike Gann and defensive end Josh McNary, who holds the school record for tackles for loss and sacks. The defensive line is more undersized than usual for a service academic, so the team is hoping its quickness and athleticism can make up for that. The Black Knights also lose leading tackler Stephen Anderson, who had 108 stops last season, and both starting safeties.
If you take a look at the Army schedule, you will find very few gimmes. Six of the 12 games feature bowl teams; only four of their FBS teams had losing records last season. The opening stretch is tough, starting with a game at Northern Illinois (11-3 last season), then home to San Diego State (9-4) and Northwestern (7-6). Army plays six straight games before getting a bye.
But if there is a bright spot for Army, it has to be on offense. Quarterback Trent Steelman and fullback Jared Hassin return, and they should given opposing defenses fits. Hassin ran for 1,013 yards last season and Steelman added 721 on the ground and 995 yards passing. Army does have to replace four starters on the offensive line, but Ellerson has been pleased with their progress.
Navy faces a rebuilding year as well, but the Midshipmen are a team that knows how to win and win consistently. They only return 10 starters -- and just three on defense. Navy lost its top four tacklers from a year ago -- Wyatt Middleton, Tyler Simmons, Aaron McCauley and Jerry Hauburger.
There are some bright spots returning, though. Defensive end Jabaree Tuani, their best defensive lineman, returns. Cornerback Kewsi Mitchell will anchor the defensive backfield, though just exactly where he will play remains up in the air. On the latest depth chart, he is listed as a possibility at rover, right and left cornerback.
Offensively, Ricky Dobbs is gone, but there isn't much concern about Kriss Proctor coming in to run the triple-option. Proctor has had extensive experience running the offense as a backup the past two seasons. Plus, he has fullback Alexander Teich to help him out. Teich had a breakout year in 2010, running for 863 yards and is in line to be a 1,000-yard rusher this season. Four of five starters on the offensive line return as well.
As for Air Force, the Falcons are the defending Commander-In-Chief Trophy winners after breaking the seven-year Navy streak. Air Force has to be the favorite to repeat as CIC champions because of everybody it has returning. In fact, the Falcons were picked to finish third in the Mountain West in the preseason media poll, and some have called them a darkhorse candidate to win the conference.
Air Force has the best quarterback of the service academies in Tim Jefferson, and the best return specalist in Jonathan Warzeka. The Falcons also have the most solid defense. Eight starters return on defense, including the team's top three tacklers from a year ago -- Jordan Waiwaiole, Jon Davis and Brady Amack.
All three programs need to get to six wins to be bowl eligible. If that happens again, Navy would head to the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman on Dec. 28 in Washington against a team from the ACC. Army would head to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco against a Pac-12 team on Dec. 31. Air Force would go to a Mountain West tie-in.
"All three are phenomenal places. Each one has their own niche that our country badly needs," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. "We’re fortunate to have each one of these academies. When they all have winning seasons, that’s pretty cool stuff."
Now the big question -- can they do it again and again?
[+] Enlarge
Hunter Martin/Getty ImagesLast season Trent Steelman passed for 995 yards, rushed for 721 yards and led Army to its first bowl game since 1996.
Hunter Martin/Getty ImagesLast season Trent Steelman passed for 995 yards, rushed for 721 yards and led Army to its first bowl game since 1996.Navy and Air Force have been playing at high levels in recent years. The Midshipmen have been to eight straight bowl games; Air Force to four straight. It had been Army that lagged behind. But Ellerson has changed the culture at West Point, taking his Black Knights to a bowl game for the first time since 1996.
Is that enough to get the momentum going for Army? On paper, it appears that Army has the longest shot of the three service academies to make it back to a bowl game.
The defense lost six starters, including all-important nose guard Mike Gann and defensive end Josh McNary, who holds the school record for tackles for loss and sacks. The defensive line is more undersized than usual for a service academic, so the team is hoping its quickness and athleticism can make up for that. The Black Knights also lose leading tackler Stephen Anderson, who had 108 stops last season, and both starting safeties.
