The Navy football team has made Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium one of the toughest places to play in the country the last four years.
From 2003 to ?06, Navy has posted a 16-4 record at home, the 19th-best such mark in the country during that span. This came after the Midshipmen lost 14 consecutive home contests the previous three seasons.
This season, though, Navy (6-3) has become a road warrior by winning all four of its away contests, including a 38-13 rout at Duke last week. This compares to a 2-3 record at home, including the loss to Notre Dame at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
For the year, the Mids have outscored their opposition on the road, 140-56. Looking back even further, Navy is 16-10 the last four years away from Annapolis, which ranks them 12th nationally.
Navy coach Paul Johnson said the Midshipmen?s road success, which he hopes to continue Saturday against Eastern Michigan (1-7) at Ford Field in Detroit, is due to a combination of having an experienced roster and understanding that road games are not designed to be a leisure trip.
“We have to try and build some momentum, and every game is important,” Johnson said. “I hope our guys are smart enough to know that we?d better be ready to play our best game. We are going to be playing in an NFL stadium in their home state, so I?m sure they are going to be excited to play. We need to be able to match their enthusiasm.”
A quirk in Navy?s schedule this year has the team playing seven of its 12 regular-season games outside Annapolis, including four at NFL stadiums. The Midshipmen have already played at M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens), and they have upcoming games at Ford Field (Lions), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles) and Bank of America Stadium (Carolina Panthers). The latter two are the sites of the Army-Navy game and the Meineke Car Care Bowl, respectively.
Navy linebacker Tyler Tidwell said being successful on the road requires players to be disciplined and come into a game with the proper mindset while being prepared to face the unknown.
“We?ve just played well on the road this year,” Tidwell said. “We have the mentality that even if we go away for a few days, we remember that this is a business trip and our job is to play football.”
NAVY NOTES
» In five games played either at home or on a neutral site this year, Navy has been outscored, 139-86.
» Navy remains one of the most disciplined teams in the country. The Mids average 4.22 penalties a game, which places them sixth nationally.