If you take a look at the Army schedule, you will find very few gimmes. Six of the 12 games feature bowl teams; only four of their FBS teams had losing records last season. The opening stretch is tough, starting with a game at Northern Illinois (11-3 last season), then home to San Diego State (9-4) and Northwestern (7-6). Army plays six straight games before getting a bye.
But if there is a bright spot for Army, it has to be on offense. Quarterback Trent Steelman and fullback Jared Hassin return, and they should given opposing defenses fits. Hassin ran for 1,013 yards last season and Steelman added 721 on the ground and 995 yards passing. Army does have to replace four starters on the offensive line, but Ellerson has been pleased with their progress.
Navy faces a rebuilding year as well, but the Midshipmen are a team that knows how to win and win consistently. They only return 10 starters -- and just three on defense. Navy lost its top four tacklers from a year ago -- Wyatt Middleton, Tyler Simmons, Aaron McCauley and Jerry Hauburger.
There are some bright spots returning, though. Defensive end Jabaree Tuani, their best defensive lineman, returns. Cornerback Kewsi Mitchell will anchor the defensive backfield, though just exactly where he will play remains up in the air. On the latest depth chart, he is listed as a possibility at rover, right and left cornerback.
Offensively, Ricky Dobbs is gone, but there isn't much concern about Kriss Proctor coming in to run the triple-option. Proctor has had extensive experience running the offense as a backup the past two seasons. Plus, he has fullback Alexander Teich to help him out. Teich had a breakout year in 2010, running for 863 yards and is in line to be a 1,000-yard rusher this season. Four of five starters on the offensive line return as well.
As for Air Force, the Falcons are the defending Commander-In-Chief Trophy winners after breaking the seven-year Navy streak. Air Force has to be the favorite to repeat as CIC champions because of everybody it has returning. In fact, the Falcons were picked to finish third in the Mountain West in the preseason media poll, and some have called them a darkhorse candidate to win the conference.
Air Force has the best quarterback of the service academies in Tim Jefferson, and the best return specalist in Jonathan Warzeka. The Falcons also have the most solid defense. Eight starters return on defense, including the team's top three tacklers from a year ago -- Jordan Waiwaiole, Jon Davis and Brady Amack.
All three programs need to get to six wins to be bowl eligible. If that happens again, Navy would head to the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman on Dec. 28 in Washington against a team from the ACC. Army would head to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco against a Pac-12 team on Dec. 31. Air Force would go to a Mountain West tie-in.
2010 overall record: 9-4
Returning starters
Offense: 8, defense 3, punter/kicker 0
Top returners
FB Alexander Teich, DE Jabaree Tuani, SB Gee Gee Greene
Key losses
QB Ricky Dobbs, S Wyatt Middleton, CB Kevin Edwards
2010 statistical leaders (* denotes returners)
Rushing: Dobbs (967 yards, 14 TDs)
Passing: Dobbs (82-of-150 for 1,527, 13 TDs, 6 INT)
Receiving: Greg Jones (662 yards, 5 TDs)
Tackles: Tyler Simmons (131)
Sacks: Billy Yarborough (6)
Interceptions: Simmons, Max Blue*, Kevin Edwards, De’Von Richardson, Kwesi Mitchell*, Tra’ves Bush*, Emmett Merchant (one each)
Spring Answers
1. Kriss Proctor at quarterback. There was never any doubt that Proctor would succeed Dobbs, but nonetheless coach Ken Niumatalolo wanted to see a good spring out of him and he most certainly got one. Proctor no doubt already has the respect of his teammates, and that is important going into fall practice.
2. Depth in the backfield. Navy is deeper than it has ever been in the offensive backfield under Niumatalolo. Eight deep in fact. Greene and Teich return, along with Aaron Santiago, Bo Snelson and John Howell, giving the Midshipmen plenty of options.
3. Bush steps up. No question Bush has some big shoes to fill in replacing Middleton, the best player on the defense and a team leader. Middleton started all four seasons so Navy loses all his experience. But Bush had a good spring and is penciled in to start.
Fall Questions
1. Linebacker. Navy is going to have new starters on the outside after the graduation of Jerry Hauburger and the abrupt departure of Aaron McCauley. Jarred Shannon and Mason Graham top the depth chart, but there will be more competition in the fall when Brye French (lacrosse) and Craig Veech (baseball) return to football.
2. Youth in the secondary. Cornerback Kwesi Mitchell is the only returning starter in the secondary. Navy took a big hit in leadership and experience after losing Middleton and Edwards. Jordan Fraser is tops on the depth chart at the other safety spot, while David Sperry and Jonathan Wev are competing for the cornerback job opposite Mitchell.
3. Leadership. The departed senior class won 35 games, tied for the second most in school history. Players like Dobbs, Middleton, Edwards and Jeff Battipaglia started many games in their Navy careers. Niumatalolo said this spring was spent emphasizing the Navy culture to the young players whose job it will be to step up and lead.
Returning starters
Offense: 8, defense 3, punter/kicker 0
Top returners
FB Alexander Teich, DE Jabaree Tuani, SB Gee Gee Greene
Key losses
QB Ricky Dobbs, S Wyatt Middleton, CB Kevin Edwards
2010 statistical leaders (* denotes returners)
Rushing: Dobbs (967 yards, 14 TDs)
Passing: Dobbs (82-of-150 for 1,527, 13 TDs, 6 INT)
Receiving: Greg Jones (662 yards, 5 TDs)
Tackles: Tyler Simmons (131)
Sacks: Billy Yarborough (6)
Interceptions: Simmons, Max Blue*, Kevin Edwards, De’Von Richardson, Kwesi Mitchell*, Tra’ves Bush*, Emmett Merchant (one each)
Spring Answers
1. Kriss Proctor at quarterback. There was never any doubt that Proctor would succeed Dobbs, but nonetheless coach Ken Niumatalolo wanted to see a good spring out of him and he most certainly got one. Proctor no doubt already has the respect of his teammates, and that is important going into fall practice.
2. Depth in the backfield. Navy is deeper than it has ever been in the offensive backfield under Niumatalolo. Eight deep in fact. Greene and Teich return, along with Aaron Santiago, Bo Snelson and John Howell, giving the Midshipmen plenty of options.
3. Bush steps up. No question Bush has some big shoes to fill in replacing Middleton, the best player on the defense and a team leader. Middleton started all four seasons so Navy loses all his experience. But Bush had a good spring and is penciled in to start.
Fall Questions
1. Linebacker. Navy is going to have new starters on the outside after the graduation of Jerry Hauburger and the abrupt departure of Aaron McCauley. Jarred Shannon and Mason Graham top the depth chart, but there will be more competition in the fall when Brye French (lacrosse) and Craig Veech (baseball) return to football.
2. Youth in the secondary. Cornerback Kwesi Mitchell is the only returning starter in the secondary. Navy took a big hit in leadership and experience after losing Middleton and Edwards. Jordan Fraser is tops on the depth chart at the other safety spot, while David Sperry and Jonathan Wev are competing for the cornerback job opposite Mitchell.
3. Leadership. The departed senior class won 35 games, tied for the second most in school history. Players like Dobbs, Middleton, Edwards and Jeff Battipaglia started many games in their Navy careers. Niumatalolo said this spring was spent emphasizing the Navy culture to the young players whose job it will be to step up and lead.
Niumatalolo stresses the Navy culture
April, 25, 2011
4/25/11
3:30
PM ET
By
Andrea Adelson | ESPN.com
Navy had one of its most experienced teams last season, a group so stocked with veteran leaders that it became easy to ratchet up expectations.
But now the Midshipmen have to move forward without top players like Ricky Dobbs, Wyatt Middleton, Jeff Battipaglia, Greg Jones, Tyler Simmons and Kevin Edwards, to name a few. That senior class won 35 games, tied for the second-most wins for a class in school history with the groups in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
There obviously is no doubting Navy knows how to get its players ready to become leaders. Already, quarterback Kriss Proctor has taken the reigns on offense. Jabaree Tuani and Kwesi Mitchell have done the same on defense. But what could be a factor is inexperience. Navy has only three starters returning on defense after losing several seniors and two unexpected players. Starting linebacker Aaron McCauley left the academy for personal reasons, while free safety De'Von Richardson was dismissed for academic reasons.
Coach Ken Niumatalolo said his team worked as much as allowed under NCAA rules limiting tackling and 11-on-11 work during the spring so coaches could identify the players ready to start in 2011.
"You can hit a garbage can and walk through cones, but unless you play, it's hard to see who can do what," he said in a recent phone interview. "That's our approach when we have a new group of guys coming in, to set the foundation and then we go from there. There's no way you can simulate your opening game against Delaware or South Carolina, so turn you turn up the heat a little bit and see how you can handle it."
Indeed, stressing the culture of Navy football has been a constant.
"It's a word I've been using a lot just so they know this is how we play," Niumatalolo said. "We run to the ball, play harder than everyone else, we get off our blocks. It's understanding the mind-set of the way we play, especially from a defensive standpoint. If we want to have a remote chance to win, we have to play harder than everybody else."
The defense had to learn without defensive coordinator Buddy Green, who was out the majority of spring because of complications following gall bladder surgery. But Niumatalolo was able to identify some players who have a chance to make plays for the Midshipmen. Among them: linebackers Jarred Shannon and Mason Graham, and rover Tra'ves Bush.
Offensively, the big question is how Proctor will do in replacing Dobbs. So many new faces, but Proctor is confident his teammates have what it takes to have as much success as their predecessors.
"It's always a tight knit group at the Academy, Proctor said. "We call ourselves 'the brotherhood.' The closeness and the bond is always there. In terms of guys stepping up in leadership, we have a whole bunch who have stepped up and put the weight of the team on our shoulders."
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Rob CarrNavy coach Ken Niumatalolo has only three starters returning on defense.
AP Photo/Rob CarrNavy coach Ken Niumatalolo has only three starters returning on defense.There obviously is no doubting Navy knows how to get its players ready to become leaders. Already, quarterback Kriss Proctor has taken the reigns on offense. Jabaree Tuani and Kwesi Mitchell have done the same on defense. But what could be a factor is inexperience. Navy has only three starters returning on defense after losing several seniors and two unexpected players. Starting linebacker Aaron McCauley left the academy for personal reasons, while free safety De'Von Richardson was dismissed for academic reasons.
Coach Ken Niumatalolo said his team worked as much as allowed under NCAA rules limiting tackling and 11-on-11 work during the spring so coaches could identify the players ready to start in 2011.
"You can hit a garbage can and walk through cones, but unless you play, it's hard to see who can do what," he said in a recent phone interview. "That's our approach when we have a new group of guys coming in, to set the foundation and then we go from there. There's no way you can simulate your opening game against Delaware or South Carolina, so turn you turn up the heat a little bit and see how you can handle it."
Indeed, stressing the culture of Navy football has been a constant.
"It's a word I've been using a lot just so they know this is how we play," Niumatalolo said. "We run to the ball, play harder than everyone else, we get off our blocks. It's understanding the mind-set of the way we play, especially from a defensive standpoint. If we want to have a remote chance to win, we have to play harder than everybody else."
The defense had to learn without defensive coordinator Buddy Green, who was out the majority of spring because of complications following gall bladder surgery. But Niumatalolo was able to identify some players who have a chance to make plays for the Midshipmen. Among them: linebackers Jarred Shannon and Mason Graham, and rover Tra'ves Bush.
Offensively, the big question is how Proctor will do in replacing Dobbs. So many new faces, but Proctor is confident his teammates have what it takes to have as much success as their predecessors.
"It's always a tight knit group at the Academy, Proctor said. "We call ourselves 'the brotherhood.' The closeness and the bond is always there. In terms of guys stepping up in leadership, we have a whole bunch who have stepped up and put the weight of the team on our shoulders."
Navy could not have planned the transition from record-setting quarterback Ricky Dobbs any better. Well, there is one thing coach Ken Niumatalolo wishes he could have back.
Tape of Kriss Proctor running the offense last season.
That is how confident Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper are in Proctor and what he will bring to the Midshipmen in 2011.
“Coach Jasper and I have always said this: ‘We are so excited about Kriss. He had the misfortune I guess you could say of playing behind Ricky,” Niumatalolo said in a phone interview. “Part of me wished he didn't play last year so we could spring him on teams who might think, ‘Oh poor Navy they lost Ricky’ and not knowing we had Kriss Proctor behind. We know from an athletic standpoint he's as athletic as any quarterback we’ve ever had here.”
Proctor has not given his coaches any reason for concern as Navy heads into its spring game Friday. He is the ideal quarterback to play the triple option because of his athleticism and ability to run the ball. He has game experience, having started games in 2009 and 2010 when Dobbs was injured.
He has got a backfield as deep and talented as any Niumatalolo has had with Alexander Teich, Gee Gee Greene, Aaron Santiago, Bo Snelson and John Howell to name a few. Plus, Proctor is one of the hardest working players in the weight room, and his example has been an easy one for his teammates to follow.
That should help ease any pressure Proctor might feel in replacing Dobbs, one of the best players in Naval Academy history.
“There's always pressure when a guy comes in when the guy before him has been so successful, but I don't let that bother me. I don't let that get to me,” Proctor said in a phone interview. “I do what I'm told and do what I have to get done, and I let everybody else sort that out.”
While Proctor is a better runner than Dobbs, he is also a weaker passer. That has been a point of emphasis during the spring. But since Navy relies so heavily on running the ball, Proctor is an ideal fit. In his start against Central Michigan last season, Proctor ran for 201 yards and a touchdown in the 38-37 win. He came to Navy from a triple-option style offense, so that certainly has helped him understand what to do.
But even still, Proctor gives Navy more options in the triple option because he is such a dynamic runner. Expect to see some new wrinkles.
“I just think my speed and my option influence in the offense is really going to spark some big things,” Proctor said. "It will still look like the option, but maybe a little faster with a few different quirks."
Proctor is also different in the way he leads the team. Where Dobbs was a quiet leader, Proctor is way more vocal, a cheerleader who has already screamed plenty during practice. He isn’t afraid of head butting linemen, either.
How he responds as the full-time starter will be a story line to watch for Navy this season as the Midshipmen try to regain the Commander-in-Chief Trophy -- a huge source of motivation for the entire team.
Tape of Kriss Proctor running the offense last season.
That is how confident Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper are in Proctor and what he will bring to the Midshipmen in 2011.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Rob CarrNavy is confident Kriss Proctor will be able to replace Ricky Dobbs at quarterback.
AP Photo/Rob CarrNavy is confident Kriss Proctor will be able to replace Ricky Dobbs at quarterback.Proctor has not given his coaches any reason for concern as Navy heads into its spring game Friday. He is the ideal quarterback to play the triple option because of his athleticism and ability to run the ball. He has game experience, having started games in 2009 and 2010 when Dobbs was injured.
He has got a backfield as deep and talented as any Niumatalolo has had with Alexander Teich, Gee Gee Greene, Aaron Santiago, Bo Snelson and John Howell to name a few. Plus, Proctor is one of the hardest working players in the weight room, and his example has been an easy one for his teammates to follow.
That should help ease any pressure Proctor might feel in replacing Dobbs, one of the best players in Naval Academy history.
“There's always pressure when a guy comes in when the guy before him has been so successful, but I don't let that bother me. I don't let that get to me,” Proctor said in a phone interview. “I do what I'm told and do what I have to get done, and I let everybody else sort that out.”
While Proctor is a better runner than Dobbs, he is also a weaker passer. That has been a point of emphasis during the spring. But since Navy relies so heavily on running the ball, Proctor is an ideal fit. In his start against Central Michigan last season, Proctor ran for 201 yards and a touchdown in the 38-37 win. He came to Navy from a triple-option style offense, so that certainly has helped him understand what to do.
But even still, Proctor gives Navy more options in the triple option because he is such a dynamic runner. Expect to see some new wrinkles.
“I just think my speed and my option influence in the offense is really going to spark some big things,” Proctor said. "It will still look like the option, but maybe a little faster with a few different quirks."
Proctor is also different in the way he leads the team. Where Dobbs was a quiet leader, Proctor is way more vocal, a cheerleader who has already screamed plenty during practice. He isn’t afraid of head butting linemen, either.
How he responds as the full-time starter will be a story line to watch for Navy this season as the Midshipmen try to regain the Commander-in-Chief Trophy -- a huge source of motivation for the entire team.
Time for a few non-AQ helmet stickers:
Tulane QB Ryan Griffin. Threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns, including a 73-yard score to Ryan Grant for the go-ahead score with 1:46 remaining to beat Rice 54-49.
FIU offensive line. The Panthers had three players rush for more than 100 yards for the first time in program history, and racked up a program-record 448 rushing yards. Darriet Perry had a career-high 186 yards, while T.Y. Hilton had 158 and Darian Mallary had 118 in the 52-35 win over Troy.
North Texas RB Lance Dunbar. Gained 226 yards and a touchdown in a 23-17 win over Middle Tennessee. Dunbar has gone over 200 yards rushing in two of his past three games.
Western Michigan WR Jordan White and Juan Nunez. Each went over 100 yards in the same game for the third time this season in a 45-30 win over Eastern Michigan. White had 134 yards and one TD, while Nunez had 110 yards on four catches and two touchdowns.
BYU WR Luke Ashworth. Had four catches for a career-high 113 yards in a 49-10 win over Colorado State. All four catches went for touchdowns -- 62, 7, 36 and 8 yards. BYU has won three straight and is one win away from becoming bowl eligible.
Navy QB Kriss Proctor. Ran 20 times for a career-high 201 yards and a touchdown in a 38-37 win over Central Michigan. Proctor started in place of Ricky Dobbs, who was held out with a slight concussion. Navy clinched its eighth straight winning season, the longest streak since 1952-61.
Tulsa safety Marco Nelson. The true freshman had three of the Golden Hurricane's five interceptions in a 28-25 win over Houston. He now has six interceptions on the season.
Fresno State RB Robbie Rouse. Ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-34 loss to No. 21 Nevada. Rouse has posted back-to-back 200-yard games after rushing for 286 last week against Louisiana Tech. Colin Kaepernick had 324 total yards and two scores for Nevada.
Tulane QB Ryan Griffin. Threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns, including a 73-yard score to Ryan Grant for the go-ahead score with 1:46 remaining to beat Rice 54-49.
FIU offensive line. The Panthers had three players rush for more than 100 yards for the first time in program history, and racked up a program-record 448 rushing yards. Darriet Perry had a career-high 186 yards, while T.Y. Hilton had 158 and Darian Mallary had 118 in the 52-35 win over Troy.
North Texas RB Lance Dunbar. Gained 226 yards and a touchdown in a 23-17 win over Middle Tennessee. Dunbar has gone over 200 yards rushing in two of his past three games.
Western Michigan WR Jordan White and Juan Nunez. Each went over 100 yards in the same game for the third time this season in a 45-30 win over Eastern Michigan. White had 134 yards and one TD, while Nunez had 110 yards on four catches and two touchdowns.
BYU WR Luke Ashworth. Had four catches for a career-high 113 yards in a 49-10 win over Colorado State. All four catches went for touchdowns -- 62, 7, 36 and 8 yards. BYU has won three straight and is one win away from becoming bowl eligible.
Navy QB Kriss Proctor. Ran 20 times for a career-high 201 yards and a touchdown in a 38-37 win over Central Michigan. Proctor started in place of Ricky Dobbs, who was held out with a slight concussion. Navy clinched its eighth straight winning season, the longest streak since 1952-61.
Tulsa safety Marco Nelson. The true freshman had three of the Golden Hurricane's five interceptions in a 28-25 win over Houston. He now has six interceptions on the season.
Fresno State RB Robbie Rouse. Ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-34 loss to No. 21 Nevada. Rouse has posted back-to-back 200-yard games after rushing for 286 last week against Louisiana Tech. Colin Kaepernick had 324 total yards and two scores for Nevada.
Navy's defenders come to the aid of the offense
April, 2, 2010
4/02/10
12:00
PM ET
By
Graham Watson | ESPN.com
Navy came into spring not worrying about its starting quarterback position, but as spring practices have progressed, coach Ken Niumatalolo has worried about his team’s ability to scrimmage.
Starter Ricky Dobbs, who had knee surgery in January, is practicing, but he is not allowed to participate in contract drills. That leaves No. 2 quarterback Kriss Proctor leading the first team in scrimmages and plebe Tyler Lynch backing him up as the No. 3.
But the No. 4 quarterback spot is vacant after Gordy Law decided to give up football because of a lingering injury. Niumatalolo said he wanted to have four groups running the offense so everyone could get reps.
“Gordy’s a great kid, but he just couldn’t operate like he wanted to with all of his injuries, “ Niumatalolo said. “The pace of the Academy is hard enough without football and it’s even with football and he just decided he couldn’t do it all.”
Former quarterback recruit turned safety, Brian Blick, volunteered to fill the No. 4 spot, but the transition was for just one practice.
“He was number two on the depth chart at safety, but he’s such a great kid and he would do anything to help the team, all of our guys understand that ultimately it is about the team, but I could just tell he was disappointed he was moving back to quarterback,” Niumatalolo said. “He was willing to do it, but I could tell by his demeanor that he was unhappy and I just didn’t want to screw over Brian. He had worked hard in the offseason to get to this point so I thought it was the right thing to do to move him back.”
With the quarterback position open again, freshman safety Travis Keating volunteered to make the switch. Keating played the position in high school and gave up competing with the defensive backs for the good of the team.
Keating presence under center might be short-lived, though. Niumatalolo said that Keating could move back to safety once the Midshipmen’s recruits arrive in the fall.
Starter Ricky Dobbs, who had knee surgery in January, is practicing, but he is not allowed to participate in contract drills. That leaves No. 2 quarterback Kriss Proctor leading the first team in scrimmages and plebe Tyler Lynch backing him up as the No. 3.
But the No. 4 quarterback spot is vacant after Gordy Law decided to give up football because of a lingering injury. Niumatalolo said he wanted to have four groups running the offense so everyone could get reps.
“Gordy’s a great kid, but he just couldn’t operate like he wanted to with all of his injuries, “ Niumatalolo said. “The pace of the Academy is hard enough without football and it’s even with football and he just decided he couldn’t do it all.”
Former quarterback recruit turned safety, Brian Blick, volunteered to fill the No. 4 spot, but the transition was for just one practice.
“He was number two on the depth chart at safety, but he’s such a great kid and he would do anything to help the team, all of our guys understand that ultimately it is about the team, but I could just tell he was disappointed he was moving back to quarterback,” Niumatalolo said. “He was willing to do it, but I could tell by his demeanor that he was unhappy and I just didn’t want to screw over Brian. He had worked hard in the offseason to get to this point so I thought it was the right thing to do to move him back.”
With the quarterback position open again, freshman safety Travis Keating volunteered to make the switch. Keating played the position in high school and gave up competing with the defensive backs for the good of the team.
Keating presence under center might be short-lived, though. Niumatalolo said that Keating could move back to safety once the Midshipmen’s recruits arrive in the fall.
Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson
Navy starting quarterback Ricky Dobbs told media after practice Monday that he likely would not play against Temple this weekend.
Dobbs said team doctors and trainers advised another week of rest to allow the cracked bone in his kneecap to continue to heel. Dobbs aggravated the injury two weeks ago against SMU. Doctors said the injury was a preexisting condition and Dobbs, a junior, said he thought he injured the knee during his senior season of high school.
"With me being anxious, I kind of push myself into thinking that I'm ready when I'm really not," Dobbs told local media. "I'm just taking it slow, going through the process. I think it's a good plan. They're going to try to have me get in there and practice by Wednesday and see how it feels, but definitely not planning on playing on Saturday.”
Dobbs did not play in the Midshipmen’s 13-10 win over Wake Forest last weekend. Sophomore Kriss Proctor led the team and will do so again this weekend. Navy did not attempt a pass against Wake Forest, but Proctor did have 23 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Dobbs said the knee felt better Monday than it had the previous week and that he’s hoping to be ready for the game against Notre Dame on Nov. 7.
Dobbs said he’s likely to have offseason surgery to remove the cracked piece of bone.
Navy starting quarterback Ricky Dobbs told media after practice Monday that he likely would not play against Temple this weekend.
Dobbs said team doctors and trainers advised another week of rest to allow the cracked bone in his kneecap to continue to heel. Dobbs aggravated the injury two weeks ago against SMU. Doctors said the injury was a preexisting condition and Dobbs, a junior, said he thought he injured the knee during his senior season of high school.
"With me being anxious, I kind of push myself into thinking that I'm ready when I'm really not," Dobbs told local media. "I'm just taking it slow, going through the process. I think it's a good plan. They're going to try to have me get in there and practice by Wednesday and see how it feels, but definitely not planning on playing on Saturday.”
Dobbs did not play in the Midshipmen’s 13-10 win over Wake Forest last weekend. Sophomore Kriss Proctor led the team and will do so again this weekend. Navy did not attempt a pass against Wake Forest, but Proctor did have 23 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Dobbs said the knee felt better Monday than it had the previous week and that he’s hoping to be ready for the game against Notre Dame on Nov. 7.
Dobbs said he’s likely to have offseason surgery to remove the cracked piece of bone.
Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs will not play this weekend against Wake Forest.
Several published reports noted that Dobbs did not practice on Thursday, meaning sophomore backup Kriss Proctor will make his first career start.
Dobbs has not practiced all week after aggravating a cracked knee against SMU last weekend. Dobbs, a junior, told local media that he thought he might have injured the knee while a senior in high school.
Dobbs finished the game, but has been under medical care since. He likely cannot worsen his injury, but might need surgery to repair it.
Dobbs spent Tuesday in a knee brace and after undergoing an MRI, he was placed in a soft cast.
Proctor played most of the second half of the 63-14 win over Rice and rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs will not play this weekend against Wake Forest.
Several published reports noted that Dobbs did not practice on Thursday, meaning sophomore backup Kriss Proctor will make his first career start.
Dobbs has not practiced all week after aggravating a cracked knee against SMU last weekend. Dobbs, a junior, told local media that he thought he might have injured the knee while a senior in high school.
Dobbs finished the game, but has been under medical care since. He likely cannot worsen his injury, but might need surgery to repair it.
Dobbs spent Tuesday in a knee brace and after undergoing an MRI, he was placed in a soft cast.
Proctor played most of the second half of the 63-14 win over Rice and rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.
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